awww... crap.*

*apologies if you are offended by the use of this word (although, frankly, it's very very very mild compared to what I was really thinking)(sorry if that damages your opinion of me)(crap)

Due to a stress-filled week (both work and mostly self-inflicted personal life stress) I wanted to work on something that would occupy my brain but be a quick knit. The bigger projects I'm working on are of no interest to me today for some reason. I wanted something challenging, small, and basically frivolous (although, if you feel very strongly about the necessity and importance of the following project: I did not mean to offend)(can you tell I'm feeling slightly on edge?)(sorry)

The new Knitty was out this week, and although it's a little strange on one hand to have a summer issue of gloves and socks, on the other hand, it's perfect timing for starting Christmas presents really early, or more realistically, giving me something frivolous to knit.

Like Perdita. Pretty, which is not normally something I am all that concerned with; Not overly practical (i.e. frivolous); Small; Challenging (I haven't knit with beads before); and, most importantly, I have the supplies on hand.

I have a divided bead box full of seed beads that I got for ridiculously small amounts of rupees when I was living in Pakistan. They were divided by color and type. I say were, because, after picking out and stringing the beads I needed for the version of Perdita I was going to knit (Bluebell), I did this:


I don't know if you can tell what's going on there. The beads in the square plastic container were all over my floor under my desk. Somehow I managed to NOT close the lid on the divided bead box and managed to step on the box, dumping most of the beads.

(now do you understand why I'm trying not to use non-PG language?)

Now, stepping on an open box of beads is not actually that surprising for me. I am generally extremely clumsy. I currently have no less than five bruises on my legs and arms from hitting them on my desk or on door frames. A friend at work asked (hopefully jokingly) if I was being abused by someone. (I'm not. Honest.) It's amazing that I haven't ever broken any bones or been seriously injured.

I was able to pick up the bulk of the beads with my hands. However, seed beads and carpet make for more swearing than a really really bad drive home on the Deerfoot. I came up with a brilliant solution:


Tape. Thank you Scotch Tape. You saved me bursting into tears as I picked clear (yes. Clear) seed beads from my carpet.

Somehow some of the beads managed to not get mixed up and this, too, prevented much more crying/swearing.


Before the disaster incident with the beads, I did get one and a half repeats of the pattern done:

should I mention now that after I got started I realized that the "skeins" of embroidery thread I had are not standard length? they are 10 yards. I need about 20 yards. I have 2 skeins. this will require joining the thread somehow. this will quite possibly require re-stringing the beads. crap.