Unlike some of our knitting brothers and sisters I move along on certain projects at glacial speed. As a result, I've been working on a Christmas hat, scarf, and mitten set since, oh, October. They are to be mailed to my oldest friend as soon as I finish them (hopefully still in time for her to enjoy them this winter). Tonight, I was at a christmas party with a group of near strangers and, as I often am these days, was sitting quietly knitting my soft buttery yellow yarn into a scarf. One of the other guests (a woman I've met twice before) asked if I was knitting for "a reason" I was dumbfounded. Of course I'm knitting for a reason. Don't we ALL knit for a reason? I smiled and said yes, I was in fact knitting for a reason. She became all excited and congratulatory and asked when I was due. Horrors! The person evidently assumed that the only reason a woman my age (29) would knit anything would be because of impending motherhood. *sigh*

Had some fun today chez Corn. The whole immigration process meant that I couldn't start working until recently and I've been looking for work but decent jobs (read "things that I don't totally abhor the thought of doing") have been thin on the ground. Yesterday, I stumbled across an opening for school bus drivers and leapt on it. Today I spent hours calling and recalling Canada to get in touch with all of my references, and finding a place to send faxes from. What does this have to do with knitting you ask?? Well, as I awaited the transmission of my faxes at a nearby printer/copy shop, I spotted a business card for "Hookers Haven". Because there were sheep on it instead of merry widows, I'm fairly comfortable in gleefully announcing that there is a fiber craft store within a 20 minute drive of my home! With any luck they'll be better stocked than just shelf upon shelf of red heart "crochet thread" as my husband's grandmother calls it. (not that there's anything wrong with red heart . . .I just want to play with things that won't melt in a car on a hot day y'know?). Anyhow, I digress. Possible lys nearby! Woohoo!

Once I'd finished up all of the job hunt related tasks I made tracks for a yarn shop that's a mere hour and change away from my home for a sit'n'stitch and some roving for those thrummed mittens I have planned. This was my first s'n's and I had a grand time. As expected everyone was warm and welcoming and I was fascinated by the variety of projects that each person had going. I think I might have been the only one there with only one wip with me. Most impressive was Linda who was knitting a really pretty sweater that almost perfectly matched her nails. And did I mention that Linda's blind? She taught herself the magic loop method too.

Todays purchases were: 4 oz Merino Roving, a pair of 5.0 ml Brittany Birch straights (so pretty) aaaaaaaaaand, for Grandmother Purl, 50 grams of Cotton Licious in Periwinkle.

Tomorrow? Another s'n's at the Carrolwood Barnes and Noble.

Well, here I am. Why have I started a knitting blog? For a couple of reasons. Most of the people around me would probably rather I was able to converse for more than half an hour without mentioning yarn or needles so this will be an outlet that won't make my loved ones crazy. My other objective is the hope of making some new friends. I'm fairly introverted and it's been difficult for me to meet new people here in Florida. Knitting may seem like an odd hobby to take up in the land of sunshine and citrus but I know I'm not the only one here. I just need to find a local yarn shop that isn't an hour or more away!
I've been knitting since June 2006 and to date I've completed 4 of Wendy Johnson's Kittiy Pi pet beds. My wip's include a pair of these http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer06/PATTtuliptoes.html , and a hat made without a pattern. Planned projects are a scarf and a pair of thrummed mittens to match the hat. Oh, and I can't forget the squares for the Grandmother Purl blanket.
Pictures will be along as soon as I figure out how this whole thing works . . . Toto, I don't think we're in msn space anymore.