Things that scare me

Like most people, there are things - rational and irrational - that frighten me. Something bad happening to those I love scares me...wildfires scare me...tornadoes scare me something fierce. Dick Cheney still scares me beyond reason (but with good reason, of course). Clowns scare the bejeebers out of me and seeing the movie It years ago did nothing to help; in fact, it strengthened my fear of clowns. Silly me, I thought I could handle a movie based on a Stephen King novel because it was on television - still scared me senseless. It scared me so badly that it was a long time before I could think of Tim Curry without shuddering.

Something else that scares me is being in a store during Georgia’s sales tax free weekend just before the start of school. The sales tax free weekend is tomorrow, Thursday 30 July through Sunday, 2 August, and school starts in Hooter County on Monday, 10 August. Parents probably have their child's school supply list from the school and are looking for a break. But there is no way I will be caught in an office supply or discount store this weekend! I went to one such store last year the day after the sales tax free weekend and it looked like a full-scale assault had been launched on the store...displays were a mess and the employees looked shell-shocked. I asked one sales associate if he had worked all weekend and he said yes, and that it had been really chaotic and, well, scary.

It is not that I don't like a bargain or to save money, but I look at it this way: Aidan's school supplies will likely run about $60, so getting those supplies on a sales tax free weekend would save me $4.20. That is all. It is well worth an extra $4.20 to NOT go out with hordes of parents and children all shopping in the same stores at the same time for the same items.

Besides, I may have found an excellent solution. I found everything on Aidan's list at OfficeDepot.com and since it totals over $50, I get free shipping. And I am guessing that if I place the order tomorrow, I will still get the break on sales tax. It may be another office supply store's slogan, but I am thinking that on Friday I will saying to myself, "That was easy!"

Windy Indy calorimetry

Look what I finished yesterday! It is called a calorimetry and it is essentially a combination of a head scarf and a hat, which allows people with long hair to keep their heads warm while still wearing their hair in a ponytail or just falling naturally without crushing their 'do. It fastens under the hair in the back with a button.

Even though I do not have long hair, I have been wanting to make one of these for quite a while (and even though I do not have long hair, I wear the calorimetry made for me by my friend Jennifer, because it does an awesome job of keeping my ears warm). I used the Malabrigo worsted yarn I had leftover from making the hat for my friend Laurel, and the color looks great with the pattern.

And look at this great button!


When I was at Sugarfoot Yarns a few weeks ago to buy some SWTC Bamboo for a scarf, I saw this button and knew that I needed this button for the calorimetry. It looks fabulous against that color.

So for whom is this lovely item? My friend Jane, who lives in Indianapolis where it can get quite cold and very windy. She does not know that I made this for her and I probably won't send it to her until fall (just who needs a wool head scarf in July?), so on the off chance that she reads this post, she will find out about it. That is okay by me; a surprise is surprise no matter when it occurs.

I really enjoyed knitting this pattern and would happily make it again. I just need to find a recipient - any volunteers?