Nuking it out.

"Nuking it out" is a derogatory millitary term for overthinking. Nuclear power plant operators are known as 'nukes' and have a tendency to overthink and second-guess. So when you're doing the same, you're not thinking something out, you're nuking it out. (Just for the record, if I were in charge of a nuclear power plant, I'd be freaking out worse than a little overthinking. Imagine running around shrieking and hooting like Daffy Duck.) The term is used mostly in the tone of "will you quit thinking and DO something already?"

So what have I been nuking out? Well, for starters, this:

Sleeve one of the steeked jacket (with the hem stuffed up inside the cuff). Yes, I know I'm working ahead. IT'S OKAY. When you guys want more directions, let me know, and I'll post more directions. For now I'm doing a sleeve and taking photos. Anyway, you can see I'm choosing to do the underarm increases in the pattern. (If the thought of this makes you hyperventilate, you can always do simple stripes instead, it's very common.) Ususally working in pattern like this is no big deal for me, particularly when I've already knit one and am doing a copy, like now. But for some reason, lack of sleep, cold medicine, neuroses, I keep tearing back rows and re-knitting, when HALF THE TIME IT'S CORRECT. I had it off the needles this morning and had torn back half a round when I looked at the chart to see how far back to tear, counted stitches, and realized it was correct. This is the third or fourth time I've done this. I've lost my mind.


Second nuking process? I just got off the phone with the US Postal Service. Calling government agencies usually gives me a headache, but this was pretty painless, even if the guy on the other end did have all the animation of a brick. Anyway. IF YOU ARE SHIPPING YARN INTERNATIONALLY, PAY ATTENTION: To quote the dude on the phone, "If it fits in an envelope, you can mail it as a letter." THIS MEANS YOU PAY THE LETTER RATE AND NOT THE PARCEL RATE. In the case of yarn alone, this means massive savings. If you're mailing gear like needles, etc, I'm not sure there's that much savings. But to ship a 4oz ball of sock yarn to Australia, the letter rate is less than half what the parcel rate is. Plus it's YARN, you don't have to worry about it breaking or anything.

International shoppers on the coming Esty site, very welcome!

I've been wanting to cut international shoppers a break on shipping so as to GET international shoppers, and now I think I can do it. All those years of keeping the books for people are finally paying off in some practical way. (This amazes me. I'd have sworn I never picked up any skills useful outside an office.) Plus I was raised by cheapskates. That helps too.


I'm also over-thinking my latest Vogue Knitting review. (Yes, it is in the works. I've got a copy of the magazine.) Mainly I'm waiting for the day that I feel good enough to work up some proper outrage (the stylist should be dragged through the streets, tarred, feathered, flogged, and turned over to the Yarn Police). It will be soon.

Otherwise, posts are going to be pretty thin for the next couple days until I finish a bunch of articles that were due last week and get over this stinking cold. (If it turns into pneumonia, I'm going to be pissed.)

Oh, and sorry for the major delay on getting all the blog links posted in the side bar. I'm afraid to code HTML while on cold medicine. The way I've been screwing up everything else, I'd probably crash the blog. But I know it needs done and will finish it as soon as possible.