I finished odessa up over the weekend. Its a bit wonky on the decreases but that was totally my fault. I really like the hat. I’ll get a picture taken next time I have some makeup on. I can’t wait to pick up the beads for my own version. Today I needed a project to take with me since I was having some car work done ($703 dollars later…) So I brought some Malabrigo with me for a scarf I’m going to attempt and some k1c2 paintbox for a bag. Ended up working on the bag and can I say how much I love the new knitpicks needles? Its so much easier to knit with than the denise set. There are things I still like about the denise set but how do I hate those cords. Granted I am a super tight knitter but those cords totally suck. At any rate once I finished odessa I went project hunting/stash diving. I have been yarn dieting and sock yarn does not count;) But at any rate it made me think of what little of a stash I actually have. I know they aren’t going to quit making yarn any time soon. But its like a security blanket. At one time in the not too distant past things weren’t really financially stable for the husband and myself. I think I hoard food for the same reason I hoard yarn. What happens if those days ever come again. Back when we lived in chicago and he had been laid off and my work was intermittent there was a time when we had eaten everything in the house. Like even the stuff that never gets eaten. It was such a terrible feeling. I never want to feel that way again. I remember cooking that last meal too. I even screwed it up so badly it was almost inedible but there was no choice so we choked it down as best we could. So thats why I have a 6 ft metal shelf with food on it and why I still grocery shop even though I could probably live off the food I already have for a month. Well maybe not a month but at least 2-3 weeks. As for my stash I have about 3 sweaters worth of yarn, a bunch of sock yarn, and various amounts for smaller projects. I think in the future I’m only going to buy for specific projects or only buy if I can buy enough for a sweater. Otherwise I end up saying wow thats nice but another freaking scarf. I am also realizing my knitting future. I look at a lot of patterns online. Far too many of them are really the same raglan sweaters with different necklines. Which is fine I tend to like them but a lot of the ones that really appeal to me are knitted with finer gauge yarn. So I will end up knitting on tiny needles and be lucky to finish a sweater a year;) At any rate I really want to make the granny smith cardi. But I lack the yarn for it. The yarn I have enough for sweaters for wouldn’t work as they are dk, worsted, and heavy worsted. So we shall see. I also want to make the vintage pink cardi from IK but yet again I lack the yarn. I suppose I could sub my merino dk but its black and I’m not sure I want to use black since all the detail will be lost. Tomorrow is our first knitting get together that features more than Claire and myself. We decided to have a not store specific night so that way there is a chance to be open when we speak of other yarns and needles. I hope it goes well:)