Warrior's Drink...

I don't care how many stool softeners they give you. Warm prune juice. That is all. And as to the image, IYKYK...

This is wayyyyyyyyyyy too much TMI, but if you've ever been under general anaesthesia, you know it can wreak havoc with your stomach and your other systems. So not only are you foggy-brained, but you can't pee or poop for a while. 

So I had my hip replaced on Friday, June 23. I was truly pain-free for the first 24 hours post-surgery. There was no 16-penny nail hammering into my hip, there was no knee pain, nothing. Except my back hurt because I don't sleep on my back and I had to. The hospital bed allowed me to tilt my head up and I was able to bend my knees a bit by raising the base of the bed, so it wasn't miserable. And they were in and out all night checking on me, so there was that. 

I really liked the "leg massage devices" they used on my legs, and I wish I'd have had the option to take them home. The nurses said a lot of people object, but it's like -- it's to prevent a life-threatening clot. What's to object? 

I also came home with a "wound vac" which I wasn't expecting. It occasionally growls at me. But nothing is coming out, which is apparently a good thing. 

Thankfully, I had pooped (see, TMI) the morning before my surgery - one of the blessings of not having to be up at "rooster o'clock" for the procedure. Because I knew I would have all kinds of meds, I knew there would be some stool softeners. And - pain meds kill my appetite. They honestly don't do much for pain, and they make me want to vomit, which seems beside the point - so while I'm doing the minimum so I don't get caught up in the pain, I have been having the "I really don't want to eat" thing. And of course: nothing in, nothing out. 

Funny story: Part 1 -- I was up and walking with assistance 2 hours after I was out of recovery. They do not mess around. 

Part 2 -- I hadn't had any pain meds, and the nurse said "just take it, you will wish you had" and so I did. Anyway, I was up and going to the bathroom. They turned the sink on - that trick apparently works for potty-training kids, and adults with sleepy bladders. I peed, they said, "nope, there's more. Try again." So I did. And there was. I've never had my bladder take this long to wake up. 

Part 3 -- I was getting ready to be discharged (which did take forever, the only bad part) and not only did ALL MY PAIN RECEPTORS WAKE UP but so did my bladder. So it's "ouch, pee, ouch, pee, ouch, pee..." Luckily, I made it to the toilet in good time. 

Still no poop. I'd been faithfully taking my stool softeners, but like I said, not eating too much. I was feeling really queasy and was about to send Hubby out to get a laxative (which is what the home health nurse recommended, because you have to wake up your system). Instead, I had him warm up about 1 cup of prune juice. I prefer it warmed for the purpose I was planning. 

And...in the middle of his conference call, I stood up, and I said, "You need to help me" because we have a dog gate and he lifts the walker over it. He looked at me and said, "You're moving with a purpose." Yep. I was. 

Success. That is all. 

The Knitting...

Petty Harbour #1 is done. I finished it Thursday night and started #2. I'm at the ribbing already. I want to plow through, then frog Long Sands. And then start that one. And finish the other blue singleton. 

I'm still very much loving the yarn and I think that, while I've seen this pattern done in a variegated yarn, for me - a solid is the way to go. But also - nothing too dark. I find that the older I get, the less I like knitting with black or dark navy. Hard to see the stitches. 

This sock fits really well. I was a bit worried because it's smaller than I would usually knit. But when I tried it on, it was not too snug, and it had plenty of room in both the toes and the heel. 

I'm not even too bummed about the short leg. I think it's definitely the softness of the yarn, so I'm also hoping that it wears as well as it feels. 

It's always nice to see that your initial instinct for a colorway and pattern work out so well. I wasn't quite sure about this khaki color, but it has worked out just fine and I could see this in maybe a medium blue, or -- finally -- a purple, seeing as it's my favorite color and I have ZERO socks in that color. 

And I have a life-hack for you, my knitterly friends! You know Kitchener Stitch and that set-up row? Well. Eliminate the set-up row. Start right in with Row #1 and you won't get "ears" on your sock. Who knew?? 

I like Kitchener, though I know some folks don't. I prefer a star toe, though, because it does fit my feet better. I just massively dislike the ears I used to get on the Kitchener bind off. And I think a 3-needle bindoff for a sock is one step too fiddly. And for a sock knitter to worry about "fiddly" is saying something!

I think that #2 will work up pretty quickly. The pattern repeats on the leg are easily memorized and once you get the hang of it, the whole sock just kind of flows. And of course, it's the shorter leg. 

One of the other things I want to do is to try to do an "arch support" on the bottom of the instep. That's a pattern for another day, though. 

Random Picture...

This is Prairie Blazing Star. It should be blooming in my garden right about now, but since we had what we can kindly call a weird spring, and we're in a drought, I've got greens but no blossoms. Soon enough, I expect. Hubby said he saw a Monarch Butterfly on the milkweed, so I know that the native plants are making an impact. 

My Brown-Eyed Susans are also behind, as is the Bee Balm. I think Mother Nature is just taking her own time, as she should. I will have flowers eventually. 

What's growing in your garden this summer? Inquiring minds want to know! 

DEFCON 5

It's really weird to talk to the hospital as they give you pre-op instructions. "Take this medication, have a driver. Do not take that medication. No food or water after midnight the night before, but in the morning you can take this pill with a sip of water. Shower the night before and the morning of, using Dial or other antibacterial soap."

And from the doctor's office: "5 days prior to your surgery you're going to be doing a major antibacterial detox using Hibiclens showers once a day, and then the night before the surgery, scrubbing yourself with a special anti-bacterial wipe, and then do that again in the morning before surgery..." and they'll be scrubbing you AGAIN when they get you on the table. 

I was tempted to do the "hospital version," till a friend of mine said, "You know, the orthopedic surgeon is basically sticking a big metal and porcelain piece of equipment into your body. He's asking you to go DEFCON 5 so that you don't accidentally transmit any bacteria into the surgical site, which will go directly to the bone." 

OK. So we're going DEFCON 5. I've never felt so...sterile. Though it's a sink bath. Because I'm - quite honestly - scared witless of slipping in the shower; even though we have grab bars, a non-slip mat and there's a seat there, it's all in my head, and then there's the "get out" part. It's about 2" to step over and shifting weight onto the left leg at this point is an iffy proposition. My leg hurts. And it's kind of my own fault...

The other day, Hubby was out. I made lunch (which I could carry in a pocket, it was a sandwich that I put into a plastic container) and some chai. That was in a travel cup. I have a very small house, so I'm lucky enough (?) to have little waystations where, if I'm careful, I can move something, bit by bit, to my point of destination. 

I got careless. I was stumping along with my 2 sticks, thinking how slick I was, and I grabbed the travel cup wrong. The lid sprang off, the bottom (14 oz) fell to the ground, and chai went. All. Over. The. Place. It was on the couch. On the sewing machine. On the floor. On the dog. On me. On. The. Ceiling... 

To say I was dismayed would be an understatement. Hubby was not long gone, so I had no recourse. I stumped back to the kitchen, told Quinn to "leave it" (the last thing I need is a dog buzzed on chai and sugar). Grabbed a towel and a roll of paper towels and started to mop up. I sponged it off the knick-knacks on the sewing machine. Wiped off the legs - of the sewing machine cabinet and then my own legs. Got it off the couch, where I could see it. Then, the floor. Ice cubes and chai. Me on sticks. What's a girl to do? 

I got down onto the floor, on my knees (yeah, about as much fun as you'd think) and started to gather the cubes into the cup, and swab up the chai. There was no way I was going to be able to mop, but if I could get it up off the floor, at least that was something; Hubby could mop. 

Quinn just settled herself on the rug near the TV, well out of the way. 

I got it all up. Managed to get MYSELF up off the floor in a very wonky wide-legged downward-facing dog in reverse. It was not fun. I got myself to the kitchen and rinsed out the towel. Put the paper towels in a small bag and left them there for a bit. Sank into my chair and wanted to just weep. Ate my sandwich. Took a fitful nap and berated myself more than a bit.

And Hubby mopped after he got home. He and I didn't notice that it got to the ceiling till the other day... And that's cleaned now too. 

The Knitting...

I don't know why I'm dallying. Usually at this point, I'm whizzing along to get the sock finished, but I'm doing bit by bit on the toe of the first Petty Harbour. I know part of it is me being fidgety. I hurt, in my hip and in my hands (death grip on the canes). The surgery is this Friday (it's Tuesday as I type this). 

Tonight, I have a Zoom meeting, but before then, I'll try to get a few more rows in. Tomorrow, I'm at the office till late - the last office visit till I'm let loose by the docs, so I have several things that must be done. And that 12-hr day wipes me out. I don't get home till 7 p.m. and I can't do much for meals, because I'm careful of what I can carry in safely, since I probably -- if I had any sense at all -- would have planned to stay home like any normal person. 

The sock was started December 19. 2017...it's not like I'm in a hurry. Maybe if I can get this one done in the next few days, I'll feel better. 

I will look in the stash after the surgery to see what I might have to do another pair of these. I like the texture on the leg; and maybe the next pair will be pattern on leg only, which is my usual style. 

I know I'm not frogging the Long Sands till after surgery. I just figured that would be a good "between walks" project. 

Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll start the second Petty Harbour sock before surgery. Not counting on it, but one never knows. I just can't seem to focus on much right now. 

Random Picture...

This will be a very short blog, kids. Again - that lack of focus thing... This was Quinn yesterday.

Totally zonked and getting some of her "solid 18" in the form of a snorting, snoring nap in the afternoon. She even slept through several people walking across the street. She didn't even mind the little bit of blanket covering her nose, which normally would have bugged her. 

Normally, if a cricket farts 3 blocks over or a leaf drops in the next town, she's going nuts barking. As a senior (she's 12 now), the sleeps are deeper. It's sort of melancholy to watch, because I know that she's getting older. Does she drive me nuts sometimes? Yeah. But. She's my Quinnie... 

Standing on One Leg...

Well, I used to joke that "I can stand on one leg an awfully long time..." 

And I realized now, that, yes, I actually have been standing on one leg an awfully long time. From what I can figure, about 18 months. 

As I get closer to my surgery date (it's 10 days from today), I am feeling the injury more and more. Sleep is a little harder to come by. I ended up one day on my recliner, which was a good idea, but wasn't, since Hubby gets up before the roosters. 

I actually have 3 yoga blocks next to the bed (it's a Sleep-Number, so it's a bit higher than a normal bed), and I use those to step up so I can actually get into it. I put my "good" foot on the block, then the injured one, put the "good" knee on the mattress and swing my rear end around, with my "good" leg supporting the injured one. It's a 9 out of 10 usually! 

Anyway, I'm both looking forward to the surgery and having generally an attack of nerves, as one does when one contemplates a major operation. My overall facade is calm, but my stomach has other ideas. Oh well, I guess a couple more pounds lost before surgery is a good idea. 

I miss my sister. I want her here to talk to and be my back-up. 

The Knitting...

I finished The World's Ugliest Socks. I measured, but my tension on the second sock is almost totally different. It's looking a bit smaller, but I'm going with it. It should be fine, and I'm not too worried. Nobody is looking at my feet anyway. 

What I like: I like the star toe. I think I've finally found a pattern that will work easily, and while it's on 64 stitches, I will play with it to see if it's workable for other stitch amounts. I usually do 68 stitches, but if these fit ok, then I might be able to stick with 64, which is where I see a lot of women's sock patterns written. 

I like the colorway overall, but for me, I don't wear a lot of orange and it's still strange that this will be the 3rd(?) pair with green and orange. I think it was probably the name of the sock yarn that grabbed me, which I believe was St. Charles. Long story, for another blog. 

I still like my Eye of Partridge with Selvedge heel. It's sturdy and it looks good. I think I picked up too many stitches for the gusset, though (see next paragraph). 

What I don't like: I don't think I'll be doing a 3" heel flap again. It's a bit too big. I think I'm somewhere around 2.5" and I need to stick with that. With the 3" heel flap, there's a CRAP-TON a lot of stitches to pick up and then that makes the gusset wonky. It makes an odd gap-y thing from the heel to the first bit of the gusset, which you can kind of see in the top sock. The top sock is on top because it's the one with the least mistakes. 

I don't really like the texture of the yarn. It's scratchy. Now granted, this project was from 2017. (Yes. 2017) But wool is wool. It's more scratchy than Opal, which - while it's my go-to - IS scratchy till you wear/wash a few times. 

I have a few more hanks of Lorna's Laces; not sure if I'll use them for a shawl or a pair of socks. I will have to see what's in the stash. I did ask Hubby to pull up a bag from a stash tote we have in one of the closets. But eventually, I just looked at what was tucked into project bags alongside my knitting chair. 

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I have this sock -- and I can't find the pattern. Not only that, but I'm not sure which yarn it is. I'm almost sure it's Opal, because that's what 90% of my sock yarn in balls is. 

All I know is that it has a Strong Heel and a square-ish toe. I've looked through my clipboard and two notebooks, but I can't find it. What I might do is take advantage of the current "sort of matched socks" trend and do maybe a 6x2 rib or something close. Who knows? Maybe that's what I did anyway. I can't seem to get a good count on the pattern itself on the sock that's done. And I have absolutely NO idea where the pattern is. Of course, I know I will find it it will magically appear after the second sock is done. But that's coming later. 

For now, I've picked up Petty Harbour (yes, UK spelling, that's how the pattern references it). I'm loving the Cascade Superwash Merino sock yarn. It's sooooooooo squishy. And I like the khaki color because it really shows the pattern. What I don't really like is the 5" leg - it's a bit on the short side for me, but I'm so far along (on the foot now) that I'm absolutely not going to frog. When I look in my sock box, I note that my first few pairs were with a 5" leg. As I got better at it, I got better at customizing the parts. 

And honestly, it's beautiful. I'll live with it and when I do this pattern again - which I will, in a different solid color - I can do the 7" leg I want. 

The only concern I have is that it's so squishy that it won't wear well. This is the only pair I will have which is made from Cascade sock yarn. I remember the Robin's Egg Madelaine Tosh yarn. I was so happy with its squishy-ness, and that pair of socks has pilled like crazy. I don't wear them often because of how pill-y they are. They also have a 5" leg. Just sayin'... 

That being said, my experience with the Cascade has led me to the idea to use it for a shawl. It would be lovely as a cowl, too. So if by chance there's a hank or two in my stash (and I honestly don't know. I don't think so, but you never know...), I could use it for something like that rather than socks. This would be gorgeous as the Sally Melville "Wingspan" neck wrap. 

And, I'm going FROGGING. The Long Sands Tee? Well. I've lost about 20 pounds. The pattern has a little over 13" of positive ease (which means it's "flowy" in the first place). The size I was knitting was for my previous weight. I'm afraid that with this weight loss, it won't look "flowy," but will look like, "she didn't know how to knit the right size" and I'll be swimming in it. No picture for now; what I last posted was the last time I worked on it. 

Lucky for me, I've only done about 6" of it, so I may as well frog and do it over. And it'll allow me to fix some of the mistakes I had in the original one. This is the one main reason I stick to socks and shawls. My weight fluctuates too much. 

Long Sands is meant to be worn over a camisole or tank top, as it's in linen and knitted on larger needles. But even if I gain some of it back, there's enough ease in there for me to have some room. I'm hopeful, of course, that I won't gain it back, with the new hip and being able to actually, you know, WALK and stuff like that. 

The Indictment...

It is my fervent hope that TeflonDon has something stick to him. We were all happy about Merrick Garland, who seems to have misplaced not only his sense of justice, but his spine as well. I don't see anything coming out of him, except that he had sense enough to appoint Jack Smith. Who has his own checkered past as far as conviction rates, but for the love of Justice? Merrick, dude. You're playing wayyyyyyy too safe by allowing Mango Mussolini to get away with all that he's gotten away with. Is it reverence to the cult or a perceived loyalty to the Federalist Society? He's billed as a "moderate liberal" who is "pro-prosecution," but in this case? He seems to be running away from any hint of prosecution. 

And the grift continues. Mango Mussolini pled not-guilty. I'm sorry, I know it's part of the process, but there's ample evidence that he did indeed not only take the documents, but showed them off, and had no intention of giving them back. 

I want to know what's buried with Ivana. 

Social media is awash (in parts where, honestly, I don't go) with conspiracy theorists who are this very day protesting the indictment. What is it about this guy? What makes him such a cult figure? Whatever it is, it is that which makes him so dangerous for this country and this political system. 

We weren't founded on the premise of a demi-god or a king. We walked away from that when the tea was dumped in the harbor and we stayed away. 

As we watch rights being stripped from women, the Black community, the LGBTQIA+ community - as we watch the Supreme Court - our last, best hope for justice - become just one more vessel of governmental corruption; as we watch our children and grandchildren act as literal and actual sacrifices to the gun lobby and the politicians they've purchased? The last thing we need is a cult leader who's only in it to grift and sell our nation to the highest bidder. Which might be Saudi Arabia, North Korea, or China. Russia, while it would be the ultimate coup, is in no position. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we've already been sold to Putin by his puppet. 

I don't know about you, but I'm so overwhelmed. It's been a battle since that trip down the golden staircase. Outrage after outrage. Dumping of norms. Incivility on a massive scale. A pandemic that killed millions. Almost total destruction of what was a once-honorable profession of journalism for the more "palatable" concept of "info-tainment" where there's more entertainment and less "info" to be had. Lying with absolute impunity. Long-established rights stripped with glee. And more of that to come, kids. 

It's exhausting. Technically, we outnumber the rabid voices. But we need to be committed to doing the work. We need to turn out. We need, overall, to be a lot less "nice" and start calling out the lying liars and turning their tactics back on them. This isn't how I expected to spend my time. But if I want my nieces and nephews, and my GRAND-nieces & nephews, to have a world fit to live in? I've gotta keep going. 

Are you in with me? This is an all-hands-on-deck situation, folks. We're fighting for the lives of those who will come after us. 

Random Picture...

Peeps. You either love them or hate them. I personally love them. Stale, if possible, because they're better that way. 

So my oldest friend, knowing I wasn't out and about, got me a package. And yes, I ate them. Not all at once, but I didn't let them go as stale as I usually would. 

I'm a traditionalist. Just give me the birdies. No bunnies. No funky colors. No flavor changes. Just the marshmallow goodness and the sugar rush. It's a thing. I believe I'm the only one in my family who eats them. 

It's good to be an individual!

June 23, 2023

Well. It had to happen, and so it did. My hip is, according to one doctor, "trashed," and to the surgeon, "really, really bad." 

So surgery has been set up. Coincidentally, on a date which is important to me and which will be easy to remember. And, it's about 3 weeks away, which doesn't give me a lot of time to freak out. 

Unfortunately, I was so shocked at the xrays that I didn't snap a picture. Let's put it this way: First of all, it's been TWO years, not one, which I thought. And second, I went, in TWO years, from "ok, but arthritic," to "the head of your femur is destroyed." I couldn't tell where the socket ended and the femur began. In a way, it's nice confirmation that it is indeed as bad as it feels. But in another way, it's freaking shocking. 

"Do you have any questions?" said the doctor. Yeah. How soon can I get this done! They did say they'd "expedite" it, but you never know. Lo and behold, I was asked which hospital I wanted, and they gave me the date. 

They needed more x-rays, including one standing up, which wasn't pretty. That being said, when the techs had to help me swing my left leg back over the table to get down, it went into quite the "snap, crackle, pop, and lock" routine. They were so sympathetic, but it wasn't exactly painful - it was more noisy and uncomfortable. It's when I have to walk or stand where it kills me. 

I'm chuffed, because it's been horrible. But I'm also scared. But I'm also looking forward to getting my life back. 

I've been using a TENS unit on my knee. Yeah, the hip is shot, but you know the old "knee bone connected to the hip bone" jingle. My knee took the brunt of being unable to bear weight, so the TENS unit has been helping me keep the pain within range. 

One of the gals at work gave me a walker, which you'd think was a great idea. It is, and it isn't. I tend to baby the left leg more with a walker, and I need to make sure that I'm not making it worse. And I do need to bring the walker to the hospital for therapy/rehab, but from what I understand, they'll want to get a patient off all assistive aids as soon as possible. The doctor said that I would not feel the arthritic pain, but since my leg has lost a lot of muscle tone, the new joint is going to want to move, but the muscles will be out of whack. That sounds like fun. 

The Knitting...

I'm on the foot of the second sock. I've just been working away at this, figuring that I'd have my "hip replacement socks" done. Then I can move on. 

I have a kit of a baby sweater that I want to do; I've had it in stash for a few years; the original recipient is now 12 years old. But I have a Little Bug to knit for again, so if I can get my act together, this sweater will be out of stash and ON A BABY! It's a beautiful dusty rose boucle yarn. I don't think the kit includes buttons, but I can get those. That's the least of my worries. I think the kit has a button band, which is a first for me. Lucky, the Little Bug is still...little. 

Except for a few blips, which seem to be in every thing I knit, this sock is definitely going smoother than the last one. Of course, the last one sat for 10 years wayyyyyyyyyyyy too long and my brain was mushy from baby knitting. No excuse, but it was like I had completely forgotten how to knit a sock. 

I believe I can finish this one by the date of surgery. I'm not teaching, having subbed all my classes. So my evenings are free...

I have to get myself back on the Long Sands Tee, otherwise that will sit for another 10 years wayyyyy too long. And I do want to wear that sometime this year. 

I also bought another shawl pattern because I do have a few single skeins of sock yarn in the stash which I really don't want to use for socks. I bought them specifically for a shawl or shawlette. 

As far as I know, there are no more babies in the pipeline, so I can now concentrate on some of the projects that I had had to set aside due to said baby knitting. Not that I mind it - I love knitting for babies, and I really do want to do a "Baby Surprise Jacket" just to do it. You can always stash one of those, right? And I'd like to learn the EZ method without having to be on a baby deadline. 

The Postcards...

The squeaky wheel ministry continues. I wrote a batch to the Supreme Court with that perfect quote from Thomas Paine: "A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody." I asked some if they would get the heat put under other justices to actually effect meaningful ethics reform, and I asked the other ones if they wanted their legacies to be as unethical losers... You can guess which is which. 

I've also been working on postcards to the various committees and generally to legislators letting them know how I feel. 

The postcards were from an online printer, and so the investment was relatively small. It's an easy way to make an impact and a point. Not sure who's listening, but I'm contacting them and making myself a pest, so there's that. 

You can write to compliment. You can write to complain. It's an easy way to get your voice heard. 

Random Picture...

Now you know I'm not any kind of "influencer," and I don't get any compensation fromanyone for anything, but I do have to rave about a new product I found. It's called "Tablespoon Chai" from The Republic of Tea. It's so super easy, it's spicy, and not too sweet. I just love it. 

I tried to make my own blend, and I really couldn't get the hang of it. There are some great recipes, but for some reason, they never tasted right.

I was dedicated to Tazo's brand, till it got to be too sweet for my taste. This isn't. There's a nice after-bite that I appreciate. 

If you are so inclined, try it! I find chai a nice alternative to the matcha I usually drink, and I make mine with oat milk. Hot or iced, it's really delicious. It's black tea, so unless you're related to Hubby, this is a morning-to-early-afternoon drink. Anytime, for me, after 3 p.m., and I'm counting sheep. And counting sheep. And counting sheep.... 

Humble Up...

 ...well, I pulled the metaphorical trigger. I finally went to the orthopedic doc and we have a date to meet the surgeon on June 1. I'm shedding my hip and getting a new one. I'm over it. I'm in constant pain, and I don't want to hold off till my posture is permanently ruined. 

I've told people and they say, "You're so calm." I'm not. I'm terrified. I feel like I've left it too long, yet I also feel like I should have more time before I make this decision. In reality, I am kind of where I'm at. The head of my femur is flattening, so I'm not imagining the sound effects and the pain. 

So. That's done. Moving on. 

I'm home from the day job - they basically said, "bye-girl, work from home!" though I'm going in one day a week. And I've subbed out my yoga classes till this is done and I'm released. 

I've had to ask for help, and that is so freakin' hard. But I've had to realize that those who want to help me, they want to do it because they care. And it's a grace to allow the help. And, frankly, it's helpful. So I've got help on all sides and it's really amazing. I'm very self-sufficient. Just let me do it and get out of my way (please). But to have people offer everything from rides to meals to prayers to "can I just take this over to the other building for you?" -- talk about humbling. 

For now, I'm using two canes. Kind of like a walker. I was using one cane, but my right hand is numb from bearing the weight, and my right shoulder is popping. Not what I need. 

The Knitting...

New #goals -- The orange 8x8 rib sock (the second one) is my "hip sock." As long as I'm sitting here on my butt between light exercise sessions, I'm knitting. I'm also watching movies. Knitting to movies is a good thing. 

This also helps eliminate "Second Sock Syndrome." I may as well get this thing done. 

I was chilly the other day. So, since Hubby wasn't home and I can't get a normal pair of socks on by myself (at least on the left foot), I grabbed the FIRST PAIR of socks I ever made. Yes. I still have them. They're made of Encore Worsted, and I knitted them on size 7 DPNs. 

Frankly, they're "house socks." The yarn pills like crazy for socks, and it's mostly acrylic. It's thick, and on days when your toes are cold, they fit nicely. And -- I can get them on one-handed! 

I was struck because -- look at the picture. So I don't really even like orange. It's not in my top 10 favorite colors and it looks horrible on me. And yet - this is the third pair that has orange in it. What is that???

The sock on the bottom of this picture is the First Sock. The colorway of this current sock is too close! And there's another pair that's a green + orange combo. Not sure what that's about, but apparently, this colorway has called to me more than once. 

If you notice, you may tend toward the same colorways. Now, I love purple. But I have yet to make a purple pair of socks. Or even socks with a hint of purple. Why is that? I've got lots of greys and blues. But not even my favorite color. It does make you wonder. 

The Movies...

So today's movie is "A Chorus Line," whihc I remember doing as a musicial in high school. My all-girls Catholic high school. Oh dear God... 

I mean, I've seen the movie many times. But I didn't realize till today just how much the Sisters cut out of that thing to make it palatable for supposedly innocent high school girls. 

The songs are spectacular. "What I Did for Love" is one of my all-time favorites. I could belt that sucker out like a Broadway star. Unfortunately...I can't dance a lick. I mean, I was never in dance lessons, and the girls who got the parts weren't particularly strong vocally. But they went to The Local Dance School. So they got the goodies. I was in the non-dancing chorus when they needed me because I could sing soprano (first and second), alto, and tenor. So you could hear me, but I was usually not anywhere near a spotlight. Often, I was a voice off-stage because I was really good at make-up so I was normally the one who did everyone's faces. 

Not that I'm jealous, but it did sting a bit because I have always had a good voice - and I'm not bragging. The Sisters told me, and they were not prone to giving praise. Humility was their thing. Don't let your light shine (though they did love the academic prowess of our students since we were college-prep). Don't stand out. Just blend in. Must be the convent mentality, and of course, we were all in plaid uniforms...like couch covers!

Anyway, watching the movie and singing the songs that I remember. And admiring the athletic ability of the dancers. It's a sad story all in all, but it's a well-written story. 

Later on, I'll check what's on because I'm going to be knitting. 

Mother's Day...

We had a quiet Mother's Day. Kid #2 came over. Kid #1 called. I have a lovely calla lilly. I think I can plant it in the ground, but I think we're just going to put it in a pot. It's not going to last over the winter because we're not in the right zone, and I'm not inclined to bring it in and over-winter it. I've never had one before, and I've seen different varieties growing here - the more hardy ones. They aren't as pretty, but then again, these are beautiful, but delicate. 

I once decorated a wedding cake with the black ones, which you might think was creepy. But it was pretty elegant. We had burgundy ribbon around the cake, and the flowers were in the center of each tier. They were tied with matching ribbon and it was really prettier than I thought it would be. 

Random Picture...

I'm back to writing postcards. It's important to be in touch with your legislators, and let them know what you're thinking. Whether it's praising them for a job well done -- and let's face it, they get more complaints than compliments, so be nice where it's deserved -- or telling them how you feel about a particular piece of legislation. 

The postcards are an easy way to communicate. They force you to concentrate your message, and get to the point. And they're different. It's easy to ignore an email and it's easy to "not get the message" when you call the office. 

Postcards stand out. Whether you use an online print place to do special postcards (which I did, cost me about $25 for 100 of them) or you go find postcards and buy them - either way. There are a multitude of options. 

I know a person who used to be a state legislator, and I asked him what was the most effective way of communicating. He told me, "Anything handwritten." Becaes if people took the time to actually write something, rather than even typing it out, it's obviously important to them. 

So. Write your legislators. It is that important. 

50%

Well. Given enough time on my butt and enough "Bar Rescue" (don't judge...), the first sock is done. I can now move my ticker to 50% and I've started on Sock #2. I panicked for a moment, because for some reason, I thought I had less yarn to work with, being as I made such a rookie boo-boo on sock #1, but I'm pretty sure that I'll have enough. There may be less "left-over," which is fine with me. I feel like I have quite a good haul of left-overs for at least 2 pairs of scrappy socks. 

I will point out a few things; take them as a learning experience or leave them - if you've been a knitter for any length of time, I'm sure some sort of "knitting screw-up" has happened to you. 

As you can see at the heel flap and across the ankle, there's a line of purl stitches. That would be because, after an intense spate of baby knitting (see prior blogs), I picked this sock up after a long, long, long, LONG time. The yarn is easily 10 years old, Lorna's Laces, and I think the colorway is St. Charles. I remember because I had hopes of getting a job where St. Charles was concerned. And - as I recally, these were going to be a set of 4x4 rib socks, but I frogged them when I dropped a load of stitches (like an entire needle's worth) and got frustrated. 

Ahem. I digress. What I did here to create that lovely purl ridge, which goes all the way around, mind you, was to ... knit backward. I literally knitted from left-to-right somehow, not quite knowing what I was doing. 

Do I know why I did that? I do not. Why didn't I just frog it? I do not know that either. I think it was me being in a mood and saying something like "screw it, it's just a sock..." 

So I corrected course and started the gusset. And as you can see by the little raised spots, I totally grabbed too many stitches on the heel flap. Now, mind you, the heel flap is a whole 3" because I needed more than the 2" originally in the pattern. I find that somewhere between 2.5" and 3" is better for my heel. Anyway. The gusset went on. And on. And on. And on. I ended up taking k2tog several times as I did the sole, just to tighten it up a bit. 

Again - truly. No disrespect, but it's just a sock. Most of the stuff I screwed up will be in a shoe. 

But then there's the toe. The toe is, totally and completely, a thing of beauty. I believe I've finally found a star toe that I like. It's just perfect. I prefer the star toe mostly because it fits one's foot better. The rounded toe and the traditional "paired decrease" toe can tend, when I'm knitting them, to have "ears" at the sides, and I don't like that. To avoid it? Star toe. 

I have to say, I love the colorway. I love the even stitches. And the only odd thing to me is the really long gusset. I attribute that to the mess-up as noted above. As you see, I don't carry the pattern down the top of the foot. I don't like how it feels. Never have. My own preference. You do you. 

That's the beauty of socks. You can make them yours. 

I think that next time, I'll grab TWO sets of DPNs, and try knitting two at a time. How bad can that be? I mean, at least I'll get a pair finished by the time I'm 70. 

I did start Sock #2 right away. No sense faffing about. Get it going, deal with it ASAP. And hopefully, I won't make the same mistakes twice. I don't need these to match. Though I did play a bit of yarn chicken on the cast on. Gotta have some fun, I suppose. 

End of an Era...

Hubby has been on a cleaning kick. Not just "housework" cleaning, but Swedish Death Cleaning. The city is putting new water meters into the houses, and ours is in our basement. He got a bug in his butt to clean the basement. 

I've been nagging suggesting that he and I tackle that project for....years. We have stuff that's just archaeological by this time. 

So the basement is now 99% organized. There are boxes I need to go through, and holiday decorations to sort. But all in all, it's a done deal. 

Let's just say we'll have a lot of stuff for the upcoming church rummage sale!

Then he moved on to the kitchen. And we finally decided to put Tippi's crate out on the curb. She's been gone 2 years now. I still feel the hole in my heart, but it was truly time. I now have a small shelf there, with the dog treats, various kitchen supplies and a spot where I can stash my purse when I come in. 

Her crate was picked up rather quickly. I'm trying to be ok with it, and it may sound weird, but when you have a dog who's been a part of your life for so long, there's still an absence there. 

Realistically, we won't have another dog. Maybe we might foster, but that's not a decision we can make right now. But I have many good memories. 

Mother Nature...

Mother Nature is having a hissy fit of massive proportions. Yesterday, Hubby went over to mow the church. I texted, "Hey, it's bucketing rain here." Then I texted, "Hey, it's snowing." And then I texted, "Hey, the sun is shining."

All in about 4 hours. My friend in Alaska asked if Illinois got "break-up" and apparently, we do now. 

This was what I had on my radio a week ago. Today, I'm sitting here in a sweatshirt. 

I had actually put on the AC in the studio for class one day, because it was in the 80s in the practice area. Too hot for us!

Today, it's sunny, with a slight breeze, but still - in the low 50s. And next week, it's May. 

I have the sad suspicion that we had spring, about 10 minutes of it, and we'll whomp right into summer. I hate when that happens. 

It's going to be another week of freeze warnings here. And next week is May. In the midwest, we're being told that this is going to be the norm now. Joy. 

Random Picture...

One of the things that many people comment on in our church is our beautiful stained glass. It's in a really different style from many churches, where the figures are clearly depicted in medallions within the entire pane of glass. 

Behind our altar are the angels: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and one more, who I can't remember! I really love the colors of these windows, when the sun shines through - literally jewel-toned light bouncing around the sanctuary. 

The church itself is black walnut on the bottom of the walls (about halfway down) and plaster up toward the vaulted roof. There's a pipe organ. The church has "homely" creaks and noises. Some say it's haunted, and that's cool. When I go in there, I always mentally say, "Good morning, God and all the ghosts!" 

One organist friend of mine said she felt "someone" come up behind her when she was practicing. She hoped it was a friendly spirit, since she was new at the organ and "I know I was making mistakes!" 

You'd think the colors would be jarring. They look like they absolutely don't go together. But they just ... do. I can't explain it. It just works!

Stripping...

I'm not talking about taking one's clothes off. I'm talking about stripping as in "removing." In this case, the out-in-the-open stripping of rights from women. 

Rights to bodily autonomy.

Rights to equality.

Rights to vote (I'm not kidding - it's being said out loud now...).

Rights to make our own choices. 

Are you terrified yet? If you have a uterus or vagina, you should be. And if you're not terrified, yet?? WAKE UP!! Just because it might not be happening in your area doesn't mean you're safe and sound. 

Crap like this, like venereal disease, will spread. Yes, I went there. The generation of women who are now coming into their own have LESS RIGHTS than I did when I was in high school. And I'm in my mid-60s. 

And I haven't even touched on the area of LGBTQIA+ issues, book banning, voter suppression, and gerrymandering. If women's issues aren't your jam, there are PLENTY of other things we need to get involved in!

Do something. Anything -- preferably something to create action. Call your legislators. Contact groups such as Planned Parenthood or NARAL or Center for Reproductive Rights, or National Organization for Women to get involved on a local level. 

There are so many other areas where you can get involved: Moms Demand Action, ACLU, your local organizations which empower women. Find them. Get yourself a mission and do it. Whether it's a postcard campaign, organizing around voting rights, helping by being an election judge, pollwatcher, or getting involved with a candidate whose vision aligns with yours -- go do that. 

Now, please. The rights of our daughters, grand-daughters and women in this country depend upon our actions. And yes, individual actions count. Never let yourself believe that you can't do something because "it doesn't matter." It does. More than you know. 

Oh, and VOTE!!! In EVERY election, local, consolidated, national... All of 'em. Enjoy the right that your grannies fought for. 

The Ugly Sock...

Well. It's not going to win a prize, but it's coming along. Judicious use of decreases on the "knit around" round helped me tighten up that gusset area. It's not perfect. It's not going to be frogged - I can live with it. 

I'm really at the point of just wanting to get this pair off the needles. I'm not sure whether I should try the "two at a time on separate circulars" thing. I don't care about whether my socks match; I think fraternals are cool. They're "close enough." So to me, (sorry) it's like a waste of yarn to cut a yard or so off just so the stripes match. 

So my task is to buckle down, get skippy, and knit. I've got a couple rows more of gusset decreases, then the foot. I'm doing NOTHING fancy; just a round toe. There are enough "design elements" that ended up in this one sock. Not going to make myself crazy about this.

Now, if I'm being honest,I really SHOULD pick up a singleton. Maybe "Bowties are Cool" - which at one point wouldn't have fit me, but since I've lost a pretty decent amount of weight, maybe it will. It's one of those patterns where, I got it because -- Dr. Who... but there's not much variance in sizing. It also uses Lorna's Laces, and I've got this glorious TARDIS blue yarn. It's a dark-ish navy, but not black-dark. The first sock is actually done and in my sock box. I really just need to get #2 done. 

Petty Harbour is also on the needles; the first one, I think partially down the leg. It's in a lovely tan color - a neutral I kinda love. 

Then there's Sole to Sole - a vanilla+ sock. Meaning, Vanilla with a bit of spark to it. There's a line of ribbing down the outside of each sock. It's a lovely self-striping blue/tan/gold colorway. 

And that's all I have on my mind right now. There are most likely others (just look at my project list alongside the blog...). But hey. Gal's gotta start somewhere, right?

She's Back...

So I was really worried about our Very Weird Winter. And it's not done yet. This week, it was gorgeous. GOR-----GEOUS!!! Like in the 70s and 80s and sunny. 

And Monday, rain + snow are forecast. Of course. 

My friend D wants a cutting from The Monster Bleeding Heart. But I was quite concerned, because I hadn't seen her pushing her way up thru the dirt. And I should have. 

Well, I needn't have worried. She's up and green. Hopefully, the weather won't kill her off. My friend is jazzed. She's admired this Monster for years, and was broken-hearted when I gave her a Bleeding Heart (not from mine, the timing wasn't right), and the lawn service she used mowed the thing down and killed it. 

For those who might be new here... The Monster Bleeding Heart has been in my garden for over 30 years. She's at the northwest corner of my front yard, and she kinda wraps around. On the true north side, she's bordered by lily of the valley and hostas. On the west side, she's got a fountain. Which the birds seem to think is their personal spa, because they empty it at least once daily "taking a shower" so she's well-watered. 

Across from her is the "baseball diamond bed" -- a bed that's shaped a bit like home plate. That is filled with native plants and some herbs - mostly for the hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. Bee balm, Prairie Blazing Star, Purple Coneflower, hyssop, Icelandic Poppy, and a few other things. 

At the other side of the yard is a bed of Brown-Eyed Susans, and that's where most of the feeders are located. 

In the next few weeks (even though I'm itching to do it NOW), I'll be getting at least 4 hanging baskets. I try for, again, stuff that is colorful, hardy (it's a west-facing yard, so it bakes in the summer) and which will attract the pollinators. 

Once upon a time, I had a gorgeous rose garden. I had about 50 bushes, people would walk down the block to see it. And then, our maple tree got a fungus. Bad. 

Two years, and it decimated the roses. I talked to a biology professor I know and said, "What now???" He told me that the roses are done and done. No more roses. I planted some of those for people who I've lost. It took me 5 years to rebuild and renew with the native plants. 

I'm honestly having fun with it, and as things have progressed, people are now walking down the block to see what's coming up. 

I've even got a sort-of plan for the veggie garden. Wayyyyyyyy scaled back. I say that now. Watch this space, because sure as God made little green apples, it's more than likely that I will bring back a few too many tomato plants. 

Random Picture... 

So, funny enough, my phone is nuts. If I grab it the wrong way, I get a screenshot. Which is cool, but in my "photos" app, I have at least a dozen of these... And while I still miss Tippi, it's just laughable that I can't manage to grab my phone without taking another shot.

I still need to organize my pictures, just because I feel like I'm scrambling around to find things every so often. And yeah, everyone says that. I've been saying it as long as I've had singleton socks in the knitting bags. 

Anyone have a decent system to organize them? I have most of them stored on the cloud, because otherwise, my computer's hard drive would be the size of a room. My phone has an Android operating system, and I have to do something to get things into folders, on the phone. On the cloud, I can do it easier. 

I'm open to suggestions! In the meantime, I'm going to go knit some more, and probably will grab my phone once or twice more today and get more pictures of Tippi...

One Ugly Sock...

I've gotta say it: This is going to be one ugly sock. And I'm not really sure I care, because most of the time, my feet are in shoes. 

But I'll try my best to make the other one prettier. It doesn't help when you start the gusset the wrong-way 'round... There are rookie-style boo-boos in this sock, but again. I don't particularly care. I'm just happy to be knitting socks again. 

There are purl rows where there ought not to be, and there are some spots where I'm going to have to do some judicious weaving to close up some gaps. Not like me at all. And on top of it, the tension in this sock is SO TIGHT. I mean, it's like I know I've been under stress, and this sock is going to show it. I hope it fits on my leg and foot. It might not. This could be interesting. 

The yarn is Lorna's Laces, and I believe the colorway is St. Charles. I could be wrong, but this is deep-stash yarn, and the original ball band is...somewhere. Probably stuck in a notebook or in a project bag. 

The leg is my own design. I always do a plain foot, and a heel flap. Not sure which toe style I'll do this time. Crap - I may do something on the heel and toe entirely different on the second sock. Live large, right? As long as the legs match. 

I think I can say that I will never do an 8x8 rib again. What a pain in the rear end... Oh well. In the end, I will have another pair of socks, whether I'm in love with them or not. Just so they're wearable. 

The Heel Turn...

Turns out, a "heel turn" is a wrestling term, too!! Kid #2 wore a shirt that said something about "heel turns," and I asked where I could purchase "this knitting shirt." Well, after a few laughs, I Googled it. Apparently, it is a wrestling term as well as a knitting term. 

I find heel turns (the knitting term, I mean) to be magical. Here's a teeny-baby heel turn on this sock, and then a picture a few rows in, where you can definitely see the short rows at work. 

Which is also funny, because when I see a shawl or something that has short rows in it, I freak out. But I do them in socks all the time. 

And yet, there might be a sweater or something that uses short rows, and I just nope on outta that idea. I need to transfer sock knitting skills to other projects. I have a couple sweaters - or more like t-shirt things, not full-blown sweaters. They're in my to-do list, and I need to be courageous and just do them. It's only yarn. 

As you can see here, my technique is a bit rough. That's what I get for setting these aside for over a year. I have to share a pro-tip with you: Do your SSKs (slip slip knit) purlwise. Then you don't have that obnoxious little yarn carry-over. 

I've taken to writing myself notes to do that, because I don't remember, and then I'm half-way through a heel turn and I have a weird looking heel. Again, not that anyone notices, but I do. And it bugs me. 

Baby Knitting...

So the shower went ok. It was weird not having my sister there, since it was for her soon-to-be-born grandchild. They got some nice gifts. Mine, as usual, was the only one that was hand-made, and I'm not saying that to brag. It's just how it turns out. 

Of course, the afghan is to the left. It was with yarn held double. The afghan and the smallest hat were Bernat Baby Softee. The striped hat and the sweater are Cascade 220 Superwash. I biggened up the sweater, so I think it's going to fit by the time the kid will need it. The baby is due in early May, so while it's my "usual" pattern, it only goes up to 6 months and if the kids are bigger, the sweater will stretch a bit (garter stretches nicely) but it would be a one-time wear... 

The pompom maker worked out well. I did tassles on the smallest hat, and the pompoms on the bigger one. It's not my usual device, because, of course, that one is stuck somewhere in a project bag in the depths of the stash closet. I bought a new one, with two sizes, because maybe you might need a bigger pompom, right?

It took me a hot minute to figure out how to use this one, but once it was in process, it was pretty easy. I was probably more anxious about trimming the balls, because I wanted to make sure everything looked perfect. 

There was an aunt of my niece-in-law's who was inspecting VERY closely the stitching on the afghan. Go for it, sweetie. The kids loved the items, and I was glad to get them done. I hope they got the care instructions (everything's washable in cold water and warm dryer), because it's easy to forget when you're a sleep-deprived parent.

Funny story: My nephew said, "We were told that they may want to induce, so we've had this plan, and a date in our head." I looked him in the eye, and said, "You know that the word 'plan' is now irrelevant, right? I mean, you're gonna have no control over anything for the next 18 years, at least." My mom was snickering, he looked a little abashed, but he also laughed. I told him it was my duty as his aunt to tell him straight... 

Sad story: They made a speech at the end about "people who should have been here, but who are no longer with us." That caught all of us. 

I think that's why my sock is so messed up (aside from just all the other crap going on in life right now...) -- going from size 8 needles to 1.5? Yowza. 

Art or Porn...

Oh dear, the State of Flori-DUH is once again in the news. Apparently, art is now porn. Just as books are "woke," Michelangelo's "David" has cost a school prinicipal their job, because one parent (yeah, one parent) complained that their child was "damaged" by viewing a picture of this statue. 

Yeah. It's not 1540, though since this statue was so well-received in the era in which it was created, that's pretty progressive. But wait. In 2023, some poor little flower saw a naked guy carved out of stone and was shocked. Or something. 

Yes. It's a naked man. No, it's not pornography. It's art. It's a magnificent sculpture that was supposed to be in a cathedral (remember David & Goliath? This is THAT David... who was said to be "...ruddy, handsome, and strong." In the bible. 1 Samuel 16:12, if you care to look. It's in a museum. Nuns, children, old people -- tourists of all stripes -- visit and take selfies. 

It's bad enough that Flori-DUH wants to ban books such as the history of Rosa Parks because white kids might be "upset" that racism is an ugly, ugly thing  -- that still exists "loud and proud," if you will, right here and now -- and parents don't want their kids exposed to certain subject matter. 

Well, that's cool. But what YOU want for YOUR kid doesn't mean that it has to apply to MY kids unilaterally. If YOU get to make decisions about YOUR kids, then -- logically (and I know this may come as a shock, so take a deep breath) --- I get to make decisions about MY kid. 

If parents don't like the education system, there's a quick solution to that: homeschool your kid. There is a small (yet noisy) minority which loves to complain that teachers are indoctrinating or grooming our kids. That same minority thinks that, because they went to school, they can teach at school. Um. No. 

So if they're so dissatisfied, they can take their kids out of school and home school them. Oh, that's inconvenient to you because you work? Well. Then you have a decision to make. Get your head out of your keister and realize that teachers give a large part of their lives, and generally suffer economically compared to other professions so that your kids learn things. Learn to think. Learn to communicate. Learn to work together -- you know, all those "adulting" things that one has to do when one works in the grown-up world. 

Don't like the books in the local library? Here's another easy-peasy pro-tip: DON'T CHECK THEM OUT. Nobody is forcing you to read the entire freakin' library. Though I do agree with Stephen King when he says that when folks want to ban books, kids should run to the library to read them ASAP so they know what they're going to be missing... 

The Hip...

Well, PT is going ok. I'm working on loosening up my hip flexor. I'm finally able to go all the way 'round on the recumbent bike, after a few minutes of loosening things up. I can only do 1-2 minutes all the way, but that's ok. It's a work in progress. 

I'm able to have further PRP shots, and I'm hoping that I can rehab this hip back toward normal. It'll never be "back to where it was," just because of age, arthritis, etc. But I would like to ditch the cane, ride a bike, do my yoga practice, and muck out stalls again. Oh, and walk without pain. That would be nice. 

One of my favorite "exercises," if you want to call it that, is lying on the massage table with my feet hanging off (like just toes and tops of feet off the table so they're not extended so far (even though I can do that comfortably), on my stomach. Eventually, I'm supposed to get onto my elbows, which is a classic "Sphinx" pose. I'm not there yet. But I'm getting there. 

Flo...

So the students at the yoga studio named our new (well, inherited) ficus, and her name is Flo. We repotted her, and while you can't tell in this picture, she has blue Christmas lights on. I was going to remove them, but the students want her to keep them. 

I need to rearrange her lights, because as you can see, she's topping up toward my one pendant light. I might have to add another string of lights to her, as her canopy grows. 

She must like it there; she hasn't dropped leaves like she did at first, and she seems to have lots of new growth at the top. 

Soon, it will be warm enough to get two pots of plants replaced: I'm working on a snake plant, which will be in a lovely pot near the corner where its vertical lines will look really nice. And then a spider plant, on top of the cubbies, because even though it's not going to be a hanging plant, it will still look nice on top there. All of the plants in the studio are there for their ability to clean the air. We do have top-of-the-line air filters in our HVAC system, but it's always nice to have some green in the studio.

Random Picture...

Quinnie seems to like cheek skritchies... I caught this photo quickly, because when she sees the camera, she looks away. Stinker. 

I can tell she's slowing down a bit. She still barks like crazy, but at times, we can have someone walk past the house and she doesn't hear them. She sleeps that "old lady sleep" where it's pretty deep. She loves her pets till she's done with you and then she's done. 

Her face was once fully black. She had a classic Elkhound dark face, with "eyeliner" around her eyes. There's a lot of grey on that muzzle now. Her eyes are still that beautiful liquid brown and can be quite expressive. Especially when she's begging for food...which is always an Elkhound trait. 

She has a hot spot on her tail, thus the Cone of Shame. I can only take it off her when I'm in the same room and have my eyes on her.