Cheaters Never Prosper

 As in yoga, as in knitting... Let me explain.

I've just finished B.K.S. Iyengar's "Light on Life," and I'm re-reading it to a student (we read during Yin class). And we were on the chapter about consistent practice, where he said, in essence, "Cheaters never prosper." 

In other words, just do it right the first time. 

The Knitting...

Which brings me to my latest project. Socks, finally. Opal yarn, of course, Kfz-Mechatroniker, in color 7125, a lovely grey & blue self-striping yarn with a hint of cream. No idea what it means, but there's a crescent wrench on the label. I'm doing my own pattern - I call it "North, South, East, West." It's on 68 stitches, which should fit me to a tee. The normal 64 is slightly too tight. And 72 is too loose. So I figured 68 would do it. I was going to do plain vanilla, because I honestly have a problem with ribbed socks. The problem is ribbing bores me to distraction. And this yarn has enough of a stripe where if you do something too busy, it's going to look wrong. 

As you can see, this looks like "blue jeans with grey in the middle." Which is perfect for me. It'll be my second Opal colorway with blues and greys, which is great - I wear a lot of grey. 

So the pattern. As you might be able to see in the circles, I took the 4 DPNs and made the center parts purls. So there will be 4 columns of purl: North, South, East, West - going down the leg of the sock. At least that's what I'm planning - we shall see if it all works out the way it looks in my head. It's no huge shakes, but I figured it was something I haven't seen, so I can just try it. It's just yarn. It's just socks.  And I'm going to do the Strong Heel. Which has nothing to do with the actual strength of the heel. It has to do with the woman who invented it - Gerdine Crawford-Strong. Here is a YouTube on its construction, which is one of the more sensible ones I've seen on it. It's also outlined very nicely in "The Sock Knitter's Handbook," by Charlene Schurch & Beth Parrott. 

I did this heel in a pair of socks in a Roman Rib pattern, and it took me a minute or two to figure out how to finagle it. But it turns out they fit pretty nicely and there's no actual gusset to pick up.

So the "cheater" part? Well. I'm sort of anxious to start the heel. I've got almost 5" on the leg, and my usual instructions say to go to 7" -- and I always get "itchy" around 5... Which is technically a bit too short, even for my stubby shanks... So I really, really need to go to 7" on this. I could cheat. 

Of course I could. It's MY sock. 

But I need to just do these right and have some patience. Socks will happen...

Next up will probably be a WIP. Maybe this will be the year that I'll alternate a new thing with a WIP. And maybe I'll get side-tracked like I do each and every time...

I've Been Shot...

Well, vaccinated. Got my first shot a week ago. The side effects weren't bad. I was worried because I'd been told that folks who've had COVID tend to have issues - their bodies see the "first" shot as the "second." Which is where (the second shot, I mean) most folks feel the worst. 

Well. I'm doing ok. A bit of "urgh" on the first day, but otherwise, fine. Had to schedule the second one for a few days after its actual due date. Because that due date is our local election day, and I'm an election judge again. 

The Clerk's Office says we'll have all the appropriate precautions. But this time I think I'll actually use my own face shield. I'll have the maximum immunity from the first shot, but unfortunately, there are mask-holes. I'm not sure what the turnout will be for this election, but I want to be prepared. 

I've lost a friend to COVID and it hurts. She was someone I know - or had known - online. For over 15 years, so it's not just "some new BFF" -- but a person with whom I've had a long acquaintance. She went "radio silent" two months ago, and I'm sure her family thought that our group was a bunch of stalker-weirdos...we kept stalking her timeline, leaving voicemails and emails...checking on her. 

I guess the upshot of that is that we - our group, I mean - have gathered all our "contacts" -- we're putting together a list of emergency contacts just in case. You never know; and while our group has been together a long time, things change - we've had widowhood, divorce, etc. And it's nice to have a way of contacting someone in case you need to. 

How Does My Garden Grow...

We have a baby!!! Actually, it's my 30+ year old Bleeding Heart coming back again. She's a traditional pink one and she's a monster. Anyone who's followed this blog knows that occasionally, her picture turns up, and her name is The Monster Bleeding Heart. She's tucked into the northwest corner garden. Next to her is a miniature white bleeding heart, and on the absolute north side of the house are a variety of hostas and lily of the valley. All of which need to be thinned out this year. 

Technically, we should have done it last year, but 2020 was a mess in the whole, so why would you assume I'd have my garden under control? 

I bought seeds, too. Two kinds of leaf lettuce, carrots, and kale. As well as a packet of "butterfly and bee flowers" - which is a 4-pack. So 2 of the packets will be used at the studio in the flower pots in the front of the building, and two packets will be scattered in the wildflower garden. Hubby has promised to tame the milkweed. I mean, I want it there, just that last year (go figure) it was a total mess. They just took over everything, and I had more red beetles on them than caterpillars. So I'm hoping this year will be better. 

I'd like to have at least a monarch or two. I get a lot of swallowtails due to the parsley and dill in that bed. We shall see, though. 

Random Picture...

Where I got my shot was a clinic held in our local junior college (elsewhere, they're called community colleges) -- Joliet Junior College, which happens to be the nation's oldest junior college... I went to college there, back in the days when tuition wasn't even $25/credit hour. Yeah, it was in the good old days when you didn't need tons of money to get a 2-year degree. 

Anyway, that started my college career. And I hadn't been in there in years. It was weird going back. This is the staircase down to the cafeteria (which is where I got my shot). It's been a long, long time, and it brought back some great memories. 

Have you ever been back to your college? How long was it? And how did it feel?

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