Short one

This will be very short. I'm excited that tomorrow the big guy is going to look for a movie style popcorn maker for our house. We love popcorn, but are not crazy about microwave popcorn. So he suggested that if he could find one, he would buy it. (Doesn't take much to get me excited, huh?)

I'm trying out a pattern for a multi-directional scarf that I found on one of your websites. So far so good. I haven't knitted a scarf in forever so long. I hope this one goes well, as I am ready to make something other than socks. (And my pattern for the sweater hasn't arrived yet.)

Now I need to go look for a photo-op.

No pictures this time

There is a reason for no pictures with this post. You'll understand.

I was feeling pretty blah! last week, so I made a couple of appointments. I called the nail salon and scheduled a manicure. The people I go to are really good at what they do. They are friendly and always do a good job. I chose a metallic deep red and left my nails a little long. They look great.

The other appointment I made was for a haircut. My usual cut is very short, I go to a woman who is actually a barber. She always does it just like I like it. But she has been ill and is having surgery any minute. I thought I'd like to grow it a little longer and let the natural curl take over for a while. So I made an appointment with a stylist who is a patient at our clinic. She's a fun girl and I was looking forward to it.

So Monday at lunchtime, I drove up to her salon and plopped myself in her chair. She says how do you want it and I say I want to let it grow out. I don't know why when you say that, the stylist automatically hears "cut it all off." She said she would just shape it up a little, I say OK. Now visualize your hair having a run-in with a lawnmower. Yep, short. Shorter than the barber cuts it. Then imagine a fistfull of styling foam and a hairdryer. I ended up looking like I had a birdnest upside down on the top of my head.

Now I have to go back to work for half a day. I stopped and bought some styling spray and a round hairbrush, went straight into the restroom at work and start working on ridding myself of the thing on top of my head. With a little water, spray, and a brush I managed to tame the beast enough that I didn't lock myself in the bathroom for the rest of the day.

When I come out, Nobody Said A Word about my haircut. You know what that means: either they want to burst out laughing, or they are secretly sympathizing with you. I spent some time with it the next morning before work, so I'm not too embarrassed anymore, but the damage has been done: everyone I work with has seen it already. This might be a perfect time to make and wear a beanie or a watch cap. But since my hair grows soooo slowly, I guess I might as well get used to it.

Oh, and guess what else? She left me a mini-mullet in the back!

Bloom where you are planted

You've heard the old expression "bloom where you are planted." I found some living examples of that saying today while I was helping the big guy in the backyard. These are the blooming things I found in strange places. First, there are several pink wild violets blooming in the wood pile. Second, there is a begonia under the edge of the deck. And third, there is a morning glory vining around on my little glider. I have morning glories and begonias planted in other places, but I don't know where the violets came from. Birds brought them I guess.



I haven't been very productive lately in the knitting area. I have finished the green w/purple socks. I still need to finish off the toe and weave in the ends on the last sock. These were more fun than the brown stripes. Notice the progress? But I must keep knitting. The brown socks are already promised. I've almost lost my sock mojo. I need a break.



The sweater pattern I've been looking for has been found. In the first issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Knitting, page 39, an ad for Plymouth Yarn. It is simply called Pattern 1413. Now I've got to find where they sell it. The website I found showed many, many pages of patterns, but didn't give a way to order them. I'm sure I'll figure it out. But first, I need you experienced sweater knitters to help me out. Do you think this pattern will be too hard for my first sweater?? I love the wide sleeves and the "no buttonhole" band down the front.
The pups loved it when we spent the morning working in the yard. Their favorite part was when we emptied and refilled the wading pool, then watered the plants. They love the water hose.


I have a couple of pics of the brave dogs. One is Bunny "hunting" out the back door. She stays there really still waiting for the squirrel to come down the tree. Then she chases him back up. Over and over and over. Buster is a little more laid back. He just lays in the dining room floor laughing at Bunny. Little smiley dog.

I've had some really nice comments lately on my blog. Thanks for that. I have a long list of your blogs that I check almost every day. I love your pics of your children and pets. I'm interested in your spinning and dyeing (since I don't know how to do those.) And you inspire me with your projects. AND YARN! I LOVE IT WHEN YOU SHOW ME YOUR YARN!

Sock Bigamy

Now that SOS08 is over, I'm back to my old trick of knitting two socks at once. Not two socks just alike. That would make too much sense. I'm back to knitting two different socks at once. It seems to scare off the dreaded SSS (Second Sock Syndrome). There are always more socks to knit than time to knit them. And more people to knit for than just me. So I work on one for someone else and one for me.

Right now I have in progress a pair for my friend at work and a pair for me. She picked out a brown self-striping yarn that is working up just beautifully. The picture shows the cuff, but actually I have already turned the heel and am working on the foot. I'm happy with this one. It will be a great pair of winter socks. The color of this one photo'd fine.


The other pair is in apple green with purple trim. (This one didn't photograph very well, what with the rain and my flash.) I'm improvising this pair. I have the first sock done and have CO the second one. Sadly, after I got past the three purple stripes on the second sock, I found two mistakes. I had an extra row of green before the first stripe, and I had an extra row of green just before the third stripe. Can you say "ribbit?" Yep, frog pond. Then I spent all that time trying to get the needles back in with two dogs dancing around my feet and climbing on my lap. But mission accomplished, and I'm back on the stripes again.

The big guy fixed my dinner and brought it to me (what a guy) so I could keep working. He's good like that.

Today was my day off, our golf day. We went out and as soon as we started to tee off it started misting rain. By the time we got to the second hole, it was seriously raining. Of course, we got soaked because neither of us even thought to bring a raincoat or an umbrella. So we just packed up and headed for the truck. Instead of golfing, we did some errands and then went home. It was a good day for a nap.

I've been drooling over some yarn I saw stashed on Ravelry. It is Opal Petticoat 1290. I'm in love. It is soft pastels, pink, yellow, blue. I have surfed the internet for some and have decided it is no longer available. If you have one in your stash and would like to part with it, or if you know where one is available, would you please give me a heads up?? Or if you know of a yarn that is very similar, I'd appreciate knowing about that too.