Knitting: September 2009 Archives

I'd say that this is going to be the saddest news in the world, but honestly, given the state of things, it's not even close to the bottom of the heap. I mean, I have three bicycles, an adorable cat, and friends who love me - what more could a girl want?

I don't think I can ride to Rhinebeck this year. What's more, I don't think I can even go to Rhinebeck this year. I sat down and did the math, and poked around on the Internets and found, as Juno had warned me, that the hotels in and near Rhinebeck are already brimful of knitters who planned earlier out than a month. (side note: holy shit, in what weird world is a month ahead of time not enough advance planning for a weekend excursion?)

Any way I crunched the numbers, I came to the same conclusion: too expensive. If I could ride the whole way in one day, MAYBE. But I can't. My bike isn't even ready yet. I haven't trained on it. I haven't tested my legs on the big big hills of upstate NY. I haven't re-learned how to ride a geared road bike, and I've never used the kind of shifting/braking setup I am having made.

The long and the short of it is, I don't think I can go. I thought about taking the train up, riding from the station to the festival and back, but that's a big chunk of riding, and would take almost half the day, and then what's the point?

So I guess I am bagging it. I thought I'd be really really sad and let-down, and I find that I am not.

I will ride the road bike on some long hilly rides into the country, and I might even do an overnight here and there, and I will manage to see some leaves before they all fall to the ground and get snowed on. But the grand adventure will have to be put off for another, more solvent year. Plus, of course, there's the fact that if I went to Rhinebeck, I'd drop at least $100 on wool. I mean, ya have to. It's there.

So, y'all have fun, ya hear? I'm gonna knit from my very nice stash for a while. And maybe ride to the beach and look at the terns and gulls. The beach is nice in the fall. Quiet. Windy. Mmmm.

1. I cannot for the life of me get enough apples. I bought a bunch at the Saturday farmer's market, and today I had to go and buy a bunch more at the Wednesday one.
2. My bag contains, in addition to its usual complement of snacks and H2O and tools, 1 rain jacket, 1 merino wool sweater, 1 pair legwarmers, and 1 neckwarmer (tight-fitting cowl). Oh, and a change of (wool) socks.
3. I am knitting again(!) Every year I worry that I've simply lost the urge, and every year it comes right back with the first breath of cool air. I've made one hat and am two-thirds of the way done with another.
4. I have cut off two pairs of jeans in the last week. I know, that sounds like a sign of summer, but for me, making new cutoffs is paradoxically a sign of fall, because it means I am in need of heavyweight short pants for cool-weather cycling (see note about legwarmers, above).
5. The boys all look adorable to me again. Well, okay, that may have more to do with having given the one I was non-dating the boot recently, but I also think cool weather makes boy sports more appealing.

I suppose hats are my way of getting the knitting muscles warmed up. What I really need to manage to knit is a fine-gauge sweater to wear on the bike. I had one on needles somewhere, if only I could find it. Much of my knitting is still languishing in cardboard boxes, since I moved during warm weather and can't, as mentioned on many previous occasions, get it up for knitting in warm weather.

The cat would appreciate some knitted toys, I believe. Especially since I killed that very large insect she'd been playing with the other day.

"If it comes down to you or them, send flowers." - Robert Redford, as Nathan Muir

Oh goody, it's....still not Friday.

What a weird week this has been. Every day I think it's Friday - not just think, but am convinced, utterly and completely. And then I'm very frustrated.

I want Friday!

I want to play!

I want to ride to the beach!

I want! I want! I want!

I want to have not spent $4 on a single heirloom organic tomato at the damn grocery store, which then turns out to be all mushy and disgusting.

I want to ride my bike every day for hours, with no ill effects on knees or any other part of me.

I want something delicious. Preferably fruit or this dark chocolate.

I want that mouse under the stove to stay where it is and never come out. No wait. I want it to go away, far away.

I want pineapple.

I want some snuggling, with a cute boy, please. Nowish would be good. Or at least Friday.

I want all my bikes to be done and ready to ride soon soon soon yippeeeee.

I want to tell you a secret:

I am riding my bicycle to Rhinebeck this year. Yessiree. And ye shall know her by her wobbly legs and chain grease.