Cookie Sock Club!

I did it! Today I signed up for the 2012 Cookie A. Sock Club.  If you've been following my blog, you know that I've been knitting my way through her latest sock book - "Knit Sock Love" - along with bunches of other people on the KSL knit-a-long group on Ravelry.com.  Her sock club is a year-long club where every two months you get a skein of sock yarn, two exclusive patterns by Cookie, and two cookie recipes (yes, for actual cookies that you bake in the oven).  So you can make Cookie socks and Cookie cookies.  Double cookie bonus!

Now, this club is pretty exclusive.  It sells out every year and sign-ups are open first to those who are current members.  That leaves people like me crossing my fingers hoping that there is room for us mere non-Cookie Club mortals to join when sign-ups finally open for the riff-raff. 

General population sign-ups started this morning at 11:00 AM EST and I had no idea how fast they might sell out.  Is it a matter of minutes?  Hours?  Days?  No clue.  So there I was this morning, at our newly-opened Wegman's grocery store (holy crap, that store is giant - and awesome!) having breakfast and conversation with a couple of friends with my netbook plugged in to a nearby outlet.  The browser was open to her sock club page and beginning at 10:55 AM, I started hitting the refresh button every 30-60 seconds.  The only time I remember exhibiting such manic refresh behavior has been:

1. A Grant Creek Yarn shop release about 6 weeks ago when I had to get my hands on her Inventor Arthur Fry Post-It note hand-dyed yarn.
2. About 14 years ago when trying to get concert tickets for the Monsters of Rock tour (with Poison!) before it sold out.

At 11:00, I refreshed and there it was!  The sign up link!  I almost couldn't click on it because I was too excited and kept overshooting the clicky box with my cursor.  Add to cart, dammit!  Add to cart!!!  Loading, loading, loading... Why is it taking so long???  Am I too late?  It's only been 37 seconds!  Wait, here it is!  Yay, in my cart!  Now check out, check out, check out!  Oh crap, only takes PayPal!  Log in - hurry!  Mis-typed my PayPal password - NOOOO!!!!   Password attempt - take 2.  Type slowly and carefully while still freaking out that all those people who typed theirs correctly the first time are taking up all the spots.  What???  My credit card isn't showing up - only direct transfer.  Add card!  Add card!  Type carefully... why are there so many freakin' numbers for a credit card?!?!  Expiration, and that stupid code from the back.  Come on, come on, no typos... and click to add the card.  Change payment option, choose the card, and SUBMIT PAYMENT!  DONE!!!

I'm now a member of the club.  Be jealous.  Be very jealous.

First installment ships the first even month of the year.  Is it February yet???

Holy Holiday Knitting, Batman

Could I have more projects started but not finished???

My WIPs (works-in-progress), completion percentages, and their deadlines:
Monkey Socks - 25% - Dec 15th
Cauchy Socks - 25% - Nov 30th
Lissajous Socks - 5% - Dec 30th
Scalene Shawl - 80% - Dec 22nd
Button-Up Beanie Hat - 20% - this winter 

I have finished the Hedera socks I started a while back (Sept?  Oct?  I've completely lost track of time.) that are a Christmas present.  One gift down!  Only 37 to go!  Okay, not 37, but the Scalene shawl is a gift plus I want to make a second one for another gift.  And I need to make a hat for my cousin Cameron who just started chemo this week.  And maybe socks or a shawl for my grandmother who just went through yet another surgery but has a lot of recovery ahead of her.

Needless to say, I'd better stop typing and get my knitting butt in gear. 

And as if on cue, there goes the buzzer of my dryer.  There's laundry to fold....