I Walked 140 Blocks Today

Really. I walked so far that the little nubbly treads on the bottom of my left shoe had worn down by about 1/2 inch by the end of it. When I got to my spa appointment (nothing luxurious, I assure you), and the technician asked me if I'd done my run today (she knows my ways), and I told her, no, but that I'd walked 140 blocks, her eyes just about fell out of her face.

Then she told me, merrily, about her clients who'd complained about having to walk 7 blocks from the subway. I guess she's been beautifying a fleet of suburbanites lately. We had a lovely little chat while she inflicted a little pain on me (as gently as possible; she is really, really nice), and then I went home on slightly tired legs.

Earlier today I found the very perfect yarn (yes, I know, perfect can't be modified, but I am being creative) for a friend's Welcome Back to NYC - We Missed You Honey! scarf. But still no Snow White yarn. I went to three yarn shops, looked at Cascade 220 (nice-ish colors but maybe not soft enough for against the skin), Pear Tree Merino (drab colors and too inclined to pill), Cashmerino (trop cher), Manos (not soft enough, and the handpainted is probably wrong for this project, as much as I adore watching colors shift as I knit), various pretty Italian merinos that would bankrupt me, and so on.

At home, I got back on the Interweb and looked again at the Kathmandu Aran, the Elann Sierra Aran, the Peruvian Highland, the Swish (yeah, still not jazzed about those colors; I should offer to do color development for Knitpicks - they need me!), sidled on over to kpixie and eyed both the expensive and the less expensive options. It's a conundrum. If it's soft enough, it's too pilly or too expensive or both. If it's cheap enough and study enough, it isn't soft enough. If it manages to be soft enough and relatively sturdy and relatively affordable, the colors leave me cold.

Goodness me, I have really never had this much trouble choosing a yarn before. I know that phrasing sounds uncharacteristic (when have you ever heard me say "goodness"?), but I feel quite out of my depth, and it seems to call for language I'd never use. I suppose there isn't really a tremendous rush about it, but it would be nice to get this project underway while the weather is still cool enough to tangle with wool.

In the meantime, there are two scarves and a First Pair of Socks to get on with. Yes, I also bought sock needles.

PS. I am well aware that this is the largest number of knitting posts I have probably ever created in such a short span of days, and I have no idea why that is so, other than that I have grown weary of talking (or even thinking) about boys and am taking a break from all that for a while. In theory. Also, I suppose I had some sort of interesting thoughts as I walked and walked and walked, and there was a relaxing solitary dinner in my current favorite restaurant, in which I managed to order exactly what I wanted (I am not always capable of identifying it in the moment of ordering), and to sit for as long as I liked without feeling terribly awkward for being sans companion or book, and it all just Went Well for once.