Skip to main content

Yarn Treats + A Rambling Treatise on Chicago Mail Delivery

Since I don't have any FO's that I am at liberty to share with the world at large, today's post is at the mercy of the United States Postal Service. In Chicago, that is an especially frightening thought; even before USPS began slashing budgets and cutting jobs, mail delivery in Chicago has been nothing short of terrible. In years past, there have been stories of postal carriers hiding undelivered mail in their houses or storage units, burning mail, and who knows what else, just to avoid delivering it! Long story short, mail delivery in Chicago is hands-down the worst in the nation.

I could regale you with far too many nightmarish stories myself, though I have also had a few positive experiences in my 7 years as a Chicago resident...perhaps to make up for some really ridiculous BS at the hands of Chicago's USPS! My current issue with them is not the speed at which my mail is (or is not) delivered - though that has been a problem at one time or another - but the hour of day when it tends to arrive. With the exception of the occasional blue moon, our mail arrives well after 5 PM on any given day; case in point, the time of this post is about five minutes after my mail was delivered today (no, I'm not the fastest writer ever, I wrote the rest of this blog earlier today in anticipation of severely late mail delivery...this is actually considered a decent hour, these days!).

Mail Goodies from Doodlebug Yarn!
I have actually seen our mail carrier walking around with a headlamp long after the sun has set. On more than one occasion, our mail has arrived between 8 and 9 PM. For someone who works from home, this can be profoundly irritating!The highlight of my day is usually the arrival of a goody of some sort (I do pretty much all of my shopping online) via UPS, Fed-Ex or USPS. So far, UPS and Fed Ex have not let me down. USPS continues to, week in and week out.

At any rate, earlier this week I claimed a Facebook offer from Doodlebug Yarn and ordered myself a few yarny treats! Pretty much all of the yarn in this order is earmarked for some sort of gift knitting, but since I have the pleasure of working with mmmmmmMalabrigo, I still consider it a treat for myself. I also threw in one of my favorite products of all time, a Lavishea lotion bar in Lavender, and some new removable stitch markers since all of mine are so old and brittle, they have all broken with use. Not a bad way to begin October!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b