How Did It Come To This?!?!?

So, how did it come to this?  How is it as I am reaching the half-way mark of a top I am pretty proud of my yarn has disappeared.  And disappeared it must have done as I am sure I had more.

Not that I remember actually counting the balls of wool I had for my project.  In fact coming across this yarn was a bit of a surprise originally.  I thought I had given it away before my big move from Calgary, Alberta to Meaford, Ontario.  But last year as I was searching for something else, I came across a ball of this pink yarn that I had decided years ago that I didn't like.  "Why is this wool here?"  I thought, "and where is the rest of it?"  But as I found no more in that particular stash container I decided it must have accidentally gotten separated from its pack before the big give-away and incorporated it into a striped garter stitch shawl.  Then a couple of months ago as I was looking for a bulky novelty yarn in deep burnt oranges to knit an oversized sweater from Vogue Knitting I came across the rest of this pink wool.  And decided that actually, if I reduced the needle size by just a bit, and added a few more stitches that this would be just the yarn for the sweater.  It would be slightly open and transparent and marvelous for spring.  And because the needle size was so large and the yarn quite fine I had plenty left over or so I thought.  I am now coming to the end of my second ball and nearing the finish for the front of a lovely lacey T-shirt that I've sort of been making up as I go and well, I can't find my yarn.  I have looked in this project bag and that project bag.  This stash box and that stash box.  And nothing.

Now as I am pretty sure that I had two partial balls of yarn at the end of the oversized sweater and I have just finished two full balls, there must be at least two partial balls of yarn somewhere, I know it.  But, as I said earlier, they seem to have disappeared.  And I ask again, how did it come to this?  When did I lose control of my stash?  Why is it I am always looking for one thing and finding another?  I am becoming rather annoyed with myself.  I am not so foolish as to consider myself an organized person, but I do tell myself I have some sort of system.  Today I can't pretend that's true.  At least I can't pretend that my system works.  I guess I still have to work on it a bit more.

On the lighter side, when I went to search in one of my yarn bins I discovered it now contains extra quilts, so somewhere in my battle against my yarn stash I have at least emptied one big container.  I am slowly getting better.

Also this is a good time to finish off three almost done projects, including the aforementioned oversized sweater which is still only partially seamed.  And then maybe God, or the fates, will release those missing balls of wool in reward.  I am sure I did not imagine them.

And if not, well, I have a lovely template for a lacey T-shirt.  It was an experiment after all.

Oh No!! I've found more knitting magazines!!!

I have a confession to make.  I am a hoarder.

Now don't get too worried for me.  I'm not an all out, can't-move-for-stuff, collects-everything hoarder, but I do have a few just-slightly-beyond-my-control collections, mostly to do with knitting. . .and crafts. . .and art stuff.  And as so many just-slightly-beyond-my-control collectors of stuff, my habit bleeds into other things and other family members.  For example we all seem to have a great many books.  And even though we have a great many books, kids included, we still tend to borrow books from libraries, which every now and then get sucked into our other books so today my dear husband and I have been hunting high and low for three such books.  I am afraid we received a rather official looking letter from our church librarian last Sunday morning informing us that our youngest son had some books overdue, the most expensive one almost exactly a year overdue so find it or else, and therefore something had to be done.  And while looking for the last of these books, and one I am quite certain I have already found once before and returned -- which is one of the problems with just-slightly-beyond-my-control collections because you can't be sure -- I came across a pile of knitting magazines in a place I did not know I had knitting magazines along with some knitting and crochet pattern booklets.  I'm rather excited about it actually because there are two knitting magazines that I have been trying to find and the one was most definitely there and the other is probably there if I look a little deeper, plus there's a Debbie Bliss magazine I had completely forgotten I had bought.  But it's also a little frightening.  You see I started cataloging my collection on Ravelry a while back and found I had entered over 80 magazines and books just from memory.  Then after spending a few minutes here and a few minutes there I found myself up to a hundred and something and now I have found this new bunch.  If I swore not to ever buy another knitting book or magazine again I doubt I have enough years left to finish just one project from each pattern book I currently own and I don't buy a knitting book unless I want to make at least four or five definitely and a couple more maybe.  Add to it that the last project I finished was off a web site and I think my next one will be too and I am completely lost.

Why do I have all these books?  What does this all mean?  Am I a totally lost cause or is there hope for me yet?

I don't know.  But I do know I finally put my two year old shelf up in the kitchen and cleared a lovely spot on my counter.  And I am really looking forward to curling up and looking through some wonderful magazines.  So maybe I'm doing okay.

Except I'm afraid there's still one library book unaccounted for, but I really do think we returned it.

Hello

So, it's a new year and an awfully long time since I posted my one post on this poor thing so here we go again.  I suppose before I do anything else I should introduce myself, in case someone who doesn't actually know me comes across this.
My name is Karen and I am a mother, an artist, a knitter, a cafe owner, worship team singer, assistant running coach, and now a would-be blogger.  I live in a small old house in a small town on the Georgian Bay in Ontario surrounded by beauty and small town intrigues.  And am somehow connected to everyone else on this planet with my laptop and my smart phone.  In short, I am a confused and creative, overworked human being in the early twenty-first century.
And I am working without a net.  Or at least without as much of a plan as I really should have.  And I suppose I am going to see what I can see and sort out what I can sort out as I write to everyone and no-one in my little blog.
So now that I have written a brief introduction of sorts, I will sign off and promise to be a more dedicated blogger as I go on.

It begins

So, I have finally done it.  I have started a blog.  (Does this mean I have joined the 20th century or the 21st?)
I have done this of course with an idea, but not much of a plan.  Which, I admit, is how I do most things it seems.  But if I think too much things don't seem to get done, so. . .well, sometimes it's best to just start and work things out as I go.  I haven't even chosen a photo yet.  I wonder what I should use.  Who shall I ask to take it?  As this blog is supposed to be primarily about knitting, I suppose the picture should involve some knitting.  Which piece?  What location?  How exciting this all is!  The questions.  The plans.  The possibilities.
Oh my, as I am a mother, as well as a knitter, and it is past bedtime I am going to have to leave this just as I am beginning.  But as I said earlier, after months of thinking about it I have started at last.  I will return soon I promise.
And maybe I'll have started a plan.