(Click image for a closer look)

To the left, is the front side completed and unblocked (it’s curling on the sides, if you can tell). The right panel is the back side, almost halfway done (and also curling a bit). The frustrating thing is that I’ve realized I don’t have enough of the purple yarn to complete the stripes!! GRRR!!

I am using the recommended yarn and the recommended amount for this pattern listed in the SnB Handbook. It lists out only 1 ball of this purple shade, but I’ve noticed that I need more than 1 ball (and I don’t knit terribly loose to waste yarn either). I’ve spoken online with one other knitter who had the same problem. Anyone else with the same situation (or not)? I’ve also noticed that I will have at least a ball or two extra of the main pink color. Something’s off. But that’s ok. I’ve already reordered the purple yarn from yarnmarket and it should be coming anyday now… maybe today? Once it comes, I can continue with this project. My fingers are itching to knit this up and finish - so I can finally wear this before the weather starts getting hot! =D

Lastly, I have something just for Karen, regarding “homely-looking friends“. (This has absolutely nothing to do with my Peppermint Twist sweater, btw.)

Meet a few friends of mine:

This is Pooky (left) and Blobby (right). Although in my household, they are the best of friends, the inequality between them is obvious. Pooky is obviously well known and well loved by all Garfield fans out there. He’s formed perfectly with just the amount of adorableness and cuddleness for everyone out there. Blobby, on the other hand, is a different story.

I met Blobby at the UCD bookstore gift shop, when I was a graduating senior. He was in a pile of other similarly made bears, except for some reason, Blobby stood out and looked different from the rest.

Instantly my heart went out to the poor thing, who was seemingly destined to a life of rejection and abandonment. So I picked him up, purchased him at FULL PRICE (yes, I wanted to send him the message that he is worth the same value as all his other more fully formed peers), and have cherished him ever since. Unfortunately, I cannot say that everyone in my family has had the same affection for him as I have. Over the years, for his protection, I’ve had to hide him from various members of my very own family (aka: my brother) who would try to find him just to sit on him, smack him around, or throw him in the trash. Do you how many times I’ve had to dig Blobby from underneath my brother’s butt or the trash?? (By the way, this heineous activity still exists to this day - so that’s why Blobby currently lives in my bra drawer, where I KNOW he won’t be bothered there.)

So the lesson of the day is this: No matter how homely looking, every little friend deserves just as much love (if not more) as anyone else. =D