wotd: Pyrrhic victory

Pyrrhic victory \PIR-ik\, noun:: A victory achieved at great or excessive cost; a ruinous victory.

I'm planning to participate in the current Lion Brand Crochet-along (did you notice that little badge in my sidebar?). I love this cardi. I love the extra help and guidance on Lion Brand's blog, Lion Brand Notebook. I love Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton. I don't love its price.

When perusing the Lion Brand offerings at my local JoAnn's, I made a very uncharacteristic choice. I've decided to crochet my cover-up using Pound of Love, a "super soft 4 ply knitting worsted weight 100% premium acrylic" in color no. 102: Bubble Gum. To me it was the most offensive (least offensive?) color offering in these jumbo skeins. Total cost for my cardi will be around $20, a 75% savings from what I'd pay for that lovely organic cotton. (How do I work in a reference to Pyrrhic victory here? If I finish the damned cardigan using this heinous bubble gum color, is it a Pyrrhic victory? Finished, but at what cost? Would it be more of a Pyrrhic victory if I'd overdrawn my checking account but completed my first structured garment in a yarn and color I love? I just don't know!)

Looks like my gauge is a little tight. Supposed to get 11 hdc in 4 inches; I appear to have 14 hdc in 4 inches. I'll cast another swatch tomorrow using a size J hook. Maybe there's the Phyrric victory aspect: I could have victoriously completed the damned thing using a size I hook only to discover its too damned tight around the bosoms. This promises to be a real adventure.

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doesn't take much

This afternoon I went to Starbucks. I don't go often because they're spendy and they've monopolized the coffee business and most of the time I just want black coffee. Part of our Thanksgiving tradition, though, is going to Mom's Target and Starbucks on Black Friday. This year we made it to Target but not to Starbucks, nor did we make it to Starbucks on Saturday, as we said we would on the way to the Deer Valley Goodwill. I have a gift card smoldering in my pocket so today, after buying spray paint and water marbles at JoAnn, I pulled up to the drive-thru at Starbucks. Usually I get some kind of blended iced vanilla chai thing. At the orderboard I was distracted by all the holiday drinks and opted for a white chocolate peppermint mocha, grande. One thing I will say for Starbucks: the employees are always uber-friendly. After ordering from the chirpy counterperson I pulled forward slightly, plugged in my ipod, and started a game of solitaire while listening to the White S...

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chock-a-blog

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