She Knits Socks

Boys...and Dogs

2009-06-26T06:20:00.001-07:00

OK, OK. I'm really going to try to be better.

Even the dogs are looking for some new pictures and new stuff to read about. This is the front door where they lay to watch the world. (If you look carefully at the reflection, you can see me with my cane.) Don't even look at the nose prints at their eye-level. I've got the cleaning help coming this weekend. Hopefully we will get to the doors and mirrors. (Maybe not, there is a long list above that little job.)

These are Grandma's big boys. The younger (left) is 16 and the older (right) is 18 and a proud graduate from high school. I can't believe that they are so big. Seems like just a few days ago they were little babies.

And this is the proud Grandma with her two beautiful boys. I'm sure you can see why I'm so proud of them.

I have some socks started. The first pair is the pair I started for my sister's birthday which was at the end of March. Then the bottom fell out of my world and I've had trouble picking them back up. At least she won't need them for a while in this Oklahoma heat and humidity. I'll get them done before cold weather sets in.

The other pair is from Red Heart Heart and Sole with Aloe. This color is called Watercolor Stripe. (The flash washed out the color on the skein. And yes, those are Knit Picks little 4" double pointed needles. I love them!) I think it is going to work up real pretty.

I've also been reading some. I try to read a little at night in bed, before I turn out the light. Unfortunately, Bunny thinks when we get in bed I should turn off the light. (Can't imagine why.) So while I'm trying to read, she is laying there going, "Woof..... Woof..... Woof....." Until I finally turn off the light so I won't have to listen to her. She's a hoot. And Buster, he thinks before he goes to sleep he has to take a bath. So he licks himself and licks and licks everywhere he can reach, all over his body. He gives a big sigh and flops down. Oh, the funny little routines that make up our lives. I'd be lost without these special little(?) dogs.

A Week in the Life

2009-05-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is how we have been coping with our knee replacement recovery. We sleep, we eat, then we sleep some more. Naps happen. So do snacks.

After our naps and our snacks, we pile up on the loveseat and watch a little TV. I try not to turn it on until the 5:00 news, but some days we turn it on and watch whatever we have recorded on the DVR. Then we check the TV schedule and pick out something to watch and something to record for the evening. Rough life, huh?

Occasionally, we get a visitor. This is my daughter who came all the way from Houston to see me for mother's day. We had a great visit. We are already planning her next visit.

One day this week, my older sister came to visit and to introduce me to her new puppy, Spike. She has long been a lover of Bostons; she has had some before. Unfortunately, she lost them both on the same day due to old age and terminal illness. We were happy to meet her new one. He is 6-months old, and a real kissy boy. I understand he gives her cats a run for their money!

And to give you living proof that the knee is healing, my brother-in-law took this picture of it. You can see it is still swollen, but the scar is not so bad. I see the surgeon on Tuesday.

I went by work one day this week and offered to come back to week on Thursday (today) but they said not until I am released. So maybe I can go back next Thursday. I'm not so anxious for the work, but I'm anxious to not spend every single day in this house alone. I never signed up for this!!

Nothing to Report

2009-05-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been any action to report around here. I'm still housebound because I'm not allowed to drive yet.

The incision has healed nicely, but the knee is still swelling. I was told I would have swelling for as long as 3 months. It makes it hard to do my bending exercises with it all swollen. I took a picture, but it looked so bad that I'm not posting it.

My childhood friend sent me a cross stitch kit to help me pass the time. It has been hard to get my mind focused on anything, probably from the pain pills. I turned the heel of my sister's sock, I've read a couple of Janet Evanovich books, dozed in front of the TV, and paced. Sitting hurts my back. (Cheese with that whine??)

I'm ready to get back to the real world. My next appointment with the doctor is June 2. Surely by then he will let me go back to work. He said no driving until I'm off the pain med.

You find out who your friends are when something like this comes along. And I have some really good friends. That includes sisters and sisters-in-law. I've had drivers to all the necessary places I needed to go: church, doctor, grocery store, pharmacy, and don't forget Wal-Mart. I have good internet friends too. They have kept me sane and entertained with jokes and messages of encouragement.

Thanks, guys. You're the greatest.

Knee Replacement

2009-04-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my older sister went with me to do all the pre-op for my knee replacement surgery. We went to the surgeon first. They had papers for me to fill out. The best one was for a handicap parking sticker. It was downhill from there. They gave me final instructions on getting ready for the surgery and answered all my questions.

The first question was "where will he cut, and how big will the scar be?" She said he will cut from the knob at the top of my shin bone, up across the knee but not through the muscle, and will make a cut from the middle of that one to the inside of my knee. Apparently, he will not cut through any muscles or tendons, but will open the skin and push them aside so he can get to the joint. Then he will shave the bones, remove what cartilidge is left, cap the femur with a metal cap, attach a plastic insert to the tibia, put a plastic piece behind the knee cap and I'll be good as new. (Ouch!) And sound like the scar will be 5-6" in length.

She didn't sound as optimistic as he did about my driving. Hope that doesn't screw up my plans for going back to work fairly soon.

It'll be walker or crutches for 3 weeks, cane or one crutch for 3 weeks then another appointment with the doctor to see how I'm doing. There will be a physical therapist involved. I plan on working on rehab as if it were a job so I can get back to the real world ASAP.

Second, we had pre-op at the hospital. More papers to fill out and sign, many many instructions on prescriptions, what to take, what not to take, which ones to bring with me, how to bathe (!) to get ready. What to bring (my walker), what to bring to wear (big legged shorts), how long I'll stay (probably 3 nights).

Now I'm just wishing it was over. But I'll try to be a good patient. Nothing I hate more than a cry-baby whiner.

I was planning on having my own private nurse/coach/trainer/driver to help me through this, but that wasn't to be. He would have wanted me to go ahead and get this done. In fact, he had been harassing me for a couple of years to get it fixed. So the time is right and I'm going for it. I'll need lots of prayers and the help of my sisters and a few good friends.

After those two appointments, we picked up our aunt and took her for an MRI on her lower back. It was a difficult appointment for her. Afterward, she treated us to dinner.

Today I meet my friends from grade school and junior high (two of them) for lunch. We haven't seen each other since we were 18 (and that's a long time.) We are meeting at an Amish restaurant between my home and their homes. I'm excited but I can't decide what to wear. Oh, well, that won't matter in the long run. We will just be happy to be together after all these years.

Keep me in your prayers for the next few weeks. I have a feeling I'm going to need lots of encouragement.

In Memory

2009-04-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

February 1947 - March 2009
Rest in Peace, Big Guy

Keep an Open Mind

2009-03-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Regardless of what you read about the banning on Ravelry, please keep an open mind until you hear both sides.

It's Hard to Believe

2009-03-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it has been almost a month since I updated here. Whew! Lots of things have been going on. I'll start with the things that have pictures.

Thanks for your comments on the Noro scarf. I loved working on it. It was so fun to watch the colors change. And I taught myself to hold the yarn in my left hand while knitting which hurried the 1x1 ribbing along.

Last Saturday I finished my baby sister's birthday socks. They are made from JoJo Melody superwash wool. I loved working with this yarn, and I loved the results. The yarn has a tight twist and the ribbing is really springy. I think they will hold their shape nicely. (Obviously I didn't block them. They will be Work Socks, not Show-off Socks.) The way the colors blended and changed was subtle and they turned out beautifully.

Now, among other things, I'm working on my older sister's birthday socks. These are from Vinca yarn and I'm doing them on size #1 dpns. I think they will be OK for her dainty little feet and legs, but they are way tight on me. I'm crossing my fingers that they will fit. If they don't, I have some shades of pink Vinca socks started on larger needles that I will work on for her. (Hopefully the first ones will fit, because I have the first one finished. The pink one isn't down to the heel yet! Yikes!)

When I deem that I have been a Really Good Girl, I let myself work on this scarf. It is made from Knit Picks Shimmer (alpaca and silk). I got it in the Riverside Cafe lace sampler. The color is called Cumulus. I got the pattern from Ravelry, but I can't tell you the name of it right now. Slipped my mind. It is an easy to remember pattern with just 40 stitches. I think when it is blocked it will be lovely on many different sweaters. (I got four new sweaters @ $10 each at an end of season sale!) It will be ready for next fall anyway. (OK, I had to look it up. It is called Party Lace Scarf and is by Lisa Sisk.)

There's also my shawl that I'm making for the Bunker KAL, but I'm not in any hurry for that one. It is nice too. It is also Knit Picks Shimmer in steel gray. These other things have to come first.

I'm reading "Atlas Shrugged" for a RAL. I had read it years ago, but wanted to join in the discussion of it. If you haven't read it, you probably should. It's an eye-opener.

We've had some spring-like weather lately and the dogs have been loving it. This is Buster doing what we call GIJoe crawling. Problem is that he comes in with his belly bright red and itching from what we assume is a grass allergy. Poor little guy.

Bunny has had some seizures during February and March. The vet has added another medication to her ever-growing list. It is what some believe to be a preventive measure. It is called DMG and is a liquid. The doctor said it tastes sweet (I'm not going to test it!) and she doesn't mind it. Also it is in a small dose (l.5ml) rather than the large dose of potassium bromide (10cc). I have noticed on last year's calendar that she was having seizures this time of the year also. The doctor thinks that weather changes, storms and winds all have something to do with the onset of her seizures.

Now, the thing with no pictures. Last week I went to the knee surgeon and took him my MRI's. He determined that I am going to have to have not just knee surgery, but Knee Replacement Surgery. I'm really surprised. I didn't think it hurt that bad. (And I didn't think I was that old! Sixty-two on Saturday. Hello, Social Security!)But the x-rays show bone-on-bone so I guess it is time. He said the other knee should last at least 5 more years. He already has surgeries scheduled through the middle of April and has 11 patients in front of me on the waiting list. So that gives me time to work on losing a few more pounds (I've lost 16 already), and working on my cardio to get ready for the surgery and recovery. He said I could go back to playing golf 7 weeks after, and that I could drive as soon as I feel like it (if I'm off the drugs). I guess the other part-time girl at the office will do my computer work while I'm off work. (Hopefully, I'll be back after 3 weeks or so.)

So there you have it. Now I'll go nurse the big guy who was throwing up for 22 hours since yesterday a.m. He's better now, thank goodness. I was beginning to think I was going to have to call in the EMT's!

For Daniele

2009-02-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest finished project, the Noro scarf in Noro silk garden, worsted weight.

I love this scarf and I've picked out some others yarns in various colors to make for Christmas presents. (Can't afford Noro except for special gifts!)

Daniele, I finally finished it!

I'm having trouble getting sharp pics with my Canon, especially closeups. If anyone has a suggestion, I would gladly try it.

Happy Birthday!

2009-02-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Mr. Doglover. He had a few errands to do today while I was at work, but mostly he was going to spend the day with his everfaithful companions, Buster and Bunny. He declined the offer of a birthday cake. And we are not getting gifts for our birthdays this year.

In January, just in time for the OU game for the National Championship, our Sony bit the dust. So we chose up sides and purchased a 46" LCD tv. We are calling it our birthday present(s).

We are making plans for dinner for Valentine's Day. I'm thinking Mexican.

(OK Ms.Create, I'll try to take pics on Wednesday! I'll see how much more I can get done tonight.)

Empty Nest , Again

2009-02-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

It never bothered me before. In fact, I was eager for my kids to grow up, get a job, and move out on their own. But this time, when my son found a place of his own, it made me feel sad. Give me a break, he will be 30 in May, and he had only moved in for a few months to save some money. But I can't help it, I'm sad. It feels like this time he is really gone.

To get my mind off of it, I'm going to show you some pictures.

(Aren't those lavender roses just gorgeous?) These are the flowers my big guy sent me for our 42nd anniversary on Jan. 20. There was a lot going on that day, and the flowers made the whole day better. He's a gem about remembering our anniversary and my birthday.

These are the skeins of Noro Silk Garden that I am using to knit the Noro Scarf that Everyone but me has made. I haven't taken a picture of the scarf in progress, but I only have a little yarn left to knit. So it will be soon.

I like the pattern so much that I'm going to make some more (cheaper versions) for Christmas presents. I really like making this scarf. And I have learned to knit (sorta) continental while working on it. (I'm sure it is not exactly the correct way, but the finished product looks good!)

Bunny's last vet visit and the resulting lab work was all good. In fact, we are reducing some of her medication until Feb. 20 to see if it will still work for her. Cross you fingers for her!

January in a nutshell

2009-01-25T09:33:00.000-08:00

OK. I know I've been bad lately. I will give you only one excuse, and I'll save all the others for another day.

Since our son has been living here, I've had trouble getting to my computer. He works hard all day and I let him have the computer until bedtime. Terrible excuse, because there are a couple of days a week when I could blog in the daytime. Oh, well...

I have a couple of things to show you. I did a KAL with the members of The Bunker on Ravelry. We did a Choose-your-own KAL between the presidential election and the inauguration. I chose a smoke ring. The pattern I used was Wavy Feathers Wimple by Caryll McConnell. I used Knit Picks lace yarn (alpaca cloud) in Papaya Heather.

Knitting lace was new to me, and I struggled for a while, but I perservered and finally finished it. I used only about half a hank. Here it is blocking.

I don't know why that photo turned up on end, but I guess it doesn't really matter. I also have a picture of the smoke ring ON. You can see that I have it smooshed down as I have a short neck. But I think it looks pretty. (Obviously, I'm having photo problems here. I haven't figured out how to rotate the photo in my file to make it fit right side up here. Any suggestions will be appreciated.)

Also this month, the big guy and I celebrated our 42nd anniversary. I'd show you the flowers he sent, but they would be laying on their side. (I know this rotating thing can't be that complicated, I'm just being a doofus.)

Through the miracle of the Wollmeise Virgin thread on the Loopy Ewe group on Ravelry, I acquired my very first skein of Wollmeise. Ohhh, it is gorgeous. Red, soft, just beautiful. Maybe I can download that photo. Let's see...

Well, that worked. This is making me crazy.

I'm wondering if anyone has used fingering weight yarn to make a stole? I think this red Wollmeise would be lovely in a wrap of some sort. Any advice??

My baby sister had another birthday. Her 50th. Do you realize how old that makes me? I gave her some yarn then took it back so I can make her a pair of socks. I will wait to show you the FO later. Hopefully, by my birthday they will be done.

My boss, the doctor, sent me for an MRI on my knee last week. The report showed some problems so I'm in line for an appointment with a specialist. I'm expecting him to want me to have surgery. We'll update that one after I see the surgeon.

And to top off the month, Bunny had 3 seizures, all on the same day. She is due her yearly checkup, so on Friday we will talk it over with the vet. I'm sure we are doing about as well as can be expected. She hadn't had one since July, and she recovered more quickly this time. Think good thoughts for us this week.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T06:31:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I'm spending the day with my sisters and our families. It is a bright sunshiny day and we are having a great time. I will have pics in my next post.

Bad Blogger

2008-12-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

I admit, I've been a bad, bad blogger. Things have been hopping around here, getting ready for the holidays and trying to cope at work.

My boss, the doctor, has been ill and out of the clinic. We've been extra busy on the phones with patients and prescription refills, and finding another doctor to see the patients that are "really" sick. It's been a madhouse.

Every time I sat down I worked a few minutes on the gift socks. I'll admit it was a hard knit. I hated the yarn, so every time I started knitting on them I would doze off. But I finished them on Sunday, so I'll show you the finished project.

The yarn is Regia, which I normally like just fine. This one has elastic in it. That is why I didn't like it. It just didn't feel good to my hands. I like the patterning and I wear my other Regia socks all the time. But I think the elastic made the yarn feel thick and rough. But they are finished and will be on their way this week.

I've started an alpaca smoke ring. The yarn is from Knit Picks, and the pattern is from Ravelry. It is called Wavy Feathers Wimple. I'm not sure that I will be able to deal with this lace weight yarn. It feels like spider webs in my hands. But I love the pattern.

We've had some really cold weather. We got up to this. It is not snow, it is sleet. Surprisingly, it was not slick. At least on the street. It was slick on the deck.

The dogs are piled up for the cold weather. Pits like to lay in a pile. Bunny was sitting up like a little lady. Believe me, she is no lady.

I won another drawing. Daniele (Ms. Create (It's always about the sticks and string)) bought a book that she already had. It is a counted cross stitch pattern book. So she had a drawing and I won!! I love the book and will be able to use the patterns to make my own cross stitch designs. I have a sampler started that I should finish, but knitting gets in the way.

The other thing I have been doing is corresponding with my long-time friends. I was able to get hold of two of my best childhood-through-junior-high friends. We have been trying to catch up on old times. I'm glad I was able to contact them. I have missed them for years.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! We are spending a quiet day at home. We had lunch at the buffet at the Cherokee Casino which is about a mile from our house. And we didn't have to clean up the kitchen! It is just the two of us and it isn't worth buying and cooking all that food.

I have a few WIP to show you. The only finished object I have is the socks I showed you Nov. 8 made from the Vinca yarn. Here are some WIPs.

The first is a dishcloth from Peaches 'n' Creme cotton yarn. Notice the yarn is in a giant ball? Some little Bunny got the cone, unraveled it and tangled it all up. So I spent a long time untangling and winding it back up. It is not very handy in this ball, but I will cope.

This blue sock is made from Regia that has some elastic in it. I think I like it, but I'm not sure how it will hold up. I believe I won't dry it on a sock blocker.

Here is the shades of pink Vinca that I have started. It is way down the line of what I want to work on. But it will wait for me. I do like the colors.

Last, here is the beginning of my first sweater. It is Knit Picks Swish in a Kimono Style sweater pattern from Plymouth Yarn Company. All the pieces are rectangles (how hard can that be?) and then there is a band around the front and neck. No Buttonholes! Again, this is down the list from my Christmas knitting. But it is so soft and mindless that I want to pick it up everytime I sit down to watch tv.

I have some beautiful alpaca laceweight yarn from Knit Picks for a smoke ring that I want to work on. My shortest circulars are 24 inches and I want the 16" ones. So I ordered them today. I'll try to finish the socks before the circulars get here. I also have some gray for a stole, but I'm not going to start on it until at least Jan. 20 (a KAL project).

On Thanksgiving this year, I'm thankful for my family, immediate and extended, near and far; good friends old and new; and all of you who encourage me in my knitting. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. (And Happy Thanksgiving Buster and Bunny!)

This is so exciting!

2008-11-21T19:04:00.000-08:00

That's what she said in her first e-mail. My friend was glad to hear from me and she wrote me a nice long e-mail about her life from sophomore year to present. We have a lot of catching up to do, and we are starting with one e-mail at a time.

So thanks to those of you who encouraged me. I'm glad I took your advice. We have many, many years to cover. And it is strange what events you choose to relay first.

This is way more fun that knitting round and round on a Christmas gift sock!

Woo-Hoo!

2008-11-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

My yarn came in the mail today! It is beautiful! Unfortunately, I'm at work today so I can't take pictures until later.

Also unfortunately, I just found out that there is a pair of socks to knit before Christmas. I'm going to have to stay up nights or get up early if I'm going to get done what needs to be done before my deadline.

The smoke ring has to be done before Jan. 20. The sweater has no deadline, but the socks need to be done a week or two before Christmas. The shawl will be started on Jan. 20 or after.

The Harmony needles are beautiful. I ordered size 4's and 5's, also 8's and 9's. Can't wait to try them out.

Wish me luck on meeting my deadlines. I'll post pictures later!

Still Waiting

2008-11-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

It is hard to wait when you have yarn ordered.

I ordered enough Knit Picks yarn to make my first ever sweater. I chose a camel color worsted weight superwash merino. The next day I ordered some almost red lace weight for a smoke ring KAL and some steel gray for a shawl KAL that will start in January. Of course, I "had" to order some Harmony interchangeable needles for each project.

I was notified on Monday that the sweater yarn was shipped. I was notified Tuesday that the other yarn was shipped. I'm so excited it makes waiting very difficult.

In other news, I finally talked a sweet woman out of her Opal Petticoat 1290 yarn. She sold it to me from her stash on Ravelry. Thanks fibercrone.

I finished the Vinca socks. They don't even come close to matching, but I like them anyway. And since I don't have my other yarn yet, I started another pair out of the Vinca, this time the pinkish-lavender yarn. I'm in a rut here with all the pastels. I need to pull out some bright colors and cast on!

The dogs are sleeping more during this cold spell. So I don't have any funny stories to tell about them.

I'm thinking about getting hold of a woman who was my best friend when we were kids. My dad took a job and we moved from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, just before I turned 16. It was a traumatic move for me, and I didn't stay in touch with her. Now that I'm "old" and have time for more than running after kids and jobs, I'm wishing I could catch up with her. What do you think? Should I or should I not? Would you want someone to look you up after all these years?

What a Relief!

2008-11-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

What a relief! I got my hair cut yesterday and it is soooo much better.

I called my regular barber (yes, she is a barber) and she was unable to get me in. She has her surgery on Monday, so I knew I'd have to find someone else until she gets better. So I went to the nearest Supercuts and signed in. There was only one stylist there, and he was the manager. He actually listened to what I wanted and gave me a great cut. He also gave me some tips on styling while drying. So I am a very happy camper today.

I've been knitting on some socks from my Vinca yarn that I bought a while back. (The second one from the left.) I love the way the colors are going from one color to another. The downside (to me) is that I wasn't able to match the colors from one sock to another. I'm a little bit particular about that, but I'm just going to loosen up and wear them.

Today I am being adventurous. I'm going to try a new nail salon. My favorite tech moved to a neighboring suburb to manage the salon in the Wal-Mart there. It is not too far away, but there is a salon a mile from my house that I'm going to try. (Wow! a new barber and a new nail tech all in the space of two days! I am being brave!) You can tell I'm not a very flexible person. I get in a rut and stay there.

The dogs are being couch potatoes this morning. Hopefully, they will stay in this mood until I get back. Yesterday they emptied the trash can, spread trash all over the kitchen and dining room, shredded the trash bag, and ate the last slice of cherry pie that was left out on the kitchen cabinet. I'm not sure if they have separation anxiety, or if they just think it is funny to make a mess. This time I will be sure everything is put away before I leave.

Well, I'm back from the nail salon. They did an OK job. I still like my regular girl better.

As for the dogs, they didn't make a mess! Yay! How big a mess can they make in an hour? You'd be surprised!

Frog pond

2008-10-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-15T07:16:00.001-07:00

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...

2008-10-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

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!

Short one

2008-09-28T13:26:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-24T13:43:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-20T12:32:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

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.

A Loopy Groupie at last

2008-08-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm officially a Loopy Groupie! I ordered some sock yarn to knit up for my friend at work. That made my 6th order. Sheri sent me a really nice package. I got the official Loopy bag, a Loopy key ring, peppermint candies, a sock pattern and some Cherry Tree Hill yarn in Old Rose. I was so excited that I didn't take a picture before I opened it, but I did take one later. Hopefully you can see the goodies.

Here are the two skeins that put me over the top at TLE. They are destined to become socks for my co-worker. I'm anxious to get started on them. I have another pair I also want to work on. One pair can be my carrying along project, and the other pair can live next to my chair in the living room.

I finished the BFF socks by Cookie A for my final pair in SOS08. The colorway is Moody Blues. I like the pattern, it is easy to memorize, but I had done a pair of them before and this time I got tired of them. Of course, I was working hard to finish them for the last period of SOS08. And I made it! Five pairs in all. That was the goal I set, so Mission Accomplished.

The big guy watered all the flowers and sprayed the tree this morning. The flowers are just about done for the summer. They are fading fast. Buster and Bunny got to play in the water hose, which is almost as good as a bath. The wading pool got dumped and refilled, and the birdbaths both got refilled. It is still hot here, but I can feel fall coming. (Just ask my allergies!)

I get a little nostalgic when fall comes. I love the colorful leaves and the cool nights. But I miss the flowers. I feed the birds and squirrel year round so I won't miss them. Guess I'm rushing the season; it's still August (for one more day).

Hope you all have a lovely Labor Day. If you do something special, I'd like to hear about it. Hi, Bobbie. You found me!

Stash Enhancement

2008-08-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

One of my blog readers, or one of my friends on Ravelry recommended I look at Woolgirl's sock yarn. And boy am I glad I did. I found some really nice yarns there.

I ordered one Hazel Knits skein in the Alki Reflection colorway. Red and green and pink, what more could I ask for! I also ordered one skein of Dashing Dachs in the Lion Cub colorway. You know what I was thinking, don't you? Nanner socks! I think this one is perfect.

I couldn't have been more pleased with my purchase. She wrapped the order beautifully and enclosed some neat little extras! Thanks, Woolgirl! Can't wait until I "need" some more stash enhancement.

My co-worker has a birthday this week. I offered to take her to the LYS to pick out the yarn for another pair of socks. She really didn't want to make the trip to Utica Square, so we went online and shopped for the yarn she deemed was The One. Actually, she picked out two that were The One. So I guess she will get two pairs of socks (eventually) for her birthday. She picked Berroco yarn in two colors, a brown mix and a gray/black mix. We found them at The Loopy Ewe. I think they will be stripes, and that's what she wants. So I will happily knit them up for her. She has dainty little feet, but likes a 7" cuff.

Here is my last purchase from Knitpicks. I got these to make the Summer Pick 'n' Mix by Jane Lithgow. If you haven't seen these patterns, you can find them on Ravelry. I am still looking for some yellow, but it has to be just the right shade. I'm looking for a solid that is the color of butter. Then I'm going to mix and match the solids to make some of these cute socks.

B&B, my dogs, haven't done anything cute this week. The big guy said they were playing in the sprinkler today, but he didn't take any pics. Maybe later...

Jealousy on four legs

2008-08-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

No pictures today. I've been lazy. Well, not really. I've been trying to get my socks for this two-week period finished. As was discussed before, I knitted past the heel before I realized that I had made a major mistake above the heel. It was frogged and reknitted, and I finished the first sock yesterday. The second one was cast on.

SOS08 will be ending real soon, and I'd like to finish this last pair. I had set a goal of 5 pairs, which is what this will be if I finish this last sock.

I'm looking into some other KAL's for when this one is over. I've really had fun, especially happy to see everyone's socks that have been posted on Ravelry. I've found several patterns that I want to try.

A quick funny story about Bunny. Our son brought his current girlfriend over to "meet the parents" over the weekend. Bunny always follows him around, goes where he goes, is his little shadow when he is here. He brought J in and sat down by her. It really ticked Bunny off. She turned her back on him and stomped out of the room! It was sooo funny. She wouldn't let him touch her, she wouldn't go outside with him, she wouldn't eat treats from him, she was jealous! We laughed and laughed. Next time J came back Bunny wasn't quite so mad.

Well, back to the knitting. I'm determined to finish this sock by next Friday.

Summer of Socks 2008, Pair #4

2008-08-15T15:21:00.001-07:00

My cheater socks. Not really, the rules say at least a 2" cuff, but I feel like these with the 3" cuff are cheaters. They only took a week to complete. I'm pleased with them.

Thanks for encouraging me to put the blue ones down for a while and do another pair. I have picked up the blue one this afternoon, frogged back to above the heel, fixed the problem and started the heel again. The good thing is that these will be finished soon and maybe I can get in one more pair before the final deadline. (May have to be another fast pattern!)

Received word today from my LYS that the Tempted Sock Yarn Club is ended as of this month. I guess the supplier (Stacy) has some new ideas she wants to try and being tied up each month with the club is tying up her time. I totally understand that. And SOS08 will be over soon. What will I do for a sock club or a KAL? I'm going to be looking for suggestions. So come on and help me out. Have any ideas?

On the other hand, this will release me to do some online shopping for yarn that rings my chimes. And the big guy is used to having yarn appear in the mailbox every month. And I do love The Loopy Ewe. So maybe everything will work out after all!

I love the way the pups look when they are happy and relaxing in the sun. This is one of their favorite places, in the dining room in front of the sliding glass door. Another place they like is in the sand box. Mom's babies.

Substitute Socks

2008-08-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is the sock I started when I put the blue one in time out. It is being knit from Colinette Jitterbug in a pattern of my own making, with a short top and 2X2 ribs. The short top is so I can finish the pair before this 2-week period is up (cheating?) and because of my experience with the Jitterbug yarn. (Short skeins) The colorway is called "Summer Berries" and I bought it at my LYS some time ago and saved it for just the right project.

The sock shown here is totally finished and the second sock is past the heel. So I'm going to make the Friday deadline, I'm sure.

Next, I will frog the blue sock back to above the heel :( then decrease on the cable rows at the top of the heel, and pick up where I left off. Hopefully, I will finish it in time for the next 2-week period deadline. Whew! Thanks for suggesting I lay it down for a while first. That was a good plan.

Here are the dogs, Buster and Bunny, both wanting to sleep on the loveseat by the big guy. Neither one would give up, so they just slept in a pile which is what they really like to do anyway.

Today was a day off from work so we played golf. I did better than I did last week, and the weather couldn't have been better. No wind, temps below 90, it was a beautiful day. We are hoping that Friday will be as nice. The weatherman said maybe rain by then.

The kids in our area have gone back to school this week. That means summer is winding down. I've enjoyed having the flowers in the back yard this year, but they are fading. The petunias are all but gone. The hummingbirds are still active, I think there are three of them fighting over the two feeders. We will have birds at the feeders all winter, but I like the hummingbirds best. I'm always ready for the cooler weather, but the end of summer feels a little sad.

Oh, but think of the knitting we can do this winter!!

Trouble with socks

2008-08-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

I'm having a problem with the socks I have on the needles. When you finish the ribbing at the top, you increase so you can cable every other rib. When you get down to the heel, you have to decrease back to the original number of stitches. If you are cabling on down the instep, you decrease those when you start the toe. Want to guess what I forgot to do at the heel? Yep. I forgot to decrease. After working the gusset (beautifully, may I say), I realized the foot wasn't going to fit. Duh! When your heel is many many stitches too wide, what would you expect.

So now do I stop where I am and frog back to the top of the heel, or do I keep going, finish this one and do the second one correctly, then frog it after SOS08 is over? I know, I know. It has to be done. But it will probably make me miss the two-week deadline to enter this pair.

I have seriously considered just stopping on this one and knitting a quick pair of short topped socks to enter this week. Cheating? Yep, I think so. I have a beautiful skein of Colinette Jitterbug that will not make a sock with a 6-inch cuff, so I will be using it for some short topped socks. I won't wear them, so I will be gifting them after I get them done. But they will count for SOS08 if they have at least a 2-inch cuff. (I was thinking more like a 3-inch one.)

Buster and Bunny had a good nap this afternoon. They stayed home alone while we played golf (poorly) this a.m. in the Oklahoma heat. The big guy has suffered for it all afternoon. We started before 7:30 and finished around 11:00. It's good exercise but it has gotten almost too hot to go out there.

Mom's little helper

2008-08-01T12:10:00.001-07:00

Buster loves to help his mom. Here he is "holding down" my pattern so it won't get away. Also notice my needle with the stitches already cast on. He's holding that down too. Little Attention Junky. Notice the little white zipper bag. It has all my knitting goodies in it.

And here is Bunny in her favorite position: Face-in-Feed-Bowl. She is a chow hound. The vet did reduce her medicine again this week. Half a grain in the morning and half a grain in the evening. Maybe that will help reduce her appetite soon. He said if it is looking like thunderstorms, give her a whole tab in the a.m. and a half tab in the evening. And to continue that dosage for a couple of days after the thunderstorms are over. I haven't heard before that thunderstorms might affect seizures, but I'll try anything to help her out.

My third pair of socks for SOS08. The pattern is Diagonal Cross Rib Socks from Favorite Socks. Yarn is "Goody" by Tempted. Started 7/19/08, finished 7/30/08. I like this pattern. I've done it 3 times. It is easy to memorize and quick to knit.

Thanks to my readers who left a comment about the pastel yarn. I've had some good suggestions. Also, have any of you tried Louet Gems yarns? They have some pretty solid colors. I'm wondering if it is a nice fingering weight or is it heavier?

Looking for pastel yarn

2008-07-29T14:25:00.001-07:00

There is a talented designer whose blog I found. Her name of Jane Lithgow and she has designed some pretty summer socks that she calls "Summer Pick 'n' Mix Socks." You may have seen the patterns for them on Ravelry.

Well, they are just demanding that I cast on for some of them, but I don't have any pastel yarn. Do you know of a source that I could use to order some? Knitpicks has some that will be available in September. I'm not sure these socks will wait that long. They are calling my name!

I have no pictures for today. (I know, I'm falling down on the job.) I have been stalking the hummingbird that comes to my feeder to no avail. He's quicker than I am. The dogs haven't done anything cute this week (possible due to the triple digit temps). And my WIP is almost a FO. So I will get a picture of it later this week.

Let me know about the pastel yarn and I promise to put in photo(s) later this week.

Beginning of pair #3

2008-07-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

This is the first sock of my next pair. I have it all done down to closing the toe.

The pattern is Diagonal Cross Rib from Favorite Socks by Interweave. The yarn is called Goody by Tempted in fingering weight. The needles are 5 Clover Bamboo US size 2 dpns. This is the third time I've done this pattern. It is a quick knit. I started this one on July 18.

I will enter these in the next drawing for SOS08.

I only have one new pic of the pups. Here is Buster trying to be the big guy's little lap dog. He is a loveable little fellow. With Bunny's medical problems, I'm afraid he doesn't get his share of attention.

Summer of Socks 2008, Pair #2

2008-07-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the second pair of socks completed for SOS08. They were cast on July 6 and finished July 18 just in time for the second drawing.

I have already cast on for the next pair. I'm using the yarn that I received for the April Tempted sock club. The pattern I chose is Diagonal Cross-Rib Socks from Favorite Socks from Interweave. I've used this pattern twice before. The modification I use is to make both socks ribbed in the same direction, instead of one going each way. It is an easy pattern to remember and it fits me well.

One of my problems with patterns is when casting on for cuff down, I need at least 70 stitches. My ankles and calves are thick and some days they get puffy. So all those cute sock patterns that cast on 50-some or 60-some just won't fit.

When there is no deadline, I can add some stitches here and there and make them fit. But when I'm knitting for a 2-week drawing, I need something that fits from the get-go.

Here's a couple of pics of the babies. Everyone is healthy and happy at the moment.

New Books

2008-07-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

Friday while I was playing golf, the mailman came to my house with two new books! One was Wendy's Book, "Wendy Knits: My Never Ending Adventures in Yarn," and Nancy Bush's "Knitting on the Road: Sock Patterns for the Traveling Knitter."

Needless to say, my knitting has suffered, as I have had my head in a book most of the weekend. I'll get back to it tomorrow, I promise.

Spring Forward

2008-07-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

For this two-week period in SOS08 I'm knitting Spring Forward. Many of the knitters are using this pattern and I know why. It is a speedy knit. There are no purls, only knits, ssk's, k2tog, and yo's. I'm using a ball of Trekking XXL, I think the number is 100. It doesn't look springy, but I like brights. The picture washed out some of the brightness, but I took the photo after dark. When I get them finished I will take one outside in natural light.

Buster took a trip to the vet's office today for a manicure. His nails were so long he looked miserable. He fights me when I try to trim them, so I pass him off to the techs at the vet's office. He doesn't mind going there at all. In fact, all my dogs have loved going there. Bunny rode along but stayed outside with the big guy.

The vet decided to reduce Bunny's meds again, not as low as before, and to continue there until he gets back from vacation on the 23rd.

The pictures were taken with my new camera. I'll eventually learn how to operate it, I hope.

I had a nice day off today. It rained and rained. That means we stayed mostly inside and read and knitted. I enjoy that occasionally on my day off. I only hope that by Friday it will be dry enough to get on the golf course.

Good News, Bad News

2008-07-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

The good news is that I finished my first pair of socks for Summer of Socks 2008. They are a generic 2X2 rib, knit from Tempted's "Envy" on Knitpicks US #2 circular. I think they finished up nicely. I'm happy to be able to start something new.

The bad news is that Bunny had 2 seizures Thursday 4:30 and 4:45 a.m. The vet has us upping her phenobarbital through the 4th, then we will report and find out what comes next. I thought the 1/2, 1/2 was going to work. I guess it isn't.

Here are Buster and Bunny enjoying the 4th of July in the sun on the deck. Happy Fourth everyone.

Now it is time to pick out yarn and another pattern for my second pair of socks for SOS08. I think I will go with whatever is ready to knit. I don't have a winder and the big guy is not handy to hold it on his feet. Check back to see what I chose.

Socks and dogs

2008-06-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

Where to begin. I've neglected blogging for at least a week. Shame on me.

We'll start with SOS08. I have completed one sock and part of another. I know, I'm slow. The yarn is Tempted, the color is Envy and the pattern is my own generic 2X2 ribbed sock. It turned out good, but it is boring not having a pattern.

My next one will be a brighter color and have more pattern. Sometimes I almost doze off while I'm working on it.

Update on Bunny. We have gone over a week at the reduced phenobarbital. I talked with the doctor and he said to keep it the same until after the 4th of July. Then we will further reduce the dose to 1/2 tab once a day. He said the stress and noise of the 4th might cause her to seize, so he prefers to wait until after. That is OK with me. I'm just happy that we are down to 1/2 grain of phenobarbital. We are still giving her the herbs and the potassium bromide. (Isn't she funny sleeping on her back?)

My sister in Portland got a new puppy yesterday. It is an Australian shepherd, merle. She hasn't been named yet, but she is 8 weeks old and 10 pounds of fluff. She will send current pics soon, I hope.

Now I'm going to check in on Ravelry and see all the beautiful socks that others have posted for SOS08. Can you believe that some have already knit 3 pairs?? I guess the thicker yarn and larger needles go faster, but I prefer to wear the thinner socks.

Summer of socks: The beginning

2008-06-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

Here are the grey and black socks Finished! I finished them at the family reunion on Saturday. Just in time for Summer of Socks 2008. I cast on green (Envy from Tempted) and by bedtime I had done about 2-1/2 to 3 inches. Not much. I was hoping for so much more.

My sister went home today. It was good visiting with her. I think she had a good time. We visited with our mom's relatives last Saturday and with dad's relatives this Saturday. I even took off work a day and a half. It was fun having her here.

We worked in the yard this morning. Watered and fertilized all the flowers, raked the mulch and the sandbox, and put out food for the birds and squirrels. Here is the way we ended the morning. Buster and Bunny love the hose!

Day three

2008-06-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

Day three of giving Bunny 1/2 tab of phenobarbital twice a day. I realized earlier that when we reduced her to 1 tab a day we were giving her the whole tab at once. This time the vet has us giving a half twice a day. So far, so good. Last time it took four days of that before she had a seizure. I'm optimistically hopeful this time.

I.Have.To.Finish.The.Sock.Today! I'm more than half way down the foot. (Picture was earlier.) But today I have to go get my nails done, buy a truckload of groceries, make some food to take to the reunion, finish the laundry, and FINISH THE SOCK. (I've never had this problem before.)

I found a sweater pattern that I'm considering. (I've never knitted a sweater.) It is from Knitting Daily Online Store and is called Kenobi Jacket. I have only knitted scarves, hats and socks. I'm not sure I would be able to hang in there long enough to finish a garment. I guess I'm a process knitter.

Here is a little picture of Buster so he won't feel left out. He is really the best dog I've ever had. He's sweet and funny and no trouble at all. He was a rescue dog. I wish everyone could have a dog as good as Buster.

More of the same

2008-06-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took all the photos that were taken at the birthday party and we had a scrapbook party with them. My sister had ordered some great pages that had room for memories, greetings, wishes and pictures. We matched photos to the ones that were filled out, added the guest list, and several extra pages of photos in the back. Then they were put into the binder that came with the pages.

Here is our "sister" picture from the party. #4, #1, #2 (me) and #3 (from Portland.)

Today we took our aunt to lunch and gave her the "book." I don't know whether to call it a photo book or a scrapbook. She loved it. It had pics of everyone who came to the party, and many of those people filled out one of the pages. We made CD's of the photos for everyone who asked, and some for people who didn't get to come.

Now I can get on with other things. Like the reunion we are going to Saturday in Arkansas. (Other side of the family.) We have it each year the weekend after Father's Day. It is a good way to keep in touch with family. These are my dad's remaining brother and sisters from a couple of years ago. These are all that are left of the 10 brothers and sisters.

We each bring an item to put in an auction so we can raise the money to rent the building next year. Last year we also all brought a quilt square which will have magically turned into a quilt to put in this year's auction. For my item, I bought a pretty frame and printed a picture of my dad in his Army uniform. It turned out so nice that I may bid on it myself.

My last gray and black sock is moving slowly. I have turned the heel and worked an inch or so on the foot. I discovered after I was bragging on how pretty the heel is that I made two different heels on the two socks! Pretend you didn't hear that. I'm not going to rip it back to make it match. Besides it was too nice to rip out.

Here is my pet picture of the day. Buster and Bunny on the big guy's lap. There is a bit of jealousy there. (Bunny started on another reduced dose of phenobarbital this week. We are hoping for the best.)

What a Party!

2008-06-14T17:05:00.001-07:00

Today was my Aunt G's birthday party at my #1 sister's house. There were 90+ people there, all of them related to me (or married to someone related to me) except for 2. Our oldest cousin was there. She's 88. Most of the families were represented, and the ones who couldn't come sent cards or called. It was terrific. I'm exhausted. This is my aunt on the right and our oldest cousin on the left.

There was no knitting for WWKIP Day because it was such a mess, but I gave Aunt G. a pair of socks for her birthday. Also gifted my youngest sister with another pair to wear when she teaches her yoga class. I have one more person to make a pair for. Her birthday has come and gone, and it is too long until Christmas, so I guess I'll just make them and send them for a surprise.

OK. I received some stash enhancement lately that I haven't posted pictures of. I left it in the plastic, I haven't had time to caress it yet. I like the colors but I haven't had time to swatch with it yet.

I will go ahead and say "Happy Father's Day" to all you who celebrate it. I miss being able to celebrate it with my dad. The big guy and I will have a quiet day with the dogs. Our kids will not be coming this year.

Company's Coming

2008-06-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from cleaning house and doing laundry. I'm finished in the kitchen, still have some tidying to do in the living room and bathroom. My sister will be at the airport about 4:00 (airlines willing). She only gets to come home about one week a year. It is a long way from Portland to Tulsa!

I've been picking out some yarns and patterns for SOS08. I have decided to use the pastel yarn from Tempted Sock of the Month Club with the pattern they suggested. It is Belle-Maman Sock by Audrey P. downloaded from http://inukshuk71.blogspot.com/ . It will not be mindless knitting. For that I will do a 2X2 ribbed sock with some varigated or self-patterning yarn. After that...who knows. I like to have 2 different socks going at the same time.

Happy news! I received my circular needles in the mail today! Yay! I ordered one each of 16", 24", 32" size US#1, and 32" size US#2 in the Knitpicks Options. I swatched with the size 1's and they are great!

Back to work for me. Tomorrow is my Aunt G's 90th birthday party. There will be cousins from all over. We're excited! Pictures will surely follow.

Dirt, Inside and Out

2008-06-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to try to make my plants happy. I'm going to re-pot one and fertilize the others. We've had so much terrible wind and heavy rains lately that my poor little flowers are not happy.

Realize that I hate to get dirt under my fingernails, so I will glove up. And I will make the big guy help reach and lift. But it has to be done. I'm so short that I can't reach the ones that are hanging from the tree. That is where the big guy comes in. Also the plant I have to re-pot is pretty large, so we will tag team it. Of course, Buster and Bunny will be lots of help.

I'm still trying to finish up my knitting before the SOS08 comes along, so here is what I have left to do. I've ripped back both of my sister's sock to the heel flaps, I've finished re-knitting one, and I'm working on the toe decreases on the other. Then I will wash and re-block them. I have one of my gray/black socks finished and have the ribbing started on the cuff of the other. So that gives me almost 2 weeks to finish that one. I'm going to make it! (But will I be able to resist casting on another sock before SOS08? Remains to be seen.)

Company will be coming next weekend, so I must start working (harder) on getting the house presentable. If I can get the wood floors and the rugs done, then I can work on the clutter on the tables and cabinets. A little sprucing up in the bathroom will make it good. So I've got my list for the week. If I can get in one round of golf I'll be doing good.

Back to the Drawing Board

2008-06-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

After 7 weeks and 2 days, after reducing her phenobarbital for 7 days, Bunny had another seizure. On the bright side, it was only ONE seizure (they usually come in groups) and it was smaller/softer/less intense than any she's had before. And she recovered quicker. We gave her the obligatory 2 tabs afterwards and 2 this morning, and now have new instructions from her vet. One-half tab in the a.m. and one whole tab in the evening. I feel like we are just on the verge of a breakthrough in balancing her meds.

This weekend I finished my baby sister's blue socks. (They look just like the picture above.Ignore my emergency sock blocker.) Now I'm working on my older sister's socks I gave her at Christmas. The heel flap wasn't right, but she wore them anyway until the weather got warm. I frogged back to the heel flap and am knitting the whole foot again. Of course the yarn is all squiggly, but hopefully with blocking I can make them look OK.

I'm looking forward to our other sister and her partner visiting the middle of this month. They live in Portland, Oregon. We are having our Aunt G a 90th birthday party. Cousins will be coming from all over for the occasion. Unfortunately the party will be on Knit in Public Day. So I guess I will knit at the party instead of "in public." Maybe I can recruit a new knitter!

There is a cool contest for knitters who are interested. It is at the Simply Sock Yarn Co. blog site. They are interested in what is your favorite sock yarn and why. The address is "http://www.simplysockyarn.typepad.com/". Prizes will be awarded.

Happy Birthday, Son

2008-05-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

Today is my son's 29th birthday. Unfortunately, he had to work today. He works for the City Water Department. Today he is putting in a valve in an 8 foot deep hole during a rainstorm. What fun on your birthday!

He is my youngest child. He has a sister eight years older.

I am making him a strawberry cake for his birthday. The big guy will be grilling hamburgers later. He comes by nearly every day for a meal. What's a single guy to do. Fast food gets old, and he eats at least 2 meals a day on the run. So we always try to have something on hand for his evening meal.

Anyway, Happy Birthday my little buddy.

Inspired

2008-05-26T13:02:00.001-07:00

Thank you, Yarn Harlot, for the inspiration. I went through my stash this weekend. I separated the skeins and hanks from the leftovers. I bagged everything in Ziploc bags and put it back in my deacon's bench. I don't have a very big stash. It is all sock yarn. (All the acrylic from years gone by has been put back for a garage sale.) The leftovers were rolled into balls. Well, most of it.

Then I shopped at The Loopy Ewe. Some stash enhancement is on the way.

Bunny's vet has OK'd us to start decreasing her phenobarbital on Tuesday. Last time we tried, she had seizures again. This time she has been on additional herbs which we hope will hold off the seizures as we begin taking away the phenobarb. Cross your fingers for us.

A big Thank You to everyone who served in our armed forces. (I miss you, Dad.)

Old Dog and New Tricks

2008-05-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

I'm an old dog and I'm learning new tricks! Thanks to some help from other members of Ravelry, I have successfully posted pictures there. First I had to open an account with Flickr. That was easy. I tried several times to take a pic from Flickr and post on Ravelry before I got the hang of it.

About knitting. I'm trying to get some socks finished before the SOS08. I have finished one of the gray/black/sparkly pair and I'm well into one of the blue ones for my sister. I don't know why the silver flecks don't show up in photographs. I laid this one down in the sun and it still didn't show. Trust me, it is real sparkly.

I still have a pair to rip back and fix for another sister. The heel didn't fit down into her shoes. I haven't decided how far to rip them back. Will it work to just shorten them a little? Or will I have to rip all the way back to the heel? I hate to go that far.

Summer of Socks 2008

2008-05-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Summer of Socks 2008, Ravelry, Flickr; I joined them this week. Big step for me, I'm not very confident about doing new things.

I found on Wendy Knits that Summer of Socks was happening again this summer. I think it will be fun watching what socks others are making while I am knitting. Since I haven't worked up the nerve to knit sweaters yet, maybe this will push me to push myself a little bit.

Earlier I had put my name on the Ravelry waiting list, finally got my invitation, now I'm dabbling in Ravelry. I need to learn some things about it so I can post pictures. (Making comments or posting replies was easy. Hopefully I'm not to old to learn a few new tricks dealing with pictures.)

Therefore, I needed photos on Flickr so I could put them onto Ravelry. Whew! I never intended to get in this deep. I posted pictures of all 25 pairs of socks that I have made. I'm still working on #26 and hope to get 26 and 27 finished before the kick off of SOS08.

Received my Tempted Sock Club yarn this week and OMG! it is gorgeous! Shades of blue with silver running through it. It is called Bon Voyage. Wow! (Photo will follow later.) I'm going to have some really nice yarns to work up for SOS08.

Heel is Turned

2008-05-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

I have turned the heel on my gray/black sock. I admit to being a slow knitter, and if you have any tips on how to speed up I would like to hear them.

Today was a golf day for the big guy and me. It was an overcast day with little wind. We had a fun time even though we didn't score very well.

Two new socks

2008-05-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Here are the two socks I cast on this week. (The picture isn't the best.) The blue one is identical to a pair that I made for a gift. The gray/black one is from the sparkly Tempted yarn I wrote about earlier. Again the blue one is for a gift for my sister who is a yoga teacher.

A reader asked about the softness of the gray/black one. It is surprisingly soft. I was impressed. I guess I was expecting it to be scratchy, but it is not.

We golfed on Friday. It was a beautiful day with very little wind, maybe 10 mph. For those of you who know Oklahoma in the spring, it was a great day. I also had a very acceptable score for a change.

I spent a lot of Saturday untangling a whole cone of Peaches and Cream cotton yarn that Bunny had played with. I ended up with a ball that was the size of a cantelope or maybe a little soccer ball. Whew! I was glad to get that finished.

Sunday I did laundry for our son (does it ever end?). Maybe someday I will have a daughter-in-law who will do that for him. Later the big guy and I chose up dogs and took naps. Now everything that has to be done is done and I'm going to knit until bedtime.

A No-Knitting Weekend

2008-05-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was "work in the yard day." I went to three places looking for plants, pots, soil, a new bird feeder, and fertilizer. I ended up with several colors of petunias, a pink and white begonia, some red geraniums and the biggest Boston fern I have ever seen. I also bought a new birdbath bowl and a cement squirrel. When we got home, we repotted the hibiscus to a larger pot, potted the geraniums to a hanging pot, repotted the old geraniums to little pots (to see if I can save them), hung the fern and the begonias from the tree limbs. We refilled the bird feeders and and old birdbath and put the new birdbath on the stump of the tree we sacrificed to the ice storm gods. It is beginning to look pretty out there.

Today I transplanted some bulbs that were in the front yard to the back yard. They were in my dad's yard and when he died I brought some of them to my yard. I don't know if they will live because the soil is not very good, but I saved some of them for my sister C to put in her yard. That way we will surely save some of them. I wish I had a start off my mom's lilac and snowball bush.

This is my daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday Sissy, all the way to Houston. Hope you have a very nice day. Do something fun today.

Yarns and Yards

2008-04-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

In answer to a question I received in the comments about Tempted yarns, I love the way they work up. They knit up so soft that I want to wear them all the time. (Can I wear wool socks in the summer in Oklahoma? I don't think so.) This is the first Tempted yarn I bought in honor of OU. I love these socks. They are knit in a k2p2 ribbing all over. My favorite generic pattern.

In other news, my big guy and my son worked in the back yard all day yesterday while I was slaving away on the computer at work. They hauled and raked mulch and gravel. Now I *have* to go pick out some ferns and flowers to put back there.

There were two pairs of cardinals at the bird feeder this morning. Also a couple of hummingbirds and a few pretty little yellow birds at the thistle feeder. The squirrel wasn't there this morning, but he will be back when he sees that the corn has been replenished. I love to watch them, and the dogs are entertained by them.

It's a golfing day for the big guy and me, although the wind is supposed to be strong, getting worse as the day goes by. But I need the exercise. It is more fun golfing than walking.

Oooh, Sparkly

2008-04-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

If you look very closely, you can see the sparkles in this Eclipse yarn from Tempted. It is not part of the sock club yarn, but I got it at my LYS in Tulsa. I swatched a pattern with it, but I think I am just going to make a simple, sparkly sock. If you have other suggestions, let me know. (Boy, do I need a ball winder!

The big guy and I got in a round of golf today, just before the rains came. It got up to 82 degrees and as the afternoon cooled, we started having thunderstorms. Hopefully no severe weather or flooding. We've had a lot of rain this spring. Makes it hard to get on the golf course or work in the yard. (Not that I want to work in the yard! Not my thing.)

I bought a hibiscus to put out on the patio. It is really full and lovely, red of course. Now I'm ready for some ferns, some petunias, geraniums and maybe some begonias. I have a nice place to decorate this year and a big guy to do it for me. He doesn't mind to get dirt under his fingernails. Yuck, that's the worst. I also want to replant the crape myrtles and lilacs that Bunny ate off even with the ground last year. She's a pistol.

Our dogs just came to the back door wanting inside. We didn't know they had gone out the doggy door and played in the rain. They were grinning like they had really pulled a good joke on us. Of course, we thought they were funny too. That's why we keep "dog towels" by the back door! But it is not so funny when they sneak out in the middle of the night and come back to bed wet!

Peach Basketweave Socks

2008-04-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the progress on the peach sock. It is from Stitches of Violet, called Basketweave Ribbing Sock. I'm using Dream in Color Smooshy in (what else) Giant Peach. It is an easy pattern and I am liking it.

We spoke to Bunny's vet this week. She had conferred with another vet and they decided to go ahead and put Bunny on some Chinese herbs. If she hasn't had a seizure in a month, then we will start trying to gradually take away the phenobarbital. They said it is making her gain too much weight and is one of the reasons she eats inappropriate things (wallets, extension cords, boxes, etc.)

The weekend is supposed to be nice before another round of rains next week. So I think I will work in the yard some tomorrow, fill the bird feeders, etc. I'm anxious to put some plants out, but I'm waiting for the weather to settle down. Hopefully the last freeze is over!

Bad News

2008-04-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

Our hopes were dashed again this morning at 5 a.m. Bunny woke us up by having a seizure. We had only reduced her medicine four days and already she proves that it won't work. We immediately gave her a dose of phenobarbital, and in about 10 minutes she had another seizure. Luckily, each seizure only lasted 30 seconds. That is better than before. And she only had two. One morning she had 6 grand mal seizures in an hour. We know now what to do so it isn't as scary as it was in the beginning.

We were hoping that her meds could be reduced gradually and that she'd be ok. I guess she will always have to take the meds, but it is good to know our parameters. Low salt diet, potassium bromide, and 2 phenobarbitals a day. That is what I expect the vet to say.

Our son was involved in a car accident last night. His face is all bruised up, has a bump on his nose, and his shoulder or collarbone is sore. Like the big guy, he is hard to get into a doctor's office. I'm afraid he needs x-rays on that shoulder. But he is on call with his job tonight, so I guess he's afraid they will tell him not to work until he is better. It was a friend's car. He would have been in a mess if it had been his truck. His payments are way high and his insurance has a ridiculous deductible. As with most young people just starting out, he has no savings to speak of. I'm sorry for the owner of the car, though. He's a good kid.

I'm really getting anxious to cast on for another sock. I have some black/gray/with silver Tempted yarn that is calling my name. I am still looking for an appropriate pattern to use and I'm open to suggestions.

Recent Finished Objects

2008-04-11T16:05:00.001-07:00

The sock on the left doesn't show its true colors very well. It is made from Tempted's Sock Club selection for October. I believe it was called Hocus Pocus. The colors are black, purple, and neon green. I knitted it in my favorite generic pattern of K2 P2 ribbing. This is the softest yarn I have worked with lately. I heart it.

The sock on the right is made from Trekking XXL in colorway #147. The pattern is BFF by Cookie A. I love this pattern. It goes quickly and has pretty little cables in every other row.

My photos aren't as well done as Wendy's, I'm thinking of looking for a different camera. Now I have a Panasonic digital that I have had for a few years. Since I've started taking pictures of knitting, I have gotten more picky.

It was one of my days off today. We went by the vet and picked up some more meds for our little Bunny. The vet wants us to gradually back off on some of the medication and see if the seizures return. And she also thinks that the medicine is encouraging her bad behavior (grabbing stuff from the kitchen cabinet, for instance, and eating too much.)

We also went to see the movie "21." I liked it. We had seen the real person the movie was made about on tv the other day. It is remarkable to me that someone could be so efficient at counting cards. Never underestimate the intelligence of an MIT student!

The dogs were better behaved today while we were gone. I gave each of them a cardboard box to tear up while we were gone and they didn't destroy anything of mine, for a change!

Rainy Day

2008-04-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

Today we took a "slug day." We had a tee time, but it was so wet that we decided not to go. It rained again today. So we won't be able to play until next week.

With the clouds, I didn't try to take pictures of my sock in progress. But I did get a nice shot of the doily Aunt G gave me for my birthday. Called "seashells," I think it is lovely.

We watched some shows we had recorded on the DVR, took little short naps, and rested. That is what a "slug day" is for. Tomorrow is a work day, maybe I can get some motivation going.

Birthday Presents For Me

2008-04-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Buster and Bunny. I still can't figure out how to put the picture in the text. Oh, well, something new to learn.

Today I saw my sister at the doctor's office where she had brought our Aunt G. Surprise, surprise, Aunt G. had brought my birthday present! She had knitted me two dishcloths and crocheted a doily that she called "seashells." I love handmade gifts!

This aunt is the last of the 12 children in my mother's family. There were eight girls and four boys. My mother was the 10th child, the youngest girl. She died of colon cancer when she was 50. My older sister and I were both married, but we had two sisters still at home who were 15 and 12. It was difficult, to put it simply.

My dad was from a family of 10 children. He was the second and the oldest boy. He died of bone cancer at 78. There are four sisters and one brother left in his family.

How many first cousins, you might ask? Sixty-eight, I believe. One aunt had 13, and it went down from there. It is wonderful to have so much family. Dad's family stays close by having a family reunion every June. Mom's family has recently started to get together every year the weekend after Labor Day. One cousin came from Oregon this year. We also met another cousin that none of us had met before! That was great! We are hoping for some "new" cousins to show up this year since we have been getting the word out.

New on the Buster and Bunny adventures: Yesterday the big guy left the two little scoundrels alone while he did some errands. When he came home, he found the pantry door ajar. In the kitchen floor were six red potatoes. That is all that remained from the new 5 pound sack that had been in the pantry! They had eaten all the rest! Needless to say, they weren't hungry for their dinner last night.

My knitting has been dragging this week. We have been really busy at work and in the evenings I've been dozing on the couch. Maybe I can get photos for you tomorrow when there is good light. I'm about half way down the cuff of my second BFF sock. It is looking good!

Better Late Than Never

2008-04-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

There has been more work than knitting this week. I did, however, frog the toe of my BFF sock and add an additional pattern. Either I miscounted or mismeasured when I put in the toe the first time. Now that one is fixed and I have started the second sock. I finished the ribbing and put in one pattern.

After our sister's lunch on Tuesday, the big guy and I played golf on Wednesday, went to work on Thursday, and worked in the backyard on the weekend.

The big ice storm in December made a mess of our trees. The big maple tree had broken limbs that we were mostly able to trim. The small maple was totally ruined. That is the tree that I planted as a seedling to shade the bedrooms of our children. I was sad to see it have to go, but we weren't able to save it. We did leave a big stump to use to put a bird feeder or a birdbath on.

We have some spots in the back where we are having trouble getting grass. (And the dogs love to dig holes.) The big guy has fertilized, seeded, begged, pleaded, all to no avail. So we have fenced the dogs close to the house and we are working on the rest. Last year we planted crape myrtles and lilacs and the dogs ate them off even with the ground. So this year we are going to try again, but now the dogs are fenced.

To make them a fun place we made a big sandbox around the remaining maple tree. Bunny likes to lay in it. If she could I know she would lay on her back and make angels in it! Buster would rather lay in the sun in the mulch. Sometimes we go out and bury toys in the sand for them to find.

There was never going to be any grass under the tree. Too much shade and too many roots. So we enclosed it with landscape timbers and filled it with red mulch. I put St. Francis out there and set the birdbath in it. We also bought some patio furniture out there so I can read or knit in the shade. (I'm worried about the shade after the ice storm stripped so many limbs out of the tree.) We got some big pots to put plants in. I'm thinking about a hibiscus in one and petunias in the other. I also want some hanging baskets and a fern. I will but them in the tree with the birdfeeders.

I need another birdfeeder that the squirrel can't get into. I would like for him to eat the corn and the sunflower seeds and leave the cardinal food alone. And it is time for me to fill the hummingbird feeders. In our area, we try to get them out by April 15.

I'm still trying to figure out how to insert pictures. If I accomplish it this time, I have one of Bunny downloaded. Cross your fingers.

Happy Birthday Dear Sister

2008-03-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

Today is a dreary, sprinkly day. Would be a good knitting day, but our son is here. Our dogs love him so much that it makes a three-ring-circus when he comes over. He is looking for a new place to live, as his current abode is always crawling with people looking for fun.

He works a 10-hour day for the city in the water department. He loves the job, but is having trouble getting enough rest to be able to get up at 5:30a.m. I'm hoping he can find someone that would like to share an apartment or house with him.

The Cookie A sock I'm working on is BFF sock. It has cables and ribs. I'm using Trekking XXL in a wine color. I'm afraid I will run out of yarn before I get both socks finished. Maybe not. I tend to be a worry-wart. I really like the pattern. It was a snap to memorize and knits up fast.

The other sock I have on the needles is a lace pattern in an oatmeal color Regia. I haven't even finished the ribbing yet, so I can't comment on how I like the pattern. When we get a sunny day I will take some pictures.

I started knitting socks last year and have completed 23 pairs. Some of those were gifted and some I kept. The photos I took first were not very clear. I mistakenly shot them in the shade and they were dreary and the colors were not accurate. The later ones were taken in front of the glass storm door. Those were better. The patterns showed up better and the colors were closer to the real thing. Some of you take beautiful pictures. Maybe I need a new camera.

Today is my older sister's birthday. My youngest sister and I will take her out for lunch later in the week. It is our "sister" lunch that we do for each other for our birthdays. We have another sister in Oregon that we only get to see once a year or so. There are 4 of us. Imagine the good times when we are all together. We always make a point of taking a "sister" picture at least once a year when we are all together. One summer the three of us from Oklahoma all went to Oregon and spent 10 days with our #3 sister. It was great.

Monday is a work day for me. I need to get my scrubs ready to wear. We have several sets and we dress alike. Our tops are printed and are really cheerful and bright. I've been making socks that go with each top. I still need some to go with a couple, but I have some to match most of them.

Happy Birthday, Sister!

In the Beginning...

2008-03-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

For many months I have been a lurker. Yes, I admit it, I have read and lurked all over the world of knitting blogs.

I taught myself to knit by reading a book, then taught myself to knit socks by reading your blogs. I always have one or more socks on my trusty double pointed needles. At the present I have a Cookie A pattern going and also a lace sock started.

I have never knitted a sweater, but would like to find a nice tunic length vest pattern to work on with an off white part cotton yarn. If you have a recommendation, I'd like to hear it.

Retired from education, my husband (the big guy) has worked in several temporary jobs, but has now retired for good. He is a great house-husband who does the cooking, dishes, laundry and keeps up the lawn. I am also a retired teacher who has taken a parttime job as a medical coder and insurance clerk in a doctor's office. I love the job; I learn something every day. I have been working there for just over 5 years. I work 3 days a week and spend the other 4 days knitting, golfing with the big guy, playing with the dogs and cleaning house. (No, I don't cook except for the occasional breakfast.)

My husband and I are the proud parents of two pitbulls, Buster and Bunny. Buster is probably only part pit but he is the most loving and playful little guy ever. He is mostly brown and will be 5 years old on Mother's Day. He loves to tease his sister and sit on laps. (He makes a lapfull at 67 pounds!) Bunny is registered as "M....'s Baby Bunny." We delayed naming her until we got to know her personality. When we realized that she is always on the go, we named her after the Energizer Bunny. She is mostly white with brindle spots and she is only a year and a half. She was a Christmas present for me in 2006. Because of seizures, she is on medication that makes her gain weight and she weighs 65 pounds. That's about 10 lbs overweight for her frame.

This is my first attempt at blogging, I hope you will bear with me until I get the hang of it. I will learn to add pictures at some point. I've been good about documenting my socks with pictures. (Not so good about recording the pattern names or yarn labels. I will try harder.)

Until next time...