21 August 2007

Ah, stress!

It's down to the wire, play-wise. Luckily for me, I'm "only" the costume director this time. I've been upgraded to technical advisor for making knitting needles and teaching two of the female cast members to knit. I also got to make a doll, a prop that looms large in the legend that is this production. Here she is:


Not bad for no pattern, eh? Her name is Mary Beth.

Our topic for this evening is...completely absent from my brain at the moment. It was a good one, I'm sure of that. Something to do with knitting...

Cookies! That was it. How to choose a cookie to accompany your knitting.

In the realm of snack pastries, variety can be our undoing. The same is true in the knitting world, but we rarely acknowledge that fact. Consider the innocent jaunt to the LYS. "I am going to buy yarn for a felted bag" is the thought that conveys you to your financial doom. You may think you're going to buy yarn for a felted bag, but trust me. It ain't gonna happen. You will be confronted by the demon Choice.

Here is a tweed of Australian wool. Here is a cushy mohair blend. Wait, look at the heathers! Wow, feel THIS! After half an hour of this, we are more likely to be curled on the floor, gibbering, than making a sane felted bag yarn purchase.

Assuming you are like me, and you buy all of the yarns that catch your eye, you bear your hard-won stash enhancement home and confront another problem.

No, beyond "Which pattern do I start first?" Something basic. Survivalistic, even.

"What will I eat while I'm knitting?"

Trust me, spaghetti is right out. Anything involving liquid or sauce is a no-no. Cookies? Of course. But what kind? Oatmeal? Nah, too sugary. Makes your fingers all sticky. Chocolate chip? Riiiiight. I'm gonna get chocolate all over my angora. Excuse me, there are monkeys trying to escape a major bodily orifice.

Shortbread? Buttery. Kolachis? Jam. Oreos? Crumbs. Newtons?

Screeeeeeeech! Huh? Did I hear "Newtons"?

Ah, the humble Fig Newton. Or its generic equivalent, the fig BAR. Rich, fruity, non-sugar coated and less prone to crumbs than your average baked beverage buddy. Yes, the fig cookie is my personal choice for my knitting and dining pleasure.

Unless I'm working with El Cheapo Brand yarn in a dark shade for a colorblind enemy. Then, anything goes.

2 comments:

Mags said...

Hey~
'Mary Beth' is so cute!!
I'm just not a cookie person when I knit; too many crumbs...(not that I don't love cookies)...just give a peanut M&M. Oh wait, I'll take the bag.

Anonymous said...

I am SO suggestable...I am now craving Fig Newtons. Sigh.