It Isn't You; It's Me.

I was given some great advice back in my corporate days. It was this:

"Never complain; never explain."

So I'll start out by saying that "it's not you; it's me," instead. I know I've been gone for awhile.

Thing is, saying "it's not you; it's me" hasn't served me as well as the whole "never complain; never explain" phrase. Somehow the former brings me back to many bad break-ups and boys who never liked me as much as I liked them. So, friends who are single, let me pass on a good one that has served better than the "it's not you; it's me" phrase, and this is totally independent from my current and forever relationship, yet it still works for most (your mileage may vary):

If you're dating your "type," and it hasn't been working, then stop. Just stop. Try dating guys (or gals) who aren't your type, number one, and number two, find those who like you just a tiny bit more than you like them.

Wow. I sound mean--but it kinda works.

Maybe I should just stick to knitting rather than being the next Dear Abby.

Another thing I don't necessarily like is when bloggers--knit bloggers--talk about all the exciting stuff that is going on but that they can't talk details because it is a secret. You know, the whole secret knitting thing. We all know that I knit. So if that secret stuff is going on, and I won't even allude to it, let's turn to what is really exciting to me now.

I discovered that Loretta and Rocko must have been posessed by Lois and The Bunny, our now-gone cats. You can see the dogs here taking over the fabric on the floor, the stuff that I'm trying to cut and pin together.

This sewing project brings me to this: Girlfriend and her dad are leaving the country for almost three weeks starting soon. This is killing me. Last year, when they left (or was it the year before?), I thought that I would die from being lonely. This time, I know what is going to come and I think I'm prepared. I have lots of knitting things going on--I'll list the classes and signings at the end of this post that are going on in the month of August--yet I know that I will feel that crushing on my chest. It's as if someone who I don't like very much is sitting on me and I can't get them off.

Or that someone has turned on the floor magnets and I can't walk right.

So I'm sewing a travel blanket for Girlfriend.

And before I go on about the travel blanket for Girlfriend, can you see that orange over-turned bowl behind Loretta and Rocko? Loretta dug in the backyard and brought in a grub that is twice the size of a Vienna sausage. If you don't know what a Vienna sausage is, let me just say it's basically a hot dog cut in a third and in a can with a top that comes off with a ring thingy that you'd find on an old-skool beer can. My mom used to eat them all the time. That grub on the carpet grossed me out so much that all I could do is call out to Girlfriend for the largest bowl she could find. I had her plop it on top of that grub and now we're waiting for HWWV to come home and remove it from the premises. (Ha. In the old days, I used to make her wear knits that she was too young to complain about and now I've got her dealing with the grubs and insects.)

What will I do when they're gone?

So this travel blanket: It's just two rectangles, about 55" x 60". One side is this batik quilting fabric she likes so much and the other is this soft stuff. I'm just going to tie it together here and there and then add on some sort of binding. I might try to figure out how she can fold it into a pillow casing, but that will come later when the tears go away.

Meanwhile, the day after I came home from a long working trip, we went to the beach. Here are two things:

I got to knit on the beach for HOURS.

I'm also doing some teaching and some book signings in the month of August. Here are some dates and locations:

August 3rd, 12:30 - 3:30: Anacapa Fine Yarns, (Ventura, CA)  Up, Down, All-Around Make a Custom Cowl Class

August 9th, 12:00 noon -  ? Yarnover Truck and Up, Down, All-Around Book Signing at Unwind Yarn (Burbank, CA) Event

August 23rd, 12:30 - 3:30: Anacapa Fine Yarns (Ventura, CA)  Up, Down, All-Around Design Your Own Scarf or Stole from Scratch Class. There will be a book signing after this class.

If you're local, check out the classes! I'd love to see you and meet you in person!