More Than I Expected...

Well. That didn't go as expected. I thought I had about 6-7" on that Long Sands Tee. Seems like I was wrong. I had most of the front done. 

I frogged it anyway.  Took me most of the afternoon. I cut out a join that I had used; untangled a bunch of knots (I have got to get better about either ending the ball at the seam or weaving in my ends, since this is in the round...), and generally picked my way through it till it was all nicely set back into the raw material that I started with. 

I was working away at my sock (more on that below), and I thought, "I have to grab that thing; I need to frog it today." Call it an irresistable impulse. I thought I knew where it was, but it took me a couple times to find it in the office - slash - junk room (#goals will be to clean that thing out once my hip is rehabbed...It's making me nuts). 

I found the bag, and sat down with "Star Trek: Enterprise" on the TV and started ripping. And ripping. And ripping. 

As you can see, that's a whack of knitting to rip out. I don't know why I thought I had less done. 

Luckily, it's linen, so it can kind of take a pounding. I unwound four balls. Four. As you can see, I have a total of seven hanks. And that dinky little ball is the "two ball cast on" technique that I have to revisit so that I can get the thing cast on in one go rather than try to estimate a couple hundred stitches and have to do it over a couple of times. I had found that on YouTube, and I really liked it. I don't know why I didn't do it this time, but I'm going to give it a go this next cast on. Since it's smaller than the size I initially knitted, it should be enough on that dinky ball. I know it's a risk; I may be in the same trouble of having to rip the thing out if it doesn't work. But again -- linen yarn can take it. 

I'm "getting a leg on" with the Petty Harbour sock. I think the reason I wanted to frog the Long Sands is just that I wanted a break from the leg of the sock. It's not like it's a forever-long leg, either, but I have to say I've been very faithful to this project, and I just needed to do something a little different. 

Ripping things apart usually does that for me. I've got a little over 3" on the leg, and it's a 5" length, so by tomorrow, I should be able to start the heel flap. 

I'm already imagining the rest of this yarn as the tops of a pair of scrappy socks. I'd have to knit those 2 at a time, just to make sure I got all my colors in a row. I need to investigate the "leftovers" bag to see what I've got there. I know it'll be colorful, if nothing else. 

I will have to wait to re-start the Long Sands; probably a month, so the yarn gets a chance to relax. So I could pick up a shawl I have sitting around; I'm not about to frog that puppy - it's about 2/3 done and it would be nice to have it ready for the holidays. I know - thinking ahead for once! 

Monarchs...

So we're trying to control our milkweed population. We really went nuts the first year and had far too many plants; they almost took over the whole wildflower bed, which wasn't my intention. Gradually, over the last few years, we've pulled them out and kind of tried to have order among chaos. This year, what with my hip and all, we really have done nothing with the garden and it's looking rather pathetic. 

A drought doesn't help, just so you know. 

Anyway, I was sitting on the porch the other day and noticed a Monarch butterfly dancing among the few milkweeds we had. 

And we always have some stragglers in the yard; Hubby tries to pull them up or mow them down - and it's a constant battle. Well, Mama Monarch decides to lay her ONE EGG on the one plant in the lawn. 

Seriously. You can see the tiny speck she laid there. Hubby is NOT amused that I want to put a cage over the plant. I have been trying to establish a Monarch garden for a while, and we just haven't had any luck. This time, of course, she picks the worst place. 

You can't mess with Mother Nature, that's for sure. 

The Hip...

I don't know if this is true for others, but over the past two days, it's like a switch has flipped. I'm walking better with the cane, my appetite is back (which is a blessing and a curse...), and most all systems are back to normal. Except my bowels (yeah, TMI) have been a bit slow to recover. 

I'm being a renegade and stopping the iron pill. Those things always give me tummy trouble, and I don't need any help there. 

The PT is amazed at the change in my gait. We start to do the hard work on Monday; I had the evaluation and it was a lot of walking up and down so he could see how I did, and some measurements were taken. 

I'm still doing some of the home PT that I was given, as well as trying to walk more each day. 

Random Picture...

Memorializing my first post-surgery meal in the hospital, it was an egg salad sandwich, small salad and tea. Now mind you, I'd been having IV fluids, and at least 2 of those large styrofoam glasses of water. 

And yet I had to gag that sandwich down. I was hungry, but I honestly thought I'd choke on it because my throat was so dry. Perhaps I should've stuck to soup...

The hospital has an interesting set-up - you can call and order your meals anytime from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. - kind of like a concierge kitchen. My favorite sandwich is egg salad, though mine is more wet than they make theirs. 

At that point, beggars couldn't be choosers, I suppose. Anyway, it was food, it was tea and I was both hungry and under-caffeinated. So it worked.