Purging. Just Purging.

This last week, the weight of my possessions has been smothering me. Not to sound like a drama queen, but it became physically uncomfortable for me. I would look around and just panic.

The only solution was to get rid of the stuff that was smothering me.

The cotton yarn that I bought to make summer tops? Gone. Knitting with cotton hurts my hands, and life is too short. Plus, I hate knitting with cotton. I got rid of a duffel-sized bag of cotton. That's about 75 lbs off of my chest.

I looked around the house, and there was my old wheel, the Traveler, sitting in the corner, covered in dust. Last week, I found the Saxony wheel of my dreams (altogether about $1500 with all the bells and whistles), and decided that if I was going to buy that one, I had to get rid of the Traveler.

Don't get me wrong- the Traveler has been a faithful, hardworking wheel. But when I bought the Schacht, it was because I had outgrown the limits of the Traveler. I talked to Ursula, who has an interest in spinning (but needed more practice) and what started as loaning her the wheel became, "Here, have a wheel!"

I spent all day cleaning the wheel and treating the wood (with Wood Beams) until it shone. Two hours, a disk of "The Office", and two shiny wheels later, I was ready to part with the Traveler. Mom remarked that this is the best the Traveler has ever looked, and I agree.

Parting with the Traveler means parting with a wheel, ten bobbins, and a Lazy [Clever] Kate. More weight off of my chest, and I have made certain that Ursula has caught the spinning bug. Resistance is futile.

Then, I attacked the closet. The suit that hasn't fit me in six years? Gone. The blouse I haven't worn since 8^th grade? See ya! It was a scene fit for Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. Two giant DSW bags later, and I'm not done yet.

My challenge is this: I have a handful of nice, handknit sweaters (mostly knit by me) that I'm tired of wearing, but don't want to donate to charity. They will fit a 32-38" bust. Anyone interested? Let me know.