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A sock in progress pic, a bit late since I’ve finished up the socks– I guess I’ll have to snap a freshly blocked socks picture sometime soon.

Caught in the Act!

So, what have I been up to? Well, one night I spent so much time with my arms in the air above my head that my fingers turned blueish at the tips– spinning of course. I had a HUGE hunk of easter egg dyed roving that I just had to finish spinning into singles. I guess this means that I’m offically a spinster.

Now I have to ply this monster ball.

I bought 5 pounds of processed wool, not the finest stuff in the world but it takes dye rather well. Actually, it’s the same stuff that the sock in progress above is spun out of.

After continually calling yarn bobbins and argyle charts nasty names and sitting at the shores of the frog pond I decided I might need some less serious knitting so I am at the stuffing stage of a green knitted “Sock Ness” Monster. I’ll post some pictures as soon as I’m done stuffing, knitting up, weaving in and fulling the creature.

I’ve hit a major decluttering snag– Beanie Babies. Can I actually claim that I have never purchased a Beanie Baby? I have purchased one, a clown fish for my husband. But that’s it, one Beanie Baby.

My mom and her husband have some kind of obsessive thing about Beanies (actually about anything they think is collectable including, but not limited to: Furbies, Taco Bell talking Chihuahuas, Pokemon items, National Geographics, and other pointless kitsch) to them these items are treasures, investments, things that will gain value as time passes. To me, these things are a waste of money and space (unless you are actually going to let them be played with since they are TOYS).

Now, I’m not passing judgment on people that collect things because I too have my collections and I love them, but for goodness sake I’m not going to fill up someone else’s house with vintage clothes, chickens, or teapots. I give people items that I think they’ll like, not things that I necessarily like– that is the difference.

Back to the Beanies– Like I said, I bought one. ONE Beanie Baby. I’m looking at my bedspread and I’m seeing way more than one. Now, Mom was foaming at the mouth a while back when I pulled the tag off of one Beanie (the octopus) and gave it to Josey to play with because he liked it. She actually called me up on a regular basis and chewed me out for “ruining” the toy (by giving it to a child to play with)– but that did not stop her from giving me more Beanies.

These are only the Beanies that have been lounging around in our bedroom on every available surface, there are more in the kitchen, livingroom and bathroom and occupying hat boxes in the closets.

So, do I keep the Beanies that I don’t really like just to make Mom happy? Should I gift them back to Mom some how since she thinks they’re so important? Should I adopt them out to Beanie loving homes via eBay?

I’ve actually considered skinning them and crazy quilting the bodies together (leaving the heads and hang tags intact of course) to make a full length dress coat. I don’t want to hurt Mom’s feelings, but these things are taking over my tiny little home. I need to make more space for Josey and Lexi, I need more space for our business and I don’t know what to do.