I feel pretty!

I feel pretty
Oh so pretty
I feel pretty and witty and gay
And I pity
Any girl who isn't me today



I feel charming
Oh so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real
See the pretty girl in that mirror there?
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty face
Such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile
Such a pretty me!



I feel stunning
And entrancing
Feel like running
And dancing for joy
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy



I feel pretty
Oh so pretty
That the city should give me its key
A committee
Should be organized to honour me



I feel dizzy
I feel sunny
I feel fizzy and funny and fine
And so pretty
Miss America can just resign

Picture

Big thunderstorm outside this morning, and I love thunderstorms. The big crazy-loud ones we get here from the Gulf air meeting the big midwest storms are one of my favorite things about Tennessee. I slept in, because I love sleeping during storms. Weird, huh.

Fee is under the bed, and Grady is alarmed but can't seem to be bothered to hide.

I love y'all's stories about teen idols - they are endlessly entertaining to me. A few weeks ago I watched a whole block of the show on VH-1 about the 70s. I forget the name. But it was HILARIOUS.

Here's a kitty picture. This was taken in low light, and manipulated a lot, so it doesn't hold up very well in a large size.



Here is a picture of Conwy so far. Love this pattern! But really really love the RYC Cashsoft 4-ply (color 432). True to its name, it's very soft. I hope it doesn't disintegrate upon wearing.

Embarrassing

I was going to post this whole big thing about junior high and how embarrassing it was that I had such a mad crush on Rick Springfield, like he would have liked my orange-haired 1982 self, and then I remembered that he was also on General Hospital, so I looked him up, and I found this.

This.

So, I know he's sort of aged like a rocker, but I am not embarrassed that my junior-high crush was him.

After all, it could have been much worse.

How did it get to be morning again so soon?

I frogged the cabled socks in the orange yarn because I didn't like them after I got going. All week long, the Conwy socks from Knitting on the Road have been talking to me.

As usual, the pictures are terrible in the book - as they usually are in Nancy Bush books, don't know why. Could we have the socks in a foot? And maybe not so high-contrast you can't see the pattern?

So anyway, after I saw those...well, I had to have a pair. I am (gasp) not a huge fan of Jitterbug, and I tried to make these once before using some brightly variegated yarn, so solids it was.

Then I swatched in my orange yarn, and they looked just like my recently completed Hedgerow socks. So I brought out some chocolate brown Rowan 4-ply soft, and I think it's a winner.

Also, because you can never have enough sock bags, I bought another - found by way of this lovely blog. I got the Autumn Flowers sock cube. Looks lovely! Check 'em out!

I stalked the cats with a camera this morning, but alas it is rainy-looking and there is no light. Soon! Sorry for the no-picture post.

Here I am.

Well, I guess I got lost on the way to Blogger, sorry about the lack of posting y'all but I think I got it together.

Sunday I worked at home, and yesterday I had an all-day case of the spacies which is one of my migraine signifiers or whatever. (Sometimes I get the tingling, and very occasionally I get a visual aura. But usually I'm just kind of fried.) I recognized it in time to stave it off with medicine, but it's always amazing how long it takes me to realize what is going on.

Also, GO TITANS! Love you!

So then Kirsten and I went for sushi and watched football and I worked quite a bit on my second Poseidon sock. But I can't ever not have a sock to work on, so I also started another one. It's the rib-and-cable socks from Favorite Socks, but I had to mess with it. I didn't like the 5-st cable with a purl in the middle of it, because a) it's too hard to work, and impossible without a cable needle, and b) it's not really noticable anyway. So I decreased the purl, and my cable is now a 4-stitch front or back cable depending on the side, and I will do one every 10 rows and one every 5 rows. Just for fun. I am using some bright orange Hello Yarn sock yarn.

I have had a lot of trouble staying on track with Project Spectrum colours, so I will call this one good. (Brown, orange and purple are the colors this time, woo!)

Anyway, the yarn is positively beautiful, knit from my stash, and is turning out to be a very pretty sock.

Y'all know how the vet is with those clippers...I put out a second box this morning because somebody is having some potty problems and I am trying this before I take her to the vet. (One likes Feline Pine, the other likes The World's Best Cat Litter. Can't win.)

And KIRSTEN is here! It's so fun to see her and hang out!

Zeal, thou art mine enemy

This morning I got up and was working on some seaming projects when I noticed (since I'm not usually home in the mornings, and windows face east) that all I could see were little kitty nose-prints on the windows. At a certain level, which can only mean Fee has been stamping her little personality all over the glass, all day long. She's an equal-opportunity nose-stamper, as the smudges appear to be on every window in the house.

So, I mixed up some water with a glug of vinegar and got a microfiber cloth and set to work. The first window I cleaned seemed to be streaky and smudgy on the outside, and since it backs up to the patio I thought I'd try to tilt the window out to clean it. Somehow or other it dropped out of the track and came all the way out, and it's a good thing y'all were not around to hear the string of words that came out of my mouth, because it was positively marine in nature. I took a deep breath, vowed to watch my language, and commenced an hour of trying to fit this crazy thing back into its crazy track.

Now, I know what y'all will say, that this is why God invented men. But sadly there were no men to be had, and in such instances a girl has to rely on cheek and a little bit of determination. Tools were brought out, and (I'm sorry to say) after a bit more crappy language and quite a lot of sweating, I finally got the window cleaned and back in its track.

The other windows were cleaned on the insides only, and I don't think I need to explain why THAT executive decision was made.

I'm trying to seam the sleeves on Jemima, which seems more difficult than it needs to be because I am having trouble finding that little gutter which runs 1.5 stitches in without also snagging an increase (therefore making it lumpy) every 12 rows or so:



And this is a picture of my first Poseidon sock, done nearly to the cuff. (The second sock is done through the heel.) I am trying to decide on the length, because I seem to have a crazy amount of yarn still, and I have no idea when to quit. I think another two inches of leg and then the cuff will be all right.

Super Puppy Happiness

My favorite cute-pets site is Daily Pets...don't spend too much time there!

How's that for a slice of fried gold?

Y'all know how when you first start to knit, you really don't know what you're doing and every stitch is a chore? Then all the sudden a light goes on in your brain and you 'get' it. After that, most of the work is over regarding the basics and you can enjoy watching your knitting happen, stitch by stitch.

Then you try lace, and it's back to remedial class again. Or a sock, or heaven-forbid some set-in sleeves (these are hard for me, don't know why). But soon you learn that after each new and scary knitting experience, there comes a time where even it isn't so bad anymore, and you enjoy it. (Though I have had projects that I detested from start to finish.)

Around this time, I think, you take a look at your yarn stash, which has either grown exponentially, or is about to. You feel the weight of all you have - or the weight of all you don't, but will soon have. For a while, you probably have run around buying all you can see - skeins and skeins of sock yarn, more lace yarn than you can knit, several sweaters' worth that seems like a real good idea. You're in this holding pattern for a while.

Then, one day you open your email and you have a golden-etched Ravelry invitation. And, my goodness, they have a section right there for the yarn stash, so you start photographing little bits of it at a time and posting it up there.

And not long after, realize your stash is not only huge, it's full of stuff you probably won't knit, and even though you're so excited to have yarn and have it all up there, you feel a bit guilty about it.

Now, I'm asking meself outloud where y'all can hear it, why is that? Why the guilt? I'm not going to stop buying yarn, but I have made some bad choices in my life, and some of them were expensive bad choices.

But really - I wish I had a Ravelry for the rest of my life. Don't you? I mean, I'm sure all those books under the bed...there's lots to sell and swap away. Clothing? Do I really need 12 white t-shirts? Sure, a lot of them are now shorter than the current fashion, but do I get rid of these perfectly good, clean clothes just because of fashion? That seems a bit...ruthless. (Who is Ruth, anyway?)

Something about it all being electronic and in the computer is a reality check for me. I always had a hard time paying my bills with any skill until online banking came along, and I supposed this is like it. But I'm wondering - is it an accident that I have had this big purge/cleanup in my life at the very same time that I started organizing my knitting?

Things usually happen in themes for me - don't they for you? The big overarching theme now is 'get rid of what I don't need.' I've also been cleaning up my spending (but you do not want money advice from me, I promise, so I never blog about it). I've been eating healthier. Two weeks ago, I gave up Diet Cokes because of an article I read. This one was hard for me - diet cokes had become my morning coffee, and all this water and tea is really getting to me. So I have allowed myself one or two cups of coffee a week, and a diet coke if I want one, but I have to really want it. And most of the time - I don't want it.

I have an online Ravelry for health, I've used Weight Watchers online for about four years now. And the bank. And how I wish I had one that cataloged my belongings, because it would be a barn-burner.

I started out to say I am really enjoying how things look around my place, and ended up talking about Ravelry. I hope to see y'all there - Ravelry is a slice of fried gold, y'all. I am not going to start a self-help-from Ravelry group, but I think it's responsible for making me better, lately. I've bought yarn with a purpose, organized my stash, finished up or trashed projects that have been waiting around forever. It's spilled over into the rest of my life, and that is a good thing.

I mean, the only way you could make gold better is to deep fry it. Because (at least in the South) deep frying makes everything better.

Almost there

I love the smell of fall, do y'all know what I mean? The air is clearer and thinner somehow, and fresher I guess since everything isn't baking away all day long in the heat. Fall is especially welcome to me this year, what with our 107 degree temperatures and no rain and everything. But it's still in the 80s, so the sense is...it's almost here.

Yesterday I got my hair cut and the bling covered up, then came home and cleaned in my bedroom for a bit - mostly moving stuff and vacuuming and straightening. (Astute readers will know this is all a method of avoidance to not have to deal with the top of my bookshelf.) Then I did the same in the dining room. Tomorrow I'll do the living room. The closer I get done, the more I want to do. Because I'm almost there.

I am still working on the Poseidon socks - both heels turned, one leg knit about 2". Almost there!

I'm going to have a visitor. Gluten-Free Kirsten is coming to visit for a while...she's almost here! (This weekend.) Very exciting.

Have you ever looked around and realized pretty much everything in your life is in a state of 'almost-there'? I don't mind it at all, but I do find that patterns like that are interesting and funny. I know that most of the time most of us are waiting for something. When it all converges and you are waiting for everything, it can be exciting, or frustrating and baffling. This round of waiting is exciting for me. I am trying to keep a quiet heart. You know Jesus slept on a pillow in a boat in the middle of a storm, right? And got yelled at for ignoring the apostles' peril. There's a reason He slept...and I'm trying to learn it. :) Somehow waiting doesn't mean 'give up' or 'don't take care of things.' It means ... take care of what you can and be patient? I think?

Here is a picture of Ludington State Park, from my trip to MI earlier this month.

After

What is an organization project without pictures?

You'll have to excuse the lousy light, but...here's the bookcase now. It still needs some TLC, but the basic stuff is done. Also, I have to put away the rubbermaid tub and hang up my workout clothes. :)



Let me remind you, here is the disaster that was Before:



This kind of picture is better smaller, because you get the overall effect.

Things I like:
1. The red bins read as neutrals. They closely match the color of the wood, and don't really register as red.
2. Books must be arranged by topic, but inside cubbie they are not allowed to be organized by size or color or anything that is distracting. I like to vary the height and stack them randomly, but in a regular way.
3. Those 1982 sunglasses are never, ever, EVER getting thrown out. They are one of the best photo props i have ever owned.
4. I have a big variety of books. This isn't anywhere near all my books, but it's a good sampling.
5. I am one of three people I know who have actually read War & Peace, and I read it in about two weeks.

Anyway!

Exhausted!

I've been a busy bee.

This weekend, I:
1. Cleaned out all the cubbies in the bookshelf. The top is still cluttered and I am at the point where I realize a lot of stuff I actually use - but isn't books - is typically stored in this bookshelf. I have to decide what I can live with, you know? What needs to go there.

2. Cleaned out my storage closet and removed all empty boxes I was storing, and set aside things I haven't used in ages to donate.

3. Took four bags of stuff - one kitchen, one books, two storage closet - to the Good Will.

4. Took an entire car load of boxes and trash to the dumpster.

5. Sorted out mail that has been piled all over forever.

6. Cleaned out storage container cabinet in kitchen. Got rid of stained, broken, incomplete set. Have decided to use disposable plastic containers from grocery store from now on.

7. Took cats to the vet. (Grady got carsick.) Schmade lost 4 pounds last year! Yeah! (It was a good thing to switch from 'diet' cat food to regular.) Fee has to lose 1 pound, and Grady needs to lose 4 more. Go kitties!

8. Went to the State Fair. Saw the blue-ribbon knitting. There was a very pretty shawl. No offense to the knitters, but the socks didn't impress me.

9. Worked on Poseidon sock to the heel turn and knit the other up to the heel increases.

10. Watched about 8 episodes of Burn Notice. I love that show!

I. Am. Exhausted. What's left is to find a place to put the mail basket, clean under my desk, and take out the trash. And then, as far as clutter goes, my job will go from 'attack' to 'maintenance.'

Phew.







(Click for bigger, and more pics at Flickr. There are a bunch of the kitties.)

The Logic of Clutter

For some months now I have been on a quest to rid myself of at least some of the tremendous amount of clutter that I live with. I find that the more I clean up, the more I like the results. But at the center of the argument, as I have cleaned out my spice cabinet, pantry, utensils drawer, closet, under-bathroom-sink, yarn stash, dresser and front closet, has been what exactly I consider "clutter" and where my urge comes from.

I am not a pack rat per se, but I am right-brained in nature and habits. This basically means that if something is out of my sight, I forget it entirely. Many years ago I read a book called "Organizing the Creative Mind" (or something) and learned to set up small but simple areas that were only used for one thing - keys and only keys go here, makeup goes there, or I couldn't find anything. But - ask anybody who has ever been my roommate - I tend to hold on to clothes and junk I don't need anymore because of the "might" - and the "might" is the real thing I am trying to get to the bottom of.

Like everybody on planet earth, I have two parents. Additionally, I have the pleasure of knowing both of them well. (I also have two terrific step-parents, and I realize how lucky I am to say that.) My mom is a purger - she doesn't appear to keep anything even of sentimental value except photos, and often gets rid of things around the house just to clear space. She's very good at keeping clutter out of her life - almost too good! My dad is the opposite. He is a collecter - (made-up word)- and has stacks and stacks and boxes and boxes of things. Most importantly, he keeps the empty box things come in - and guess who else does that? I have all sorts of them in my outside hall closet. I plan to purge mightily this weekend, everything but the box for my computer, because all the other boxes I can replace if I need to.

I think my 'clutter personality' if I have one is that I occasionally overdo the big purge, but if I'm not careful I'll collect. Of course the answer to this, like everything else, is balance. I am trying to find that.

I have a number of things I keep for sentimental value, but they are no longer badly organized and full of junk. Except in the bookcase. Everywhere else is beautiful and clutter-free, except for the corner of the entryway where I keep throwing stuff to donate. It is last on the list, and shall take all my fortitude.

My bookcase is a nightmare, a full-on horror that has become mesmerizing to look at. I use the term "bookcase" lightly. It has DVDs, stationery, books, Febreeze, Downy Wrinkle-Release (love you, DWR!), two Fossil watch boxes full of change and one empty (?), a stuffed rabbit, bank statements, bibles, an artist's wooden model, a box from Tiffany, cds, a bag of dried lavender, a drinking bird, a box which contains cords and other electronic aggregates, suntan lotion, sunglasses, a camera bag, unused book jackets. Picture frames. Tsotchkes. A copy of my lease. Finished freelance work.

People, the bookcase is maybe 5' x 5'. Something's gotta give.

I have deduced through clever analysis, taking photographs of it and walking by and staring at it several times a day the following:
1. It stresses me out to even think about cleaning it up, so I am going to clean it.
2. I seem to have two layers of material in this bookshelf. Four of the cubbies are actually used for books, and five of them are used for general junk storage. But even in the four book-cubbies I've got a foundational layer of books in the back, and junk on the shelves.
3. I have one red canvas basket in one cubby that contains the cords, etc., and it works very well. I think I need another couple of these for non-book items, so they look neat.
4. Once again, a rule that nothing goes on top of the bookcase, or I tend to put everything there - clothing tags, mail, books I'm done with, stuff I can't find anything else to do with.
5. There is no logic to clutter, and I love logic, so I am getting rid of clutter.

Don't believe me? The strong of heart can look here for a picture. (I can't believe I just posted that for the world to see.)

Now you know my goal for the weekend. Pray I do not lose heart.

On the knitting front - I bought a chocolate-brown Namaste messenger bag. My first knitting bag. I love it! (More on it later.)

Oh, and the last weird thing about me? I strongly dislike chicken skin.

Not THAT sock drawer

I am touched at how many of you asked if Fee is laying in THAT sock drawer, that being the one containing handknitted socks. No. One of the weird little things about me (I keep trying to compile a list, and only coming up with a few things that are not very weird at all, so I haven't done that meme) is that unless I'm wearing handknitted socks, I wear small white cotton anklets or no socks at all. I absolutely cannot abide wearing women's dress socks, colored socks, embroidered socks, or hose of any kind. (I have no idea, either.) Fee is in my second dresser-drawer, which houses my extensive white sock collection, normally arranged by vintage.

Third drawer contains handknit socks and jammies (but no handknit jammies).

Another weird thing about me is that I often eat peanuts without shelling them first. That is, if the shell looks reasonably clean, I eat the whole thing.

Third on the list is that I can't stand electric hot-air hand dryers. I get the heebie-jeebies from hot air blowing on my hands. (My mom looked at me with an air of wonder and amazement when I told her this; turns out we share this horror.)

Fourth, I have very angular thumbs, which greatly freak out GB if I hold them up to his face. (Click here to see what I mean.)

Fifth? I can't think of anything. But if I do, I'll be sure to tell you!

PS: Additionally, I appreciate so much y'all's kind messages of support. Thank you!

Housecleaning

It pains me a little to have to explain, but yes, I did edit the post below, and no, it wasn't all the people who emailed me asking if they offended me or telling me they weren't offended by what I wrote. Y'all did not offend me.

I appreciate y'all's willingness to hear me out - but - when an admittedly personal struggle is published and I get comments accusing me of being mental...nuh-uh. Not playing. My post was *not* an invitation to debate, accusation or other intolerance.

Apparently the logic of intolerantly accusing a person of being intolerant escapes good old Anonymous. Afraid-a-mous? As for the "Anonymous," look here.

(Don't say you didn't see that one coming. I have the spiritual gift of sarcasm, and am not actually mad about this. Think of it as performance art at Anonymous' expense.)

It seems to me that blogging is a friendly business, and - sarcasm aside - y'all are my bloggy friends. If I ever start a theology blog, I'll let you know. This one is going to continue to be about knitting, and cats, and a good dose of Crazy. I just don't have the desire or energy to bother with moderating comments. At least if I get comments accusing me of being mental because I knit, have two cats and tell crazy stories, they'll be telling the truth!

This weekend I'm going to do some housecleaning with the blog I've meant to do for a while. One of the changes will be Haloscan comments, although it will hide the Blogger comments for all eternity. I just can't stand Blogger's "noreply@" emails anymore. I want to be able to reply (in a friendly way!) to comments and answer questions and whatnot. So don't panic if you come here Monday and the comments are gone! Haloscan requires it. Blech. But it's going to be fine in the end!

That's it! Love you all! Back tomorrow with more knitting stories! This is a very bad picture of Fee sleeping in my sock drawer.

FO: Hedgerow Socks

I can't even BEGIN to express how much I love these socks!



and the obligatory leaning-over-bad-angle socks shot:



Pattern: Hedgerow Socks by Jane Cochran
(available through Knitter's Review, free!)
Yarn: Louet Gems Pearl in Citrus Orange, about 1.5 skeins
Yarn source: KPixie
Needle: 2.5mm 40" INOX Express

Time: about 2 weeks

Modifications: None

Notes: Trust this pattern on the heel. It will seem that what you are doing is absolutely crazy, and where do those two instep stitches go? But just do what it says and you'll have a beautiful sock. The pattern looks like cables or something hard, but it's really just a two-row offset repeat of ribbing. Very easy!

This yarn is my absolute most favorite sock yarn ever. It's gorgeous, springy, superwash wooly goodness that just glows with color. I love everything about it, including the yarn labels, which are the best-designed labels in the history of knitting.

Gush, gush. Fee and Grady say hi, but they are still hiding from the camera. I have lots of pictures of the sides of their heads, but nothing else.

Because it's rainy

(snip)

I have knit the collar on Jemima (it's beautiful!) after a long frustrating process of trying to neatly pick up stitches. I've seamed one side, but I think I'll need to do it again. I'm sort of having trouble figuring exactly where the seam goes so that the increases fall outside of it. I'll try again tonight, maybe the light will be better.

We've had rain for three days (yay!) so no pictures, but hopefully I'll have some soon. The cats even kind of miss the camera!

We interrupt this broadcast to bring you an important announcement.

I'm behind on my blogs, but just in - this news flash!

Our gal Frarochvia is now selling hand-dyed yarn! It's not only pretty (click the Etsy link in the sidebar), it's fun to read about her dyeing methods AND all the fun book/movie titles she's using as names for the yarn.

Please check out her yarn, and while you're there, read her blog! She's super cool and fun. We likes her over at Chez Mean Girl, we do!

Project Thankful

Seven things I am thankful for today:

1. Rain
2. My family, friends, GB, and cats
3. Down comforters
4. All of the rights in the Constitution / Bill of Rights, especially "freedom of religion"
5. Elisabeth Elliot
6. Bare Minerals makeup
7. Classical music (esp. Strauss waltzes)

(I know, it's random. But I am going to try to do this every week, if only in my mind.)

Let us eat cake

Here's a cake recipe that's gunning for first place of all time in my book. Very cheap and easy! Most importantly, very tasty!

Pretend like you're making a regular white box cake, and get all the ingredients - a cake mix, a pint of egg whites, some vegetable oil. But also throw in your cart a 16-oz can of unsweetened pineapple. (Come on, it's like a dollar.) Or, you can use an angel-food cake mix and skip the egg whites and oil.

Mix up the cake (I got Betty Crocker) with the oil and eggs and instead of adding water, add the pineapple - but don't drain it! (If you're using angel food cake, just dump in the pineapple and don't add anything else.) This batter does kind of blow up a little when the pineapple hits the batter, so make sure you use a nice big bowl. Beat according to directions and bake - mine took about 5 minutes longer than the recipe stated in a 13 x 9 x 2 glass pan.

It is heavenly! A cross between regular cake and pound cake, the pineapple isn't overt, and I'm not sure anyone who didn't know it was pineapple would even know it contained it. Top with blackberries or chocolate frosting. Delish!

It's a rainy day and I'm also making a pot of chili. I would recommend using different utensils for the chili and the cake. Here's what I do -

1 bag Carroll Shelby's chili mix
1.5 lb ground sirloin
1 can pinto beans
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce, 8oz


Get a big pot and brown up the ground beef in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. (This adds some 'good' fat and allows you to buy red meat that is leaner without losing any taste.) After the meat is brown, dump in the beans, the tomatoes, tomato sauce and 2 tomato-sauce cans full of water. (Don't drain the beans or Ro-Tel tomatoes. Dump in all the juice too.) Add the seasoning packet from the chili and about half the salt. Cover, simmer as long as you can. It's fab. I know the recipe on the bag doesn't add the tomatoes or the beans, but it makes it really good and improves the texture. I like mine with sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream and those Scoops chips.

Also, I'm doing laundry.

WIP Wednesday, but on Friday instead!

I never do WIP Wednesday, except for this week, and I'm doing it on Friday, so ha! HAHAHA!

(Just kidding, I am not actually crazy, but then again, I did submit Fiona's Porch Princess sweater to Crazy Aunt Purl's contest. The really crazy part is that I already had a cat sweater to submit. And I see my Crazy membership is about to expire.)

(You can tell I was up at 3am making a set of Moo cards for myself. Insomnia is fun!)

So yesterday I was getting ready and I looked at the cord of my several-months-old hair straightener and it says on the tag that it contains LEAD, and had a big scary warning about cancer and birth defects and even though I am not currently a reproducing member of society, the "wash hands after handing" written in perfect Engrish did get me a little worried. I ended up at Target trying to open boxes to look at the cord (bad idea) and finally decided to just buy one and try it out. For reasons I don't fully understand, my new non-leaded Remington straightener with pink (pink!!!) tourmaline plates makes me crazyhappy. Because really, I'm a nutter AND was up for an hour or so when I should have been snoozing.

And...knitting. I have put it off as much as I can this week for no reason at all! I love knitting! I got a lot done in Michigan, mostly on these lovely Hedgerow socks. The pattern went out last week on Knitter's Review and I had to make them immediately. After a bit of knitting I was doubtful that I'd like them very much, but I stuck with it and...I love them! Love love love them! Like I haven't loved socks I've made in a long time, unless you count how my friends almost had to have an intervention for me because I didn't want to send off my Sockapalooza socks. (Hi Maggi!)

Anyway, here is a picture, and yes they really are orange.



And one of the heel, because it's tricksy how you line the pattern up and somehow end up with it all right even though your left brain is screaming it's all wrong. When cooler heads prevail and stitches are carefully counted, you get this!



I have made some progress on Jemima, on to the second sleeve. This is a laugh because Annie keeps posting about how I am ahead of her, and little does she know I've knit about 10 rows on the thing in the last week. Since it's a raglan and in-pieces, y'all get a stack (no ends woven in! none!!!):



And here is a garter-rib sock (which you really must try, multiple of 4, k2p2 rib, and throw in an all-knit row every other time, it's lovely) done in the Lily Chin Chelsea yarn. It's 60-40 wool-cotton, and I don't think it's as bouncy as wool (obviously) but will probably make some slouchy socks and has a lovely hand.



Happy Friday!

Beware of snakes

This is me and my nephew, who informed me this past weekend that he wants his code name to be Snake:



(He made the cookies with his daddy. They were tasty. He is 4.)

This is Snake's new puppy, who is in training to be the next Crazy Dog. He's so fun!



I love his big puppy paws.

Stay frosty.

Hello, I'm back!

And drooling over the new You Know What.

Hi everyone! I'm on vacation!

Yesterday we found this really great little yarn shop crammed to the rafters with all kinds of good stuff, and I bought 12 skeins of Dale of Norway Heilo. The shop is in Ludington, MI and called "Nautical Yarns." Check it out! I've been looking for this yarn in person for a very long time, and it turned out to be as good as I hoped it was. It's Norwegian wool, just slightly slippery (from the lanolin), sleek and very soft. I know I'm really supposed to be using it for colorwork, but I want to make something at a fine gauge with it that is solid. (Probably crazy of me.)

I also got two skeins of Lily Chin's Chelsea yarn, and I didn't know she makes yarn, but it is gorgeous. It's a cotton-wool blend and a very pretty pink. That will become socks.

The weather is great, it's fun to see everyone up here, and last night my cousin Wayne tricked me into eating turtle soup he was making. I've eaten turtle soup before and would have tried it anyway, but he gave me a bowl and told me to try it before he told me what was in it. (My dad wouldn't try it.) It wasn't exactly the same as what I had before in New Orleans; less peppery and more like a vegetable beef soup, but it was good.

So anyway, there is that. Back Tuesday!