Relief

I got on the scale last week and almost fainted. I knew that I'd gained a bit of weight over the winter, but sheesh, 14 pounds? I need to stop making pasta and baking lemon bars. Perhaps it would help if my brain could recognize one lemon bar as a serving size. Here's the thing, I always get through the holidays without gaining an ounce, and then it all goes to hell on January 2nd. Come the beginning of March, I get on the scale and panic. You'd think the snugger fitting clothes would be my first clue, but I usually find an excuse to explain that. You know, like someone dried my jeans on high heat and shrunk them. Again.

For two months, I've been eating my heart out to help me cope with all of the stress I'm facing. Interestingly, when I'm stressed in a different way, with something like a major loss, I can't eat anything. Since I don't eat when I feel this way, I usually find another outlet for my anxiety, like spending money on things I don't need.

While this month has pretty much sucked so far from an emotional point of view, it does mark the end of my self imposed yarn diet. I won 11 skeins of Cascade Jazz on Ebay last Monday, and although I found no joy when it was delivered Thursday morning, I've been showing the 1100 grams of brightly colored yarn a bit more appreciation today. Since I saved $100 by winning it on Ebay instead of paying retail, I took the savings and bought 2 pair of Keen's last night. They were on sale too and I think I saved about $80. One of them is a pair of Mary Janes that looked cute with my too tight jeans and my hand knit socks. The other is a pair of fleece lined, boiled wool slippers. How could I resist that? See how that works? I take the savings and keep on spending. I recognize that I'm using some discombobulated form of rationalization-much like the shrunken jeans-vs-expansion of my backside thought process. At this rate, I may be broke by April 1st. But what the hell, it's only money.

I know you can't tell, but this is a raglan top down sweater in Jazz, a thick and thin yarn. I cast on Sunday morning, and I'm already working on the body.

At 3PM today, I'll make a decision on the house. I'm seeing one last property that's--heaven help me--two blocks from my favorite yarn store. In fact, it's so close, I usually park near that house when I drive to the yarn store. Just think of how much I'll save by walking there. 

Fitted Knits Thick and Thin Cardigan, by Stefanie Japel

Top photo google images.