I tried. Really, I did. I tried to resist all the amazing, wonderful new knitting books that have appeared in the past few months. I thought for sure it was going to be Teva Durham's Loop-d-Loop that did me in, but I've shown remarkable restraint. That is, until I walked into my local yarn store (I swear, it was only for stitch markers!), sans children, and with cash in my pocket (you know, intended for groceries or something frivilous like that). Bad, Bad News. I picked up the new Sarah Dallas Knitting book and tried desperately to talk myself out of it ("hmn...let's count again all your knitting books, Amanda, and how many patterns you've actually made out of each," or "what about all the fabulous FREE knitting patterns online," and "so, what about that HOUSE you want to buy?"...you know the drill). I put the book down, walked around a bit, and picked it back up. About three times. Atleast. And then....then, something in me snapped and the downward spiral of justification began. I was a goner, and so was that cash. Because not only did I have to buy the book (a mere $30), but of course, I needed to buy new yarn for my first project from the book. I tried to go "small" and settled for socks. You know, $40 socks. Nope, I couldn't substitute the Rowan yarn in the pattern for something cheaper. Oh no. I was on a roll at this point with the justification--telling myself that surely, after all this baby knitting, I deserved just a little something special myself, right? Something for all those long fall days after the wee one is born, when I'm at home ALL DAY LONG because I can't figure out how to get three children out of the house. Surely, on those days when I'm covered in baby spit up, leaking breast milk, and have peanut butter in my hair, I deserve a little bit of bliss on my toes, right? THIS is why I needed this book, and this yarn. 'Cause I'm a good Mama, damn it.
See the trouble I can get myself into? Yup, $78 later, I got those damned stitch markers, alright.