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02/08/2005 Entry: "More Crossing-Off"

Sunday morning, my roommate was bemoaning the fact that we had no dishcloths left. (Dishrags for the western PA crowd.) Now, we have somewhere around 5 dishrags in the apartment. The roommate had done laundry on Thursday, I did laundry just the day before. "Where are all of our dishcloths going?" she complains. Well, here's a hint in the form of a word problem to honor of my new job as math tutor.

You start out with 5 dishcloths Thursday night at dinner, having done the laundry on Friday. You use a new one every other time you wash dishes. Because you've been OBSESSING lately about having an empty sink, you've been washing dishes 4 times a day. Once after each meal, and once before going to bed each night. When will you run out of dishcloths?

Ok, that's one dishcloth every 2 washings. That's 2 dishcloths a day. Two and a half days, but I'm starting at dinner on Thursday. I'll use a new one Friday at breakfast, Friday at dinner, Saturday breakfast, Saturday dinner, carry the one. Yeah, PRETTY DAMN FAST. That's the answer I was looking for.

Instead of running Target and BUYING more, let's be thrifty.

4. So lookit what I made Sunday in a little over 2 hours:

I know, not that impressive, but the fact that the last dishrag I made took me 2 weeks?? I'm pretty impressed at my progress in a year. :-D

And I put The Roommate to work making one as well. She had learned how to knit previously and just needed a refresher course. Maybe when she's actually made one, she'll learn to treasure them and maybe I'll get her "habit" down to one per day.

5. I mentioned laundry on Saturday. Well, Saturday was a big domestic day all around. I noticed that the "project" basket was being infiltrated by whole balls of yarn. They were intimidating the other projects like a new young secretary intimidates a beleagured housewife/mother of two. (Ok, not the most PC of images, but you're not here for PC). Drastic steps were taken and I embarked on a Stash Culling Adventure. It was like that scene in High Fidelity where John Cusack is surrounded by stacks and stacks of records. His co-worker comes in and says, "So, you've decided to tackle the great reorganization, huh?" "Yeah." "So how are you doing it?" [Cusack pauses, giving his co-worker time to figure it out.] "Chronological?" "No." "Not alphabetical." [Pause] "Autobiographical." "No fucking way...that sounds really..." "Comforting. Yeah."

I pulled out all of the yarn, piled it in stacks around me, leftovers, dream projects, definite projects, gifts, what was I thinkings, great plans for you, etc. I realized that I don't have a lot of space.

Three fairly small plastic drawers, that's it. I put all of the "leftovers" into the wonderfully retro 50's fruitbowl you see on the top, and put all of the "what was I thinking"'s in a bag to be sold along with some other "I'm never going to use these" items. I'll put up an extensive list tomorrow. If you're interested in any of them, email at: stitchinseminaran[at]yahoo[dot]com. I'll repost the email with the pictures.

The great stash reorganization led to a huge case of startitis. "Why haven't I gotten this that project yet? I was so psyched when I got the yarn!" Well, that brings me to the final item on the "to do list."

6. I received some Lion and Lamb (yum, my god, yum, so soft) in the mail after waiting for six weeks. I quickly shoved it in basket for a week thinking only of the Farmer's Market Bag and the February fix-a-long. I decided that it wouldn't fit in the stash drawers and therefore I HAD to start Clapotis so that I could wind it into balls and put it in the "project basket." (Lists, reorganizing, I'm really not this anal in real life. Really.)

Coincidentally, there seems to be a second wave of Clapotis fever running around in blogland. Stephanie's just started one, as has Jodi. I think it's a mere coincidence, but interesting nevertheless. I'm betting that Steph will finish hers first. The sheer speed of that woman's needles astounds me, but mainly it's because I can't keep my mind on a single project for more than a day. Maybe she's just driven. REALLY driven.

Because it was on the to-do list, I have to ponder what this yarn smells like. It's awful. It feels wonderful, but smells, oh just hideous. A combination of rotten eggs, old cigarettes and fish. You know what it smells like? Ann Taylor Loft clothing before you wash it. Anyone know that smell? Blech. I hope it comes out in the blocking. Lord knows the Ann Taylor Smell takes at least 2 dry cleanings to come out.

01:13 PM CST |