sleep: the elusive wench

I'm sure i've mentioned this previously, but i suffer from insomnia. it was a lot worse in my early teens, but basically i have had trouble sleeping since birth (yes, this may be a factor in my mother's insanity. Never say i'm not fair).
I've pretty much learnt to cope with it - you either do or you lose your mind... although thinking about it, if i had lost my mind... would i know? This may also answer a few questions in regards to how quickly i sometimes finish projects. Knitting is my therapy and sometimes i really need it. Like, most times i'm breathing.

So, my Monkey (Sherpa just doesnt seem right anymore) is a somewhat vigorous sleeper. Now don't get ideas! I mean he talks, he laughs, he sings, he hums, he kicks, he shakes me awake and asks me a jibberish question then falls asleep again. he swings his arms around and i get woken about three nights a week by an elbow flying into my ribs. Strangley enough though, i have become a deeper sleeper since moving in. i guess it was just a matter of my body's needs overiding my overactive brain, but i dont tend to wake when a moth hits the wall anymore.

However. Last night i had toothache. Well, more of a gum-ache really.. you know that feeling when you eat steak and get an unfortunately big and painful piece stuck between your molars? and you cant floss for ages and when you finally get to the whole thing is inflamed and you (of course) end up cutting the gum between your teeth? Ok, i had that (and still do) top and bottom jaw on the right side of my mouth. When i was awoken by the tri-weekly slap at 2am i had to take painkillers... and i woke up exactly 4 1/2 hours later when they wore off. I lay awake waiting for Monkey's alarm (he's doing the morning shift) and then got up to take more. But i cant go back to sleep now.


Anyway. I am off to the fibre day at the bus depot markets today. I guess i'll walk up in an hour or so if it isnt raining too heavily. The painkillers have kicked in again but i'm feeling uninspired. Am trawling through various websites (such as you give me the knits) to get my proverbial juices flowing.

Last night i spun the last bag of fibre from the celebration of wool, so i am desperately in need of some more. This was some imported English Blue-Faced Leicester, and while its not as soft as some of the merino i've been spinning, it is very lusterous. It's a little more purple than it appears here. It's funny, but it seems the more dyeing i do, the more colours i feel comfortable with. I also seem more and more obsessed with other people's dyeing as well. i always just assumed that i would eventually be satisfied that whatever i wanted i could dye. But it's just so individual and i love seeing other people's work and spinning it. I tell Monkey it's market research... but i dont think i've ever even thought about trying to copy a dye-job i see. I just love being part of this hand-dye community and being able to support other people like me while feeding my addiction.

The Turtle Walk sock pattern is finished, but i think i might jigger it a little (totally a technical term). I'm going to write a second option for the cuff, allowing for leg shaping should the knitter desire a longer leg... and something else. I wont give any more away until i've made it work. And in response to the people who have asked if it will be available outside of the class, my answer is i dont know yet. I may offer it for sale as a pdf file from my blog for a few dollars, just to keep the wolves at bay.
I've really enjoyed knitting with my own sock yarn again! It's like painting with yarn... so lovely and it comes out so soft after you wash it. mmmm. i really oughtn't knit the second one until i've knit the second version... but they are so pretty! If you like this one, i have a very similar dye-lot up on eBay at the moment. (eew, now i feel dirty... a girl's got to eat you know!)

You know what, i think i may have rediscovered blogging. Or maybe it's just that i'm enjoying the sound of my own voice, as it were.

erk, its looking very rainy out there. I'm off to have a shower and then debate with myself : is it better to walk in the rain for 40 minutes or catch a cab and run the risk of being $5 short for the fibre i want?

Have an awesome day, hope to see some of you there. And if you're in the blogosphere, drop by and wish Othlon a very happy birthday!

Ciao for now
Ms Spider xo