I am happy to report that my Knit Stars 5.0 purchases, aka “all my 2020 Yarn Budget” arrived safely. Even better? Customs had no trouble calculating what I owed so they could deliver it straight to me instead of requiring that I go to the customs office. Slightly awkward? I had less cash than usual at hand, but TheEnabler was able to make up the difference. I feel no guilt there, since some of the yarn is destined to make him lovely woolies.
The Haul:
I can say that I’m just as happy with my purchases now as when I ordered them. If anything, some are even better than expected. The Hedgehog Fibres Unicorn Party has far more depth to the colors than I anticipated, and I think that’s fantastic. I have clear plans for the Magpie “Twilight Marl” (sweater for TheEnabler) and the Kitty Pride “Truest Lavender” (sweater for me). The rest don’t have projects yet.
Only sad thing? After laying out all the goodies I had to pack them all back into the “Knit the World Together” tote and stash them in the closet lest the Fibre Fiend, aka Pippin Kitten, get them. I would have liked to keep them all out in a pile for a bit the better to pet and admire. Alas, until he is fully trained in the proper way to respect my yarn, this cannot be.
On the other hand, I have been able to continue working on my lace shawl edging! Beads and all. Who would have thought that in this respect, two kitties are better than one? It’s easier for me to sit down for a bit while they are sleeping or playing and knit with my beads. I’ve even worked on it enough now continuously that I’ve just about memorized the pattern, making it go a bit more quickly.
What it isn’t is a good movie watching project, as I need a table to work at, and the coffee table in front of the couch is too low. Sadly, I’ve finished my movie-project. But now I can stash little items away in it. I’m really pleased with how my improv-bag has turned out:
I even got the flap to line up perfectly with the underlying pattern, so it blends seamlessly on the front.
Anndddd I just heard a crash. Time to go see what our crazy kitties are knocking over this time as they chase each other around…
VOTE VOTE VOTE
If you haven’t put together a plan yet for voting, please don’t lose any time. It’s absolutely critical this year that everybody vote. Think not just of yourself, but friends, family, neighbors, and strangers whose rights matter. Vote at the local and national level for those who understand the United States has system racism which must be addressed and fixed, who believe that LGTBQ+ people are people deserving of the same rights as straight cis-gender people. Vote for those who understand that while we’ve come a long way, women’s rights have not been fully secured yet either.
If you are feeling unsure how to get registered, learn about candidates and issues, or generally lost, I recommend the League of Women Voters. They have a non-partisan website dedicated to voter resources, VOTE411.org, which can help you figure out what you need to do to get registered (deadlines are looming in most states), and voting options (such as mail-in/absentee ballots, or early voting places). Your local league will often have information on local ballots, including who the candidates are, their key positions, and any other measures on the ballots. This can be especially helpful if your state is one which doesn’t send out sample ballots to voters in advance so you can research and plan your votes.
VoteSaveAmerica also has voter registration resources by state, as well as information on how to get involved in helping ensure everybody can vote, by helping with voter registration, becoming a poll worker, and more. And FairFight is dedicated to fighting voter suppression, which is far and away the greater threat to our elections than voter fraud in which people who aren’t eligible to vote do so, or voters vote more than once.