OT: Mean people suck

Another rough week.  I was once again reminded how sucky some people can be, as if I needed another reminder. The latest reminder was on the metro today - go figure. I was standing in front of the metro map (because some jerk kept backing me into the wall) when another guy wanted to see it.  I moved out of the way, then watched as he shook his head in confusion.  I asked if he needed help. Turns out, he and his family were on vacation from Syndey, Australia.  They were trying to get to the Air and Space Museum and the metro staff had been less than helpful (shocker!).  They mentioned that, for the most part, the Americans they ran into were friendly, but that day they had been treated very rudely by a few people, mostly service industry workers.  I was so embarrassed.  Thankfully, I was heading back to L'Enfant Plaza after a meeting and told them they could follow me.  I even put down my knitting so I could help them!  I hope I helped them to enjoy DC a little more.  I guess I don't understand why people are mean and rude.  It takes so much energy to be mean.

Anyway, knitting has been going alright.  For some reason, I've been motivated to knit on my world champ sweater.  I've been getting through the lattice part pretty quickly.  It's a lot more interesting than straight stockinette stitch.  No pictures as of yet, except for this one.

I knit so I don't kill people, or Shipping Yarn to Afghanistan

Oh my GOD!  It has been a week!  Yesterday, I woke up knowing that I had back to back to back to back meetings from 9am to 4pm.  I was very excited to hear that my 2-4 meeting had been cancelled.  The excitement was very short lived as I got pulled into another 2-4 meeting which led to a 4-6 meeting.  I was in meetings from 9am to 6pm yesterday!!!!!!!! It was INSANE.  Even though I was exhausted, I managed to drag myself to fibre space and I'm glad I did.

Earlier this week, my VA Pep Band friend, Beta (her real name is Christine), sent me a message on facebook regarding a friend of hers - a female marine deployed to Afghanistan who was desperately seeking yarn, needles and knitting patterns.  I was all over it.  I posted messages on a couple ravelry forums to see if anyone wanted to destash for a good cause.  Most of my friends donate their soft synthetic yarn to health based organizations for chemo caps and baby blankets, but they can't donate natural fibres or funky yarns to those orgs.  The outpouring has been incredible.  I sent the first box today - chock full of yarn, needles and patterns.  It didn't even contain any of the yarn I'm donating, or the yarn from three other knitting friends!!!!!  Here's a picture that SSgt Sholl sent me of herself and two colleagues knitting in the field.  I'm so happy that I can add to their downtime during an otherwise stressful time.

In other knitting news, I finished the soft chocolate shrug, though I should have made it a little bit longer.  It still fits pretty well, though.  I'm most of the way through the first of my Yankees fair-isle fingerless mitts.  It's coming out pretty well, not bad for my first design, though i wish the edges of the contrasting portions were smoother.  Still plugging away on the World Champ Sweater and I'm hibernating the Seraphim shawl.

SOCKS!

I finished my first pair of socks!  They're very colorful.  I'm proud of myself for finishing them.  I think my gauge was a teeny bit loose, because they're just a tad big.  More later - I'm not feeling too well, so I'm not feeling very wordy right now.  Here's a pic of the socks.  Yarn is Miss Babs Yummy 3ply in Roan Mountain Morning.