Next Project

I have begun another pair of sox. This time, using my scrap of "Flat Feet" which has green, purple, grey, orange, black...

It's knitting up to a rather "Halloween" look, so I decided to go to the LYS again...

as if I need more yarn!

And bought some orange.

With this, I will make a fair isle type knit sock with pumpkins/jack o lanterns, witches, bats, the phases of the moon, and a variety of other goofy things--for halloween, of course!

This is going to be a fun knit--because I'm designing the motifs myself on graph paper, and even though there's a jog in the knitting, I don't think it will be too noticeable on the front of the socks.

I'm looking forward to getting going on the knitting--this will be fun.

Difficult Nights

I am no longer in control of my body.

Last night, I had this crazy dream--well nightmare, really, that my supervisor came to me and told me that she was setting me up for bumping rights. This is a convention used by union employees to basically take over someone else's job who is lower seniority than you.

The dream brought me straight out of sleep, and right out of bed. I don't want to displace another worker who likely needs her job as much as I do. The dream woke me about 2:30am, and I was unable to calm down from it until about 4am. Then finally settled into fitful sleep (sleep 15 minutes, wake, sleep 15 minutes, wake) until about 7:30. Then it took me 2 hours to get ready for work, because the stress of not sleeping and the stress from the dream was just too much to give me the proper rest I needed.

The reality is that when this new computer system goes up, the supervisor has no idea what I'll be doing, because the computer will basically take my job away from my hands and put it in the hands of someone with a much higher classification, where I might be able to fight for working out of class--which could net me quite a bit of money, but then I'd have to basically retire, because management wouldn't want me around -- labelled as a troublemaker, even though a fancy lawyer would likely take it all. It entire affair would likely cost me any opportunity to stay in the job that I'm in.

So, after sleeping 3 hours tonight, I am wakeful again--have taken a sleeping pill, which hasn't helped, and now drinking milk and posting here, which might give the pill a chance. I'm hopeful. I can't live like this, though.

I've always had difficulty keeping jobs. I've never been much for getting "dressed for success", and prefer jeans to tight clothes and nylon hose. I'm scared for my job, and I'm scared for my life. Even the cards are telling me that there's a new job just around the pike, but I seriously don't want to have to change. There have been too many changes in my life, some good for me-some had negative impacts, and I'm at a point in my life where change causes really serious stress to the point of illness--no sleep exacerbates the problem.

I've basically decided to sit back and wait and see what happens. If the world falls apart, I might have to take a different job at the county office where, while it's true, I'd make more money, the clientele suffer from entitlement attitude, which is just too much for me to work with. If all else fails, I'll have to farm myself out to the companies who deal with the people where I work, and make a job of my own design, where I could make a ton of money doing medical billing to the program I currently work for--which would ensure that I could work at home--or I could farm myself out to the parents who need help for their kids and become a referral point. It's a feasible plan, but would require a lot of upfront work in sales, and I'm not sure of the legal implications--would I need liability insurance? Would it be worth my time? Could I sit back and be able to perform with alacrity the sorts of issues that I surely would be pressed into as a parent liaison to the program?

So you see, there are lots of questions that I seriously don't have the answers to, and I can't "give out my card" now because it would be a conflict of interest.

So I feel stuck. Darned if I do, darned if I don't, so I plan to sit tight until the world comes to an end and hope that somebody comes up with a job I can do based on my physical limitations with this tendonitis and lower back pain.

We'll see what transpires.

Birds at the feeder

Last night while watching Ghost Hunters from my husband's chair, I saw 3 birds land near the bird feeder.

They didn't look like the standard sparrow or finch, and were decidedly BLUE!

Yes, 3 bluebirds landed near my feeder.

Now bluebirds aren't normally seed eaters, but they are bug eaters, so my guess is that they were migrating and just "resting" at the feeder.

This tells me that I need to put out bluebird houses before spring, so I can watch them.

I tried to get out of the chair. My camera is just two steps away...one bluebird flew the coop.

I knelt down on the floor...one bluebird flew the coop.

I got down on the floor and crawled like an army rat...got my camera, turned it on, rose up to one elbow, snapped off one shot with a flash that sent the last bluebird soaring.

The pic was too fuzzy, but I could make out this little flash of blue--I won't waste your time with the pic. There will be more next year.

Birding

Some more pics from outside my window.



A male and female goldfinch. They surely love the thistlesock!








And the latest pair of socks. These were made from another colorway of the Bernat Jacquard's--notice they aren't identical--?

Well there was a knot.

All in a Day's Work

But let me tell you, it's been a long day. I put in 12 hours today, trying to get caught up on work that got parked while I worked on another task, and I seriously has 12 hours worth of work to do. It was amazing, and I did it all with only 1 fifteen (15) minute break! No lunch, no anything, all I had on my focus was doing it and getting out of there.

So I busted my buns and got "cracking". I got everything done that I could do, and then some. There's still a little bit left, but I need help with that, and then there's checking on some other things, and the mail (you see, I couldn't do EVERYTHING today)...but if you could see my desk now, compared to what it was yesterday, you would be overwhelmed.

I still have to write to the supervisor to let her know what time I stopped....and now...off to lunch. LOL! It's 6pm!

Is 4am too early?

Mandy literally bounced off the bed with a backward flip and a half twist, landed flat on her rump.

Have I been watching too much gymnastics on the Olympics?

Michigan Fiber Festival

There isn't much that goes on in a lifetime, all things considered, but the Michigan Fiber Festival is the highlight of the culmination of a year's worth of work for sheepers, spinners and fiber artisans alike.

I go to this production every year now as a matter of course since starting to spin, and there hasn't been a year yet that I've been disappointed.

I never know what's going to come home with me. Last year, it was a Harrisville Floor Loom. The year before, several pounds of teal colored Merino/Tencel Top (for a sweater that my husband felted...OH GOD WAS I UPSET). Another year, a sheep to sock bag of dyed wool which is spun and waiting for my needles to knit it into socks--unfortunately, I think that the wool is too bulky in places, because I am not the best of spinners, but it will make for some wonderful felted boots perhaps! We'll see what the future brings.

This year, as I've mentioned in previous posts, there are a few items that I plan to buy--and I have to turn in my Romney sheep wool for processing. The problem is that I'm going to break the plastic this year again, and I'd love to stay away from THAT thing (the plastic) if I could, but I'm between pay periods, and that means less money in my checkbook than my desires will allow.

None of you have that problem, do you?

Anyway, I determined that I would come home with some pictures--I hope that I don't fall in love with an angora bunn--or come home with an angora goat--or, god help me, a smaller breed of sheep.

This year my friend Peg is going to ride with me, which will make the trip that much more pleasant--so I suppose coming home with another pet is out of the question--although I don't believe she'd mind much sitting with a bunn on her lap. Peg has recently lost her best friend, Bill Davis, whom we believe succumbed to his heart condition while he slept this week. He was in his 70's. So, she didn't have anyone to ride with, so she and I are going together.

Bill was also a good friend of mine, being in the spin group I go to every other Monday night, and between him and Peg, there were nearly 150 years of experience in the fiber world--having done everything from bobbin lace to really intricate knitting. The loss in the fiber world is too great to bear. I'm sure that Peg will miss him greatly.

So I expect before I post this, I will gather some pictures, and describe them to you. There is a great deal goes on at the festival, and all of it is wonderful, so I can't bear the waiting for the time to come to climb into my car and go--oh, I didn't tell you? In my excitement, I woke at 4am. It's now 5am. I want to knit some on my socks, and then I'll go get gas, breakfast and pop (hopefully in that order, because the other way could be construed and result in an altogether different experience.

So here I go, starting my day with a relaxing knit. I believe that I will finish the socks today, but if not today, then tomorrow. I will be taking my knitting and spinning with me to the festival, and I'll have Peg get a picture of me in front of my wheel, so that you can see me "at play".

Having said all that, I woke early--before the alarm--because I was excited to get going and excited about the day ahead. So, since I couldn't start out on the road, I worked on my socks, and I got to the toe decreases. I know now that I will finish them well ahead of schedule, and I also know that I didn't need that extra skein in the same colorway.

I packed the car with the gear, my fleeces and my wheel, the socks and my needles, and got myself on the road.

I stopped for a quick "breakfast" at McDonald's - the "Breakfast of Champions", okay, maybe not so much...Sausage, Egg and Cheese on a Bagel. Then off to the gas station.

I filled the tank, and went inside for a bottle of soda, but they didn't have my "brand", so I scouted out the rest of the "store". I found a little "nook" in the back that had all sorts of doo-dads and bric-a-brack--nick knacks, if you will. They had polished stones, and I bought a bag of them for a few bucks. Then, on the road again.

Now that I know that I am on the toes of my socks, and decreasing, I know that I will not need the second skein of the colorway that I bought in order not to run out. So I decided to go back to Meijer's and trade it for another colorway of the same yarn. I got some in purple self-striping, and a beverage for the day, and back to the car again, because by now, it's almost 8.

I drove to Peg's house, not entirely sure EXACTLY where she lives--although I have been to her house a few times, it's in an area where the homes are "clustered" and they all pretty much look the same. I ended up getting a little bit lost, but found my way back to the starting point, and started back the other direction, and actually found my way, but then I couldn't be sure which house was hers!

As luck would have it, she glanced out the window about the same time I was trying to decide which one of the 6 condos on that street was hers--and she popped out the door, ready to go!

We drove along, just a beautiful road trip really-and talked about everything from soup to nuts--about life, family, the men we know and knew, and we talked about Bill and some of his quirkiness--we talked about knitting machines, spinning wheels, the deer at the side of the road that stood so still that at first I thought it was a decoy--pointed out sheep farms and turkeys. It was just the most splendid ride!

When we arrived, the first thing I needed to do (as always) was to drop off my fleeces. The fellow at the processor's took one look at my bag of Princess fleece (I mean, I was really having a problem lugging that puppy around!), and he said "IS THAT ONE FLEECE?"

What a question. Of course, it's just one fleece in THIS bag, and it's one fleece in THIS (groan, grunt as I lug it another step) bag.

We found out a few minutes later why I was having such a time getting this bag around.

It was almost 20 pounds. Yes, one fleece. The staple was over 6". PeeWee's fleece was an additional 13 pounds. In two sheep, I had 33 pounds of fleece SKIRTED. That's an amazing amount of fleece. And so clean, really--he was pretty astounded.

I finalized my business there. My friend took off with another friend there, and I headed for the ladies and for the fleece competition.

They were judging a black Icelandic fleece, and I got bored, so I started into the vendor building.

Wheels. Warps. Yarn, Fiber of every sort and dyed every color. Fleeces, roving, top and batts--hand spun yarn and commercial yarn. Books and needles, dye and all the other paraphernalia that goes with a fleece artisan.

My shopping list was fairly short, but I still walked out with a ton of loot!

I went after a boat shuttle and a weaving book.

I came out of the last building with:

A boat shuttle
Bobbins for the boat shuttle
2 books on weaving








2 skeins of hand-dyed sock yarn



and for all intents and purposes, I feel like I went overboard, but I was pleased that I was able to keep my excitement to a dull roar and really got things that I would be using. In fact, I'm going to warp up my loom and have my husband learn how. It might be the only way to get him interested in fiber!!

After the shopping spree, we had lunch at Linda's trailer, and I drew out my knitting on the needles and started decreasing the toes. I have a new method to decreasing toes...and I'm going to share it with you here.

For a 60 stitch sock...

1. Knit 10, pm, k10, pm, k10 (repeat 3 times turning the magic loop to work the underside of the toes)

2. K to 2 sts from 1st marker, ssk, sl marker, k10, sl marker, k2tog, k 8, repeat for the other sock and underside of the toes.

Repeat row 1 & 2 until you have 2 sts left on each side of the 10 center sts, then work as follows:

SSK, drop marker, k10, drop marker, K2tog. Knit the other sock and the other side the same. You'll have 12 stitches front and back for both socks. Now work as follows:

Sl, k1, psso, k8, and here's the different part--k1 return the st to the left needle, and pass the LAST st on the left needle over the next to the last st that you just knit and slipped back to the left needle.

A RIGHT LEANING PSSO!!!!!!

This DESTROYS any ears!!

Kitchener. You're done. See how nice these toes turned out, and they are my finished socks!

Along the way during the rest of the day, our group found another spinner who made boucle of such character, that we just went ga-ga over it. Of course, all her yarn took first place, and her cashmere lace weight got Judge's favorite. It was beautiful stuff. She showed us a technique she called "air spun" and we exchanged cards and headed back to the trailer to try out the new technique we'd been shown. We're going to try to get her to come to our group and share, then perhaps to Wool Gatherer's. She was that impressive!

We were so excited about it and the day that we were a little sad when the time came to leave--but leave we did--hunger sort of mitigated it, and we stopped in Hastings at Applebees and had chicken quesadillas for dinner. This is my favorite Applebee's meal, and really it's an appetizer, but it was a meal--and we had spinach and artichoke dip on the side. A good meal, good company, and lots of chatter about lots of different subjects. We paid out bill and headed out again on the road, arriving at Peg's place around 8:30pm, and I arrived home at 9pm.

One full day.

Now I promised pictures--I know, I know. But when I got there, I forgot. So you'll have to live with pictures of my purchases and my socks that were finished. I'm gearing up to take them now (only two days later), and I can't believe my "haul".

And another pair of the socks above, this time in the new colorway of Bernat Jacquard's from Meijer's.

Birds at my feeder

I snapped some closeups of the hummingbird feeder this evening--talk about nervous birds! Of course, I was less than 3 feet away from the bulb--so I suppose I understand, but it's not the first time I've sat in front of the feeder waiting for a bird to show up.

But these guys they take the cake, really, in-out-gone, back-forth, up-down, trying to get a taste from the back (or maybe he's hiding?)...and a stop action from the side..

Check it out.

Computer still broken!

Hubby woke me up again this morning, and decided to shower. He can't see in the dark too well, apparently, because he turns on every light in the house, just to take a SHOWER.

Don't get me wrong, I don't see WELL in total darkness, but if there's even one ray of light, and I can see well enough to get past those things that lurk in the shadows that other people stub their toes on...

Hey, I never said I was cat-like, but my husband says I am. And it's true--my vision in darkness is VERY good. I wish it was that good in lighted conditions.

So it comes as no surprise (at least not to me) that I'm at work, early again. True, I could have stayed home and knit on my socks (not much progress there last night because my wrist bothered me), but I wasn't in the knitting mood--so came to work to find out that the programs that I need to use are down, and so I can't really do much of anything except fret.

Yes, fret.

And it's just getting light outside.

The good part about getting up early is that you get to go outdoors and look at the stars. This morning, as I walked back from feeding the mice in the barn** I saw a shooting star near Pleides (sp?) and then remembered that the earth is passing through the remnants of Timiat (sp?), ergo the meteor shower that I missed a morning or so ago....but apparently not all of it, since this star/meteor was flashing nearly all the way across the sky. It was neat.

**For those of you who haven't read my blog, the mice in the barn are not your standard issue mice--they are white mice for my snakes.

So here we are again, trying to work with software that isn't connecting to the server really well. I told you that I broke it, and I worked like a fiend to get something done yesterday, too, and if it wasn't broken before, I would be willing to bet it's broken REAL GOOD now.

To add insult to injury, the elevators aren't working really well today, either. I feel a little sorry for people on the 15th floor...no, really! I do!

Okay, I don't. It bugs me that I'm on the 4th floor, and I'm loathe to take the elevator or the stairs--in fact, the elevators weren't working correctly yesterday after work, and so I took the stairs DOWN, only to fret on the way home--"how am I going to get to work in the morning, because I am SURELY not walking up 4 floors." It turns out that I fretted for nothing, as the Building Manager was there holding an elevator, just for me--well, okay, for me and another person, and first we went down to the basement (my favorite place to go), and the door wouldn't open there, and I was sure we were stuck on the basement floor, but the door opened about 2", and then closed, and we were on our way--except that 7 floors lit up on the panel, none of which we wanted to stop at--for me it was easy--stop at 3, stop at 4. Home free!

So, I will take the stairs down to get some refreshment at 7, and see if the elevator is up and running yet (enough to get me back in my seat), or if I have to take the stairs back up, which will take me (on a good day) about 15 minutes, since this poor out of shape body isn't used to stair climbing, and I have to rest a minute or two after every 1/2 flight.

Yes, I know. I need the exercise. Blah, blah, blah.

Well, going to try again on the computer. Hopefully, I can get some work done today.

Dr. BENNETT!

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I remember this joke..The galaxy was Junior High, I think....

Anyway, here goes...

A woman goes into the doctor's office for a routine exam. The doctor comes in, tells her to undress and put on one of those really fancy paper robes, and leaves.

The patient strips, puts on the robe and waits for the doctor to return...

When he does, he's stripped nekkid, and starts chasing her around the room. He gets her cornered and makes a run into the corner--and at the last moment she steps aside and he runs full and frontal face first into the wall.

"DR. BENNETT!" she exclaims...
and he replies...
"Unnn, no, I think I broke it."

I give you this joke, not just because it's funny (okay, maybe it IS a groaner), but because I worked so hard yesterday, that I think I might have broken the computer systems.

God knows my computer keyboard is hot to the touch for all the keying I did yesterday, and with more today, I guess I can expect systems to be down the rest of the week!

Ouch.

Okay, I promise, I won't work so hard the rest of the week...do you think it will matter?

Progress on the Socks Deux

Okay, so I turned the heel today, and I'm pleased. They are turning out really nicely. The foot should come along quickly and I will be done with these by the weekend. YAY!

I drove to work early this morning, since I fell asleep at 7pm last night and didn't wake until 2am. Forced myself to go back to sleep, but didn't really "rest", so when hubby's alarm went off, I got up, dressed and fed the animals. By this time, hubby was out of the shower and asking why I was dressed and ready for work...to which I replied that I thought I might go in early today and actually get some work done today.

As if all I do is sit and internet all day at the office like some people seem to do there--no--no--no names, PLEASE. I get into enough trouble just being there!

So I ended up arriving at the office at 5:45am--before anyone else arrived, and I found out that there are some people reporting that they arrive at 6, and they aren't showing up until 6:30---woohoo! I've got a bit of dirt on them now don't I?

So I ended up getting a huge amount of work done--but still have a lot left to do before I can rest again--but I don't know if I'll do this 5:45am thing again. Quite honestly, it's "for the birds" if you know what I mean...but when I walked out to my car it was still dark, so there were no birds. I mean, we're talking the darkest hour before the crack of dawn...and it sure was DARK, even when I arrived at the office, the birds were still sleeping!

So much for getting the worm, but I tell you, no self-respecting worm would be up at that hour!

Fanilla Back is Fini!

After a little discussion with one of the staff at Threadbear, I decided what I was going to do for the final few decreases on the back of Fanilla. This does nothing to assuage my angst over having to do something other than what the directions SAY to do, but it was the onliest thing that could be done in order for the stitch count to come out right.

And so, the back is done today, and I will cast on the front this evening. I can wait on it, however, as the first 6 rows are ribbing, and we all know how much my wrist loves ribbing, right?

So instead, I'm writing to you.

Today has been an exceptional day. Nothing to do, nowhere to go. Hubby and I have been watching movies all day. Right now, The World Is Not Enough, James Bond movie is playing. I'd be watching it, but would rather be PERFORMING one of the female roles that get to snuggle up to the famous spy--this time, Pierce Brosnan. He was a good "Bond", but his predecessor was and will remain, the best there ever was.

So why is it, that, since I just saw him in the movie previous--I am having a brain fart, and can't remember his NAME?

Don't you just hate brain farts?

All that will come to mind is Chester Humpernickle. This is bad--hahah. Very bad.

I'm going to go eat my hot dogs now.

Progress on the Socks!

Boy, the color doesn't really come out in the picture--save for the green, blue and turquoise--but after the green/white, is an area of yellow/white, then an area of multi/white, then white.










And this is the yarn.

Socks!

With Fanilla tabled until I can get some help, and with the Fair Isle Sweater tabled until Fall (which is just around the corner, folks!) I decided to start another pair of socks (posted previously), and they are coming along fine. I've finally reached the color repeat for the yarn, and it's really a pleasing pattern that's coming out of all of this knitting.

Work is hectic as usual. I need some time off, as usual. It's Friday again, as usual. Nothing spectacular about the day, other than it's Friday, the day after payday, and I have money to spend and no yarn store to get any!

WHAT?

Well, to be fair, Threadbear is supposed to open again on Saturday (fingers crossed and hope I don't die from sock yarn withdrawl!). I'm going to take Fanilla with me on Saturday, and hope that the guys will be there to help me with this pattern, as it's just driving me nuts. I even dream about this pattern (which is normally how I solve the things that just can't be fixed in the light of day), but this time, the dream said one thing, and while it's a possibility, it isn't in keeping with the pattern, so I'm "flumoxed".

But imagine my surprise when I stopped in after a doctor appointment to find out that they'd been closed!! We're talking some serious yarn withdrawl/panic attacks. I had to go to Hobby Lobby to get a fix! And what a shot in the arm!

Hobby Lobby had Red Heart Heart and Sole sock yarn (2 skeins required for a pair of crew socks), and Bernat's sock yarn in god-awful colors, but I bought some of that anyway. And acrylic baby yarn (also Bernat) in colors to make my mother a pair of socks and also some Breast Cancer Awareness socks (a lovely variegated pink--). I also got some baby yarn in a neopolitan colorway (for the uninitiated, that's pink, white, and brown for the colors of the Neopolitan ice cream, and for the life of me, I have no idea why the ice cream makers EVER decided to call it Neopolitan...I guess that's one for the Bits and Pieces of Useless Information AKA Trivial Pursuit game.).

So I went a little nuts. Then I went home and took my Xanax, because I've been having trouble sleeping for all this torture I'm suffering through. Someone feel sorry for me, PLEASE!

But all should be resolved tomorrow, which is another day, and I'll let you know if I survive the night.

Negative Ease

Negative Ease

has never been something I've understood. I always thought it had to do with knitting something a little fatter or longer to accommodate a part of the body that was longer or wider respectively--for instance, knitting more stitches around in order to accommodate a longer foot, or knitting a longer foot to accommodate a fatter foot...meaning that one "counteracts" the other.

Frankly, I've always thought that making a sock that way was silly--since no one likes a sock that doesn't fit well on every horizon, and socks that don't fit well end up inside your shoe and under your foot, instead of snuggly around your ankle...and god knows, I don't like socks that don't fit well.

But a BIT of negative ease does help in making a sock fit well, in that about 10% fewer stitches than gauge would have you knit will give a snugger feel and help keep the sock on your leg, instead of falling down around your ankles. And you incorporate negative ease into hats to keep them snuggly on your ears, instead of falling down over your eyes...

So there's a method to the madness, right?

Positive ease, on the other hand, is a term I was more familiar with as simply "ease", as in sewing patterns...an extra bit of fabric here or there to accommodate for raising your hand in class, so that the shirt didn't ride up under your breasts and make an uncomfortable "statement" to the boys--or, pleats in the front of pants, so (okay, we are SO not going there).

So ease has a place in the world, and negative ease is creeping into the fitted garments we knit too. In fact, Knitting Daily had a whole series of articles on knitting fitted garments recently, and I might just have to revisit them.

Fanilla is still on the needles, but on hold until I can run in to Threadbear to get some knitterly help. The socks are coming along, slow but sure, with lots of negative ease to them. I have a headache from drinking too much caffeine this morning, and my wrist is bothering me from lifting too many files at the office.

I know, I know! I just want to get this particular job done. It's a big one, and nearly done after today's foray into "oh that hurts my wrist" mania. I really mean that, too--mania. I was working so hard so fast, that I was literally hurting myself. I'll pay for it in the morning, I'm willing to bet.

For now, though, I'd like to knit, but for whatever reason, the nightlife is really bugging me--get it? Bugging me? This happens when I knit with the windows open and a light on in the house - especially the one I sit under? The bugs that fit through the screen come in, fly around my head and land on my body and crawl. You know that creepy feeling?

With that, off to knitterly land I go.

Socks on the Needles

And pretty ones, too.

This is Bernat Jaquards. I bought 2 balls, just in case the 300+ yards wasn't enough for the socks I want to make.

These are plain vanilla 2 x 2 rib socks--nothing spectacular. The yarn is actually baby yarn--very soft, and resulted in a run of purchasing a bunch of baby yarn at Hobby Lobby--but this Bernet I got at Meijer's.

I considered working on these this evening, but the Tarot cards seemed to think I needed a nap--considering that I really didn't get to sleep until after midnight, I think the nap I DID take was worth the effort. I slept about an hour, then got up and made dinner.

I made Chicken Helper, and my husband announces that he's going back on the Adkin's Diet. I hate that diet. It works, sure, as long as you STAY on the Adkin's Diet for the rest of your life. Me? I'm not the dieting type. I really need to change my eating habits, yes. Diet, no.

Well I have a lot of yarn to photograph, so I will sign off for now. Got to update Ravelry, you know!

At the End of the Day

At the end of my workday, I asked my tarot deck at the office--

"What should I take to spin night that will give me the most bang for my time?"

I drew The World...

No socks
No sweater

but a band the twines around the body in a Z twist.

Spinning.

So I took some and got about 2 oz spun up in a couple of hours.

And started working on socks when I got home.

Then today, I went to Hobby Lobby. Wrong thing to do.

I also went to get an ultrasound for my thumb and wrist. I am not ruptured. I do not have fibro. I do not have arthritis.

I have a serious case of tendinitis.

I'll be going to physical therapy soon.

I bought a pair of Hand Ease at Hobby Lobby, and put one on, right there in the store. Talk about feeling better nearly immediately, but it does get hot wearing this lycra spandex. I can still feel that it hurts me, though, so it's not a fix. And I bought a bunch of baby yarn in a variety of colors to make into socks, and some sock yarn (Red Heart's Heart N Sole with Aloe) in a sort of off-white to make...you guessed it...I'm going to find the pattern for that lace sock posted the other day, and I'm going to make those socks by cracky, or I'll know the reason why!

I also got 2 sock patterns today. Some Booby Socks (Race for the Cure, Breast Cancer socks replete with pink ribbons, and Hibiscus Socks (also for Breast Cancer) on someone's website who is walking and looking online for sponsors. In gratitude, she's giving the pattern. She is also the one who did the pattern for the Capanula socks (also very nice).

Knitters for Knockers 2008 - Hibiscus Socks KAL

If you're interested. She's got some nice patterns. I wouldn't pass it up if you're any sort of knitter!

I'm pretty hot right now, so I'm going to sign off and go into the bedroom, turn on the air conditioning, sit on the bed and knit. I doubt that I'll even make dinner. It's just impossibly hot and humid. Remember when I was talking about the humidity in JUNE? Well, June ain't seen nuthin' yet. August has it all over June, believe me.

I'm The Lady of the Nines, and I'm out!

LTNS!

I've been busy reading email. How silly of me to forget you!

Hi, I'm back again. Still working on the Fanilla-decided to rip it all out having nearly finished the back to the underarms, and decided that, in fact, I didn't like the fabric in a size 11 needle! It was just too limp for me. Added to that, I thought I made a mistake about halfway up, got to the very end and found out that I hadn't made a mistake at all! It was that the rubber bands I was using for markers were sticking to the needles and literally losing their honored spot as I pushed the stitches onto the needle to work them!

So I ripped it all out and started again from scratch. Funny how that happens now and then, but I knew in my heart that I would not wear it due to it's limpness.

Now working on the same piece, with a size 10 needle, and WHAT A DIFFERENCE A SIZE MAKES.

Although, now, I am STUCK...with a capital S (oh, I suppose a capital TUCK, too).

I can't figure out how I'm supposed to follow the directions and do the decreases as directed, when the stitches just aren't there to work the way the directions say to work them! So I wrote to someone who had completed this little marvel on Ravelry....such a WEALTH of information there. The person hasn't written me back, and may never, but if she doesn't, Berocco will respond with some seasoned helpfulness, I'm sure.

And in the meantime, whilst I wait patiently, I started another pair of socks.

These are two on one circular, cuff down, plain vanilla k2p2 rib socks, short row heel, fan toe (I like the extra space it affords). The rib will travel down the foot, and be plain stockinette on the sole. I'm using Bernat Jacquards--a lightweight acrylic maybe a teensie-bit bigger than fingering. Size 3 needle is working up REALLY well. When I get to a decent length, about an inch, I'll try the cuff on, to see if I need to add more stitches--right now, there's only 60, and they look like they might be a tiny bit small..but I don't think that the fabric will allow for a size 4 that the yarn band calls for, and I won't fiddle around with socks that droop because the fabric is too flimsy.

So there.

I worked a full day, even though my alarm didn't go off this morning, and I ended up being late--SHAME ON THAT CLOCK. Or did I just not ever hear it go off? In any case, I've caught up on what I wanted to do, and now just fiddling around on the computer, waiting to go back to my car, get gas, drop off to the grocery store and the hardware store and McDonalds--then to spin group!!

I can't wait for spin group tonight. Not that there's anything special going on, but just because I really like these people--they are so nice, and so nice to me. Maybe I'll take Fanilla to spin night and ask them what they think about it? On the other hand, I do still have MUCH of that Chiengora to spin, and probably should work some more on that. Which means that I have to weigh another 4 ounces out and into a plastic bag to keep cat hair out.

It's not like the knitter will notice that the 10 pounds of dog hair has one or two (or even a hundred, if it matters) cat hairs. Sheesh. Am I driving myself mad with these plastic bags????

Well, perhaps I'll just put on over my head, cut two holes for the eyes and go as the unknown bag lady?

Okay, so it's 5:30, and I am dying to get home and get going, so---

CYA!