Roller coaster

I love roller coasters. The scarier the better. It wasn't always so. I remember times when I would scream on rides and ask to get off in the middle of it. The upside down ones just really freaked me out to no end. I couldn't handle it. But now, I love them.

Except for this roller coaster. I'm not necessarily on an emotional roller coaster right now but on some weird energy roller coaster. I feel as if I were hit by a Mack truck, but I can't really think of any reason why.

Last night I was so happy. Bouncing off the walls happy! Not only did I not have to cook (we went out for pizza), DD entertained us with her sugar-induced glee. We splurged on ice cream at the "ice cream pahlo" (parlor) before coming home, and DD had sprinkles on her peppermint bark ice cream. So cute. Just so cute seeing her. She LOVES sprinkles, especially the purple ones.

Well, to add to the fun, Netter's yarn arrived!! She aptly calls it Cake. But when I pulled it out of the envelope, I immediately thought, "Sprinkles!" The colors are EXACTLY the same depth and hue as DD's sprinkles. Just stunning.

Netter so kindly wound it for me, too. This perfect, hefty wheel of gorgeously wound yarn, delightful and dazzling before my eyes. I couldn't resist taking it out of the bag to squish it. A clear bag -- no reason to take it out, but it's yarngasm, right? You gotta touch. And touch I did. After knitting a swatch with it this morning, a new name came to mind -- Cotton Candy. It's truly an incredibly soft yarn.

A funny side note -- while knitting the swatch DD saw the yarn. She picked it up and said, "This is your yarn, Mommy? It has purple. That's purple? That's purple for me?" "No sweety, this is Mommy's yarn. Isn't it pretty?" "That purple? That purple for me, Mommy? I want that purple, Mommy." LOL.

OK, do I sound overboard? Well, I'm not. It's not hyperbole as some unstated thank you to Netter. It's really true. Netter, I don't know where you get the yarn, but it's really lovely to knit with. I can't wait to knit with it.

That's one roller coaster high. But when you're high, you must also crash.

I finished my second sock this morning! I LOVED this pattern and would knit it again (rare for my ADD knitting nature). I promptly put both socks on my feet to marvel at my first pair of socks for ME, and my heart sank.

Sank to the pit of my stomach.

The second sock is lovely. Just lovely striping. But the first sock pools. If you recall, this first pair of socks for me is also the first perfect pair of socks I knit. No mistakes allowed. Rip and reknit. Back up and fix that one tiny St st that should be purl. Fix it. Perfect. Perfect-o.

But I can't live with the pooling. I tried. I wore both socks while knitting the swatch with Cake. Or Sprinkles. Or Cotton Candy. Take your pick. But I kept fighting this nagging voice in my head. It kept saying, "Peek at the errant sock. It's like the bearded lady. Or the man with half a face. Or the dwarf. Or the kid in a wheel chair. Or the dog with three legs." I'm NOT picking on people with disabilities (I used to work on projects for PWD and campaigned for their rights vehemently). But I am saying that this pooling sock sticks out. It calls for attention. For that curious glance to really figure out what's wrong, and then once you see what's wrong, you sort of can't take your eyes off it.

So I undid the sock and ripped. Not all of it, just the pooled part, which starts around the heel. So about half of the sock. I have a ton of the yarn left over from the second (good) sock, so I will just use that in the pattern instead of the stuff that pools.

I don't know why it pooled. It's from the same dye lot. Same batch, presumably. I know all of the stuff is unique. But it kills me that it pools. I like this pattern, but I'm ready to start the next project. For ME, no less.

Unfortunately, I'm also really really tired. I can't work on it right now at all. I think I'll nap.

I'll have to eat my cake, with sprinkles and adorned with cotton candy, another day. ;(