Frog pond

Today I had to face the facts: both socks I was knitting were too small. I have wide feet and thick ankles. So you know what comes next, frog pond.

The Victorian Swag sock has already been started over. It Trekking XXL and is 72 stitches around (which is usually enough for my fat ankles but not this time) and I had started it on US 2 needles. But after I got to the heel and tried it on, it was stretched too tight. So I frogged it and started over on US 3's. I have completed 3 patterns and I think it will be better. I love this pattern.

The pink with maroon is Knit Picks Essential and I was just making up a pattern based on Jane Lithgow's Summer Pick 'n' Mix socks. I wanted it snug and in simple stockinette stitch, so I started it with 64 stitches and US 1's. Wrong answer. I should have done one or the other, as I couldn't wear it that snug. So: Frog Pond. I haven't cast it on again yet, but will do that soon. I was looking forward to wearing it. Oh, well...

Today we are taking all the plants in pots from the backyard and de-bugging them. We will doctor them for slugs, snails, spider mites, etc., etc. before we bring them in for the winter. At least one of them has to be repotted (which I hate to do) and then they will need to be pruned. I hate doing this stuff. I'm not an outdoorsy girl, and I hate hate hate to get anything under my fingernails. (I know, wear gloves.) We will be moving them to the front yard for this, as we don't want the dogs to get in the chemicals.

I have a new funny picture of Bunny. Here's the background. When she gets ready for a nap, she likes to be covered up. She turns about 18 circles, then plops down and we are supposed to cover her up. Then she tucks her nose under the blanket and sleeps. When she raises up her head she looks like she has on a hood and we call her Osama bin Bunny. She's a funny girl.

Both Buster and Bunny want the place on the loveseat next to the big guy, so when she beats him to the place, he gets mad and moves to the couch. Here he is pouting. What big babies they are. But that is what makes them so lovable.

It's almost over

Yardwork. It's almost over for this year. I don't usually do much out there, but since we were decorating a little with flowers this year, I helped. We worked out there almost all afternoon on Sunday.

We bought, hauled and spread a truckload of sand for the sandbox. The dogs love it. It was so soft and fluffy.

Then we bought, hauled and spread a truckload of red mulch to put in the "mulch garden." That meant we had to take out and put back all the rock walkways and the outdoor furniture.

It's time for me to take down and clean up the hummingbird feeders. We are also about ready to bring in the hibiscus and the other plants we want to save. We will let the petunias and geraniums go. I haven't decided about the begonias. I will move the fern indoors and see if I can save it. (Usually anything I touch turns brown, unlike my mother who could make any plant flourish and bloom.)

I tried to take some pics of the petunias. They are making their last stand. Most of my shots were blurry. I'm having a little trouble focusing my new camera. It'll get better with practice, I hope.

Bunny beat us to her pool. We wanted to dump and refill it, but she wasn't having it. She's such a water baby. Sometimes she will lie down in the water, stick her nose under and blow bubbles. And sometimes she gets in it so low that she looks like an alligator with only her eyes sticking out. She's a hoot. Buster will play in the hose but not the pool.

Today's golf has been called off. It is raining and in the 60's. We have played in the rain before, but we were younger then. I'm going to try to get some knitting done and maybe do a little reading. I have a book started, "The Friday Night Knitting Club." It's hard for me to put down a good book until I have it finished.

I Promised...

Last time I promised to show you what I got from The Loopy Ewe. It is great. I had ordered this and had it delivered at work. I'm not saying the big guy would care what I do with my money, but I get to see it immediately upon delivery when I get it at work. Besides, the big guy doesn't even know where I keep my stash (shhhh. It's in the deacon's bench.)
(I can't get this picture to stand upright. I've tried several things. If you have an idea, let me hear it.)

So, here is the box that David, our wonderful mail delivery man brought. I love getting orders from TLE, there is always a nice note and some little treats in them.

I opened the box and pulled out the contents. As usual the yarns were wrapped in tissue. There were peppermints for a treat (it is still fairly warm in our part of the country.) The nice note said I had spent enough at TLE to get a $25 gift certificate!! WooHoo! I'm trying to figure out what I want to order. I have some ideas.

After unwrapping the yarn, here is what I bought. I'd been looking for some pastel yarn to make some frilly socks from. Well, here it is. The lighter one is Trekking 133. It has pink, carnation, lavender, white, and something that is between blue and gray. Anyway, it is really soft-looking. It is the one I started first. The other is Lorna's Laces Happy Valley. It is a little brighter, but I think it will make great socks.

The pattern is from Monica Knits and is called Victorian Swag socks. I've been drooling over it on Ravelry and finally took the plunge. I've already got one sock knitted from the cuff to the heel and it is turning our just beautifully. (Of course, I was reading the pattern wrong and had to ask for help from Monica. She was very nice in her speedy reply. I get excited with a new pattern and don't always read it carefully.)

It was a golf day. My score was at least 10 strokes better than any time in the recent past, and was only 10 strokes more than the big guy's. (He had a bad day!) The weather was perfect, just a little cool and just a little (sometimes more than a little) breeze. A good day for me.

Something New and Something Finished

He did it! The big guy bought us a popcorn machine! He went to a local discount store and found one that was too big. We could order a smaller one, but he decided to look around awhile. He ended up at a popcorn store. They had one just the right size, but it was more expensive. They took him in the back and showed him 3 like the one at the discount store that were in various states of repair. The "made in China" machines broke down and they can't get the parts to fix them.

Considering those facts, and the fact that shipping was going to bring the price up on the cheaper one, he decided to go ahead with the model from the popcorn store. He also got a box of packets that have the oil, corn, and flavoring all measured out and ready to dump in. You can see the machine and the amount of popcorn we get with one popping. We are really enjoying it.

I took some to work and shared with our office and the office across the hall. It's fun. Now when going to a party I can bring popcorn instead of chips or something. The big guy has good ideas.

OK. Finished Object - Birthday socks for my co-worker. She picked the striped yarn and they came out real nice. I got the stripes to match. The wool is Berroco and the pattern is my generic 2X2 ribbed sock. The tops are 7" and they fit her size 5 feet.

I took them to work and made her model them for me. She has dainty little feet and ankles, and the socks fit perfectly. This little cubicle where we work is really warm and she won't need her wool socks at work. They will be nice with her winter boots.

Notice also the scrubs she is wearing. There are 3 of us "girls" in the office and we have several silky scrubs alike. It is fun wearing matching uniforms and we get lots of compliments on them.

In my next post, I will show you the beautiful yarn and pattern I got from The Loopy Ewe.

I Won a Contest!

Today when the big guy and I got home from golfing, there was a package on the porch. I was expecting a box from Marisol at "Purls Just Wanna Have Fun" because this weekend I won her contest! Hurray for me! It was the first contest I have ever won and I'm excited!

She had a birthday party for her son "Little Cowboy" and it had a Pirate theme. If you left a comment and "talked like a pirate" you were entered in her contest. She used a random number generator and it picked ME!

There was plenty of Pirate Booty in the box. Yarn Pirate yarn in Emerald City colorway, "gold" coins, pirate stickers, a ring, a pencil, a pirate scarf, an eye patch, candy, gum, a package of Robert's American Gourmet puffed rice and corn with white cheddar, and an awesomely decorated pirate cookie. I have everything I need to be a pirate! Thanks, Marisol! You rock!

As for knitting, I'm looking for a new project. I don't have yarn for tthe scarf I want to make (or the sweater), and the sweater pattern isn't here yet. So I'm between projects and can't decide which sock to start. Nothing in my stash is calling my name right now, and the new yarn I've ordered from The Loopy Ewe is not here yet.

I have other news, but it is not as fun as this, so I will save it for another post. I have pictures of a finished project, the person who received the finished project, and pictures of something the big guy bought for us!