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. 

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!

Where to start...

Maybe like the song from "Sound of Music,"  -- let's start at the very beginning?

Well, maybe not THAT far back. Let's see. We left off at Happy New Year, and now, we're in the midst of one of the longest - if not THE longest - government shut down because some puling baby-handed twaddle-farted old demented man wants a wall. 

Have I got that right? Oh, and the minions who support this pile of steaming, soul-less load of manure? They're doing god-knows-what -- watching and waiting because they've got some as-yet unknown evil that they're going to gleefully spring on us. 

Yeah. 

Happy 2019, all. If anyone's reading this who voted for that batch of bacteria? I'm sorry, but you're an idiot. Have you smelled the coffee yet? 

Is it Winter Yet??

So, I did a little shopping in the town over the bridge, and as I was leaving to come back home, I took this photo. This was January 4th. It was sunny. I had no jacket on. It was a beautiful spring day. 

Except it's January. In Illinois. In winter.

I, for one, am an incredibly ardent believer, not only in science, but in facts. And in the perils of climate change. 

Tonight, we've got a forecast that's slightly more seasonal, but it's likely that we're just going to be in our usual "snow-less" bubble which we've inhabited regularly over the past 8 or 9 years, with only a few exceptions where there was a "real" winter for a few weeks. 

This is wrong on so many levels...we need the snow. Not because I'm some sort of nut. But because of the water tables. And the farmers. The farmers prefer a snowfall over drenching rains -- think about it. Snowfall usually melts gradually. Drenching rain pounds the ground, and quite often, we'll get over-saturated and then the water just runs off. Taking topsoil with it. 

None of that is good. 

We need to right the ship of climate change, now, if we can. 

All I need...


Is a few alpacas. Well. That's not going to happen. Though, for my birthday, I would love a trip to an alpaca farm.  

These critters are adorable. I've even begun following them on Instagram. 

Call me crazy, but a ruminant creature, nestled in a field, chewing cud? Kind of meditative, I think.

Oh, and we get yarn! And -- fertilizer! 

There was a school up in Grayslake that got connected with an alpaca farm and their band did a "poop fundraiser" for new instruments. They raised a lot of money. Alpaca manure looks a lot like rabbit pellets and depending on what they've been eating, it's pretty good stuff. 

I'd love to meet them up-close. I already love the yarn. I'd like to meet the source, if I can. 

Yes, I've dropped the hint to Hubby. We shall see...

Gotcha Birthday Girl...

As long-time readers know, Tippi is my rescue girl. Some days, not sure whether I rescued her or she rescued me! Anyway, January 2 is the day we celebrate her Gotcha/Birthday, since we're really not sure of her actual birthday. 

This is Her Majesty without the eerie green eyes and with no funny hats. She's beautiful. At age 11, she's showing her years a bit. Her fur is a little patchy in spots. She's got gas that would stop a charging elephant. Her teeth are showing her age. 

But she was, nonetheless, eager to snarf down her sardines. 

Quinn got some as well. Raisa does not partake because within about 10 minutes, they come back up. 

And unfortunately, Quinn will have had her last sardines...because within 4 hours, HERS came back up. That was gross. 

Yes, there's just a tiny bit of food in that big dish. Tippi gets 1/4 cup at lunch time. I can't believe she's been with us as long as she has been. And I'm hoping for many more years. I'm ignoring the grey muzzle. I'm watching as she gets up and down. And I'm still...hoping for many more years. 

Sunshine on my shoulders...

This past weekend, as I've said, was gorgeous. Hubby and I saw an item in the paper saying that eagles were at Isle a la Cache, so we figured, what the heck? We'd take a drive out there and scope it out. We went on the museum side, not the side that runs along the river. That side is usually where we bike. 

The guide told us that it "hasn't been cold enough for eagles." (Yeah, yet another reason to bemoan climate change -- birds of prey are having trouble with customary migration patterns.) But he said that there wasn't any harm in looking. 

I took a batch of pictures with the Big Camera, which I posted on Facebook. This is one from my phone. I just took a gander at my desktop to see if I'd tossed them there, and I realized my laptop's desktop is a bloody mess...I need to clean that off and file some stuff away. 

Anyhow. Great time wandering and taking pictures. No eagles. 

Not even a sparrow. 

The Knitting...

Well. I frogged the Traveling Sock. Look at the picture. Somehow, on the 9" circular needles, I managed to knit it inside-out. Take a gander at the "roll top" - this side is where the leg stitches are all in their proper places, but as you can see, the top roll is inside-out. 

When I flip it so that the top roll is correct, then the leg stitches are all purlwise. 

I suppose I could've gone on and done it like that, but something was making me twitch. So, in spite of the fact that 10" circulars are nice and quick, I frogged this. 

I may also go back to the LYS and get NINE-INCH circulars. These socks were on 72 stitches, which is large even for my "Biker Calves." I don't want droopy socks. 

Any excuse for a trip to the yarn store, right? Seriously, though - your socks should be snugly comfy. Droopy doesn't cut it. You'll have holey socks because they'll wear funny within your shoes or boots. 

Anyway, I finally -- FINALLY - finished the ribbing on the Green Socks, so I've just started the leg on that one. Singleton is getting its mate!! I think that'll be my Traveling Sock, while this yarn is in "time out" to un-kink. 

Diamond Smackdown is coming along. I had a little blip...just a minor heart-attack mistake that was, thankfully, on the knit side so it was easy to tink back and fix it. 

See that stitch two left of the stitch-marker? It's a yarn-over. I have no idea how it got there. 

Mind you, I had at least one in the Green Shawl and I didn't really mind. 

On this? I mind. I frogged it back and fixed it. Praying to the Knitting Gods and Goddesses with thanks because it wasn't on a pattern row, which would've meant un-knitting lace. 

I'm to the point where I'm weighing the yarn every pattern repeat, which is every 12 rows. I have to get to 1.76 oz before I start the decrease side. 

In this picture, you can see a bit of how the lace will lay out. Once blocked? This is going to be a stunner. The silver glitter in the yarn is impossible to see with the way I have taken the pictures, but I can't help it. Maybe I'll try the Big Camera and see what I can do. 

New Pots for Old Orchids...

Hubby has the bug, as I noted. And our new pots came in. So he's virtually taken over the orchids. 

I'm ok with that. 

No, really. I'm ok with it. 

He's been under enormous pressure at work, and he needs a hobby. If this is it, then I'm absolutely fine with it. 

Take a look. He's potted them all. And I'm woman enough to say that they'll probably survive better now than they were in the vases. 

Not that the vases don't have merit. I think it's still a good way to "air out" the roots from a store-bought phal which was packed into a little cup with bark. But our house is dry, even with diffusers running. Especially in winter. And the only place we have for them right now is near a heat vent. 

Hubby put one of the lamps over the table so that they get a little more light on these gloomy days. The pots are "ribbed" - not solid. So the moss is in there kind of loosely, and eventually, the roots can expand nicely. 

They're eventually going into the 55-gallon octagonal fish tank. He's figuring out how to balance light with the need to keep air circulating. 

I told him about an exhibition coming up in Villa Park in March. He's eyeballing it. Hmmmm, maybe I've created a monster? 

Random Picture...

So Tippi was getting all the loving. Quinn got a little jealous. She wanted up on my lap, which she used to do as a puppy. 

Almost 68 pounds later? Urpfh... 

She also likes to drape her front paws over my arm and rest her chin on my wrist. 

My friend Diana just lost her Sky - her heart dog. Quinn's a load. And when she's ready to get off my lap? Often, I've got a bruise somewhere, because she's not light!

But I'll take it. I'll take all the snuggles she wants to give me. She's worth it. And I know that one day, she will also be gone. I'm going to enjoy it while I have her willing and able to clamber up there. 

Hope your January is starting out well, and would love to hear what you've got on the needles or what you're crafting. Let's chat! 

Knitting Not Working...

No, I don't mean "Knitting, not working." 

I mean Knitting NOT working. As in "not working as planned." It happens, in spite of what I'd like to think. I've confessed to a few knitting bloopers here and there. And I've got another one... The Emergency One Day Hat. It's getting partially frogged. 

Remember, I had the "brilliant" idea of using Fun Fur yarn? Well. I did a few rows. It turns out that all the "fur" was on the INSIDE... 

This shot is the inside. I kept hoping that it would "shake out" but it's not quite working that way. I kept on, but it was getting more and more aggravating. 

I ended up taking a size 1 DPN and pulling the fibers - what I could pull, forward. Not the best idea. I wasn't going to keep doing that 4 times per round. 

So I set it aside in favor of doing a quick little project, which I'll explain below. 

This shot here is what the OUTSIDE looks like, and as you can see, I could shake this thing till doomsday and while the Plymouth Encore has phenomenal stitch definition and will be a nice warm hat? 

The Fun Fur's gotta go. Maybe I'll fiddle with another scarf with this stuff. People like them, even though they're a pain to knit. 

But I have to do something to redeem the hat. I liked the "fun fur" idea, but maybe it's just not appropriate with the weight of this yarn. It's too stiff to knit, and I'm not spending my time pulling fur.

The project I'm working on, along with the mitts, is what our priest is calling "Prayer Squares." I call them "Prayer Patches." Either way, what she's doing is expanding our Prayer Shawl Ministry. I would love to knit more prayer shawls, but you all know I'm not the speediest knitter!

These are little squares. They can be knitted or crocheted. A few inches wide and a few inches high. I'm doing a bunch of different sizes, and they're really going fast. Finally. I will likely stick to straight up knit, though I can do stockinette, if I put a knitted border around it. Just so they lay straight. Yes, I could crochet them, but for some reason, my crochet is curling. Would rather not have that happen. 

Mitts will be worked on this week, too... 

Progress. Bit by bit. 

Random Picture...

Yes, this is a quickie!! I was walking yesterday - taking my tummy out for a test drive, if you will. That IBS stuff is sticking around a bit longer than I'd like, even with a very clean diet. Anyway, I took a different turn, just to see where it goes, and I found another park! I also found that, after eating, a half-hour walk is about all I can tolerate till I need a bathroom. 

Lovely. 

Any rate, I found an apple tree. No idea why this tickled me so much except we're in the end of September, I haven't seen an apple tree in a while in someone's yard, and I thought it was just so "fall."

The apples aren't perfect, which is kind of cool in its own way. They're actually kind of small and gnarled. But it was neat to see the fruit peeping amongst the leaves of the tree, in various sizes, and degree of ripeness. And over-ripeness... 

Fall speaks to me in a lot of ways. In colors, temperature, scents and sometimes sounds. 

How does fall speak to you? 

Best. Purchase. Ever.

I just used something that paid for itself. Twice. And I never thought I'd have to use it.

Hubby bought me a battery charger - I mean a device which can re-charge your car's batteries. It's in lieu of jumper cables (which scare me to death anyway). I thought, "That's nice." Tossed it in my console and went on about my life. 

Till this morning, when I was running errands ahead of my haircut. My battery died. Deader than Marley's Ghost. I pushed the ignition button and .... Nothing. Click, click, click, and the entire dash went nuts. A kind county sheriff stopped next to me, I got out and said, "It is what I think it is, isn't it?" Yep. And then the guy who parked in front of me asked, "Did you leave your lights on?" I mean, it's 11 a.m...and my car is newer - the lights automatically go off. Ah well...I said no. He told the sheriff he didn't think he had cables, I went into my console and said, "You don't need them. I have this."

"Does it have a charge on it?" I swear, he was trying to be nice, but really?? I said it did. He hooked it up. Voila - car started. I drove it home dutifully because the charger pack has one jolt in it and that's all - I didn't want to risk stalling out. Cancelled the hair appointment, recharged the jolter-thingie, and then charged my battery once more so I could head out to get a new battery for the vehicle. 

Yes, I'm perfectly capable of charging the battery, but you know what? It was nice that they stopped to help. The sheriff, actually, said, "Man, I wish everyone carried these in their cars!"

Best hundred bucks spent. As a matter of fact, don't tell my kids, but that's what they're getting for Christmas. 

Garden Bounty...

The garden continues to produce, and I think we have a few more months of goodies. Today, I was outside and figured I'd better thin out the carrots. Really, that should've been done 2 months ago, but better late than never. I started grabbing the smaller carrot-tops, but a few of the bigger ones came with. No problem. 

I brought them in, sorted and trimmed, and then washed what we were keeping. In reality, I tossed about 18 of the "micro" carrots - too small to even wash. The bunnies in the front yard will be happy. 

Hubby and I snacked on a few of them. Boy-o-boy -- you really need to taste a "real" carrot. So earthy, crunchy, and sweet, along with being rich and "carroty" - totally unlike the supermarket ones. 

I love the taste of these raw. I love them roasted. I enjoy putting them in juices and smoothies because they add a strong kick of flavor. 

They freeze up nicely; we usually cut the spares into medallions and use the freezer bag system where you vacuum seal everything. Keeps the colors crisp and keeps the flavor as intense as if you'd just picked them. 

This variety is "Shorty." They're meant for raised beds, because they don't get very tall. I've done "short" versions of carrots for a couple years now. My favorite is a combo of apple + carrot juice. Very refreshing, with a hint of lemon in it. 

I Hate Ribbing...

Why, oh why did I think these mitts were going to just "zip along" because they're called "simple"? They're not. They're taking an eternity. And I'm not jazzed with them. 

Endless rounds of K2, P2 ribbing. Thirty-six rows. Then 10 rows knitted flat (on DPNs - that ought to be cute). Then at least 10 more rows knitted round, in endless, boring, mind-numbing K2, P2 ribbing. 

I don't much like it on socks, except I know I only have 12 rows there. Fifteen, if I'm feeling ambitious. But these are just not making me happy. 

I have easily 380-ish yards of yarn. 

I wonder if I should frog them and crochet instead, using the Urchin Stitch. It's a beautiful stitch that I've used many times. In fact, my brown wool mitts are in that stitch. It's a simple one, the whole thing is done flat, and the best thing: I crochet much faster than I knit. 

I don't think the yarn colors will be lost in the intricacies of the stitch. It's gotta go faster than what I'm doing now. Cursing the yarn isn't making for a fun project. Perhaps this "simple" pattern is better for a heavier yarn - in sock yarn, this is pretty dismal, for me at least. 

Can you tell where this is going? 

I'm frogging - or shall I say that I've already frogged. Yes, just now. 

There's quite the pile of kinked-up yarn at my feet; but I think it's easier to just do these with the Urchin stitch, get it moving and have them in time for the birthday girl. 

I don't normally crochet a lot. I love it but I'm not good enough to do anything much more than straight squares. I find that it uses a ton of yarn, and I prefer knitting overall for garments. Crochet is outstanding for those things that are geometric, in my opinion: scarves, potholders, washcloths, baby blankets. But not much else. 

I know - the "hookers" out there are passionate about their art. And they have a right to be. I'm happy for them. I'm just not in their exalted ranks. So I think I'm chaining 50, then I'll start the pattern. I want to allow for a little negative ease, so I may end up taking that down to 48...It has to be an even number, so I've got to be careful and think about the wrist size of the person who'll be getting these, and also the fact that they have to go around the palm of the hand, too. It's always fun winging it... 

The trouble is this: the first row is usually a challenge. A size C crochet hook is tiny. And I have to be careful to not over-work my left hand. It's easy to do with crochet, but also with that small hook + yarn. 

Once I'm over this "tricksy bit" it'll go a little faster, too. What I also like about Urchin Stitch is that at the end, there'll be a lovely wavy top to the mitts. Just enough of "fancy" without having to work at it too hard. 

My Favorite Snack...

I'm on the "eating air" diet (a/k/a Whole30) again, and I'm limited in my snacks. My schedule has been crazy, so I've had to get creative with when and what I eat. I've resurrected a childhood favorite. It might not be "exactly" Whole30, but it's close enough. As far as I'm concerned, it's not chocolate and it's not overly-sweet, so I'm good. 

It's "Ants on a Log." Or, peanut butter on celery sprinkled with raisins. I like golden raisins; they're not as hard and dry. 

Not glam. Not fussy. But filling and chewy and texturally appealing when you've been eating a lot of salad. I'm using low-sugar peanut butter. But I also have some almond butter and I have some raw cashew butter. Whatever I feel like, I guess. The raisins (ants!) stick better to peanut butter. 

I used to eat this a lot when I was a kid. My other favorite is cream cheese on celery, but I'm off dairy for a bit more. I'm hoping that the tummy troubles cease. 

As usual, the weight? Not coming off. Today, I probably should have gotten on the elliptical, but I was moving around by cleaning, running errands and the like. 

My Favorite Pen...

I'm working on working on the Essential Oils biz... I'm organizing prospects, contacts, etc. And I like to go Old School when I can. I remember more when I write things down. I can type like the wind. Do something for 30+ years, and you get good at it, right? 

But if I really want to remember, I'll jot a note. And I like good pens. Particularly fountain pens. I used to be able to use them more often, but they'd been put away for a while. Today, I took the purple one out and cleaned it, filled it with a new cartridge and started a lovely list of my "peeps" so that I had all their info at my fingertips, even if I'm nowhere near a computer. 

Anyway, this is my Precious. It's not a grand Mont Blanc or anything (though I can dream, can't I?). It's a Levenger pen. I just like the heft and feeling of it. I have a blue one that's a ballpoint and you can believe that I keep a close hand on that one. 

Pen thieves abound, especially with the extremely nice ones! 

Random Picture...

So I've been doing the Swedish Death Cleaning. Sort of, at least. I mean, I'm clearing out what I haven't used in a long while; I'm de-stashing and donating yarn that I haven't a hope of using, and getting stuff ready for the upcoming Fall Rummage Sale at church. Today, I cleared out the top rack of my closet. Some stuff, I'm keeping, but at least I'm curating it a bit better. I'm telling you: my kids have already stated that, aside from the books and guitars (and maybe our camera equipment), they're putting a dumpster at the back and when we're dead, they're emptying the house... They don't want my china. They don't want the stuff from my grandparents. Aside from a very few things? They're of the generation of Non-Acquirers. 

I found a set of corny shot glasses - from my Granny. But I know my friend Shaun would love them, since he bought a partial set at an antique store. Off they go to him. I found a bunch of things I'd stuck up there for gifts. Off they go to the Rummage Sale, but I did find a few things for my oldest friend - they're now where I know to look for them this holiday!

I found a set of wind chimes. They'll be tried out at the church office. If they drive us nuts, I'll bring them home... I found a frame emblazoned: "The Boys" -- and I have a perfect picture of the 2 kids that I want to put in there! 

There's a "Creepy Jesus Crucifix" that my mother made (on my Granny's request). My mom did some lovely ceramics when I was a kid. Creepy Jesus Crucifix isn't one of them, though and when I asked Mom what to do with it, she said, "Doesn't your church hold a rummage sale???" Off Creepy Jesus goes - into the box. 

Anyway, as I rummaged, I found this little box. A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a secretary in the International Business unit of a Big Corporation that no longer exists. My boss, a really nice guy, traveled a lot, as you can imagine. And one time, he brought this back for me. 

I honestly don't remember what country it's from, but I'm thinking Middle Eastern. It's not scented or anything (like a cedarwood box or the like), but it's got a lovely inlaid patter on it, and while you can't really tell, the top slides open. I think I'll take it to the office and put it on my desk. Keep the spare Vicarage key in there or something. 

Are you de-cluttering? Are you clearing space in your physical life so you have it in your emotional life? There's something eminently satisfying about having space. I'd forgotten how good it feels to do that. 

Can You Want It Too Much???

Seriously. I'm doubting my ability to finish the *^&$ February Lady Sweater at this point...I frogged back a row. 

Could it be that I shouldn't try lace when I'm watching Meryl Streep movies? Hmmmmm.... I could use that excuse. I didn't even feel the boo-boo this time. But there I was, at the end of the second Row 1 with ONE extra stitch. Crap. 

I heaved a sigh, began frogging it back and then just finished watching the movie. No sense going nuts. 

So today, I don't have to go in to work till the afternoon shift. I'm watching "Top Chef," which (shock, I know) I've never seen. I think I can tink during this one... I'm almost at the button band, and I may have found the screw up. I mean, this is actually the second repeat - the first 4-row repeat went smoothly, so I know it's correct. It's a matter of being present while you're knitting. 

That's where knitting often imitates meditation. I'm anxious to wear this sweater, and it will only be the second one I've made in an adult size. I think that I'm too much of a hurry to get it done. I need to back off. It'll get done. It'll be gorgeous. 

Breathing. Need to remind myself to breathe. 

Frosting Tips...

So I think I told you that Hubby bought me a set of what I've seen called "Russian Frosting Tips." I know - anything "Russian" can be taboo! But it's cake, people! 

My friend D has asked me to make her granddaughter's wedding cake. I'll have to do some serious cupcake baking to get the hang of these. 

I have the full Wilton set. Actually, thanks to my mom, I probably have at least two sets. I had my own, and "inherited" hers when she decided she didn't want to do cakes anymore. Mom's got the Kathryn Hepburn "benign tremor" thing going on, and while she can control it with medication, it has impacted a lot of her fine motor movement. She has a harder time doing things like cutting in when she's painting, and writing in frosting can be a challenge at the best of times - when you're even a tad shaky (even from a bit too much coffee), you'll see it in the frosting. 

I'm a bit concerned that these are small - like I could do garlands of these around the cake? I'm thinking... I'm thinking... It'll be interesting. My philosophy is this: you give me your colors, a basic idea of what you want, how many we're serving, and then - you get out of my way. I don't do try-out cakes, and you get no input into the design. 

Sounds tough, right? But that's what my parents did. They didn't do "bridezillas" and I won't either. We shall see how this goes... I'll have pictures when I fiddle with the tips. I have to visit the internet to see how to use these things. All I have is that picture!

Golden Rule Theme...

So a friend of mine posted this on her timeline and I really liked it. She's an atheist, does a lot of community work, and is involved in local and national politics. I put the "atheist" label in there, because specifically, it seems as if the whole concept of a "Golden Rule" has been co-opted by religion. Particularly in the ultra-conservative swaths of Bible thumpers - the "Golden Rule" belongs to them (in their eyes). A person like my friend (or even my kids, who're more "secular humanist" than any identifiable religion) would be looked down upon by some of those who espouse some sort of "pure" faith -- which in my mind only exists if humans aren't involved. 

Perhaps "pure faith" is only available to the angels. Because once humans get involved, religion can turn ugly. Don't believe me? Look at history. 

From the conquest Canaan to the tribal wars of Afghanistan, men have fought over and over again because "their god" is the "only god." 

So. Read this. What do you see? I see a theme. I see a request that we look at each other as "same" and NOT "other." 

As our(?) government goes about the business of dismantling health care for millions of people, they'll stand there in press conferences with their flag pins and put their hands on their shriveled little hearts and exclaim that this is a Godly country. 

With the travesty occurring in Washington DC right now? There's no "Godly" going on. This is all on men. 

They'd better man-up and own the consequences.  

Random Picture...

This is an oldie but a goodie. This is from my trip to the Zonta International Convention in Orlando. I went with my friend A, and we had a blast. After sitting in the conference hall for meetings, we were able to walk the grounds of the resort. Unfortunately, the extra-curricular events were pretty pricey, so we didn't do any of them. But the grounds were gorgeous once we ventured past the swimming pool complex. The gardens were stunning. I got to play with a lot of effects in PhotoShop for the different types of pictures. 

This palm didn't need any "fixing." The shape was striking. The light cooperated. I was able to catch this and I loved the symmetry of what Mother Nature provided. All I did with it was go in closer and crop it. 

This reminds me that A is a great person to travel with. One of these days, we need a photo-safari trip. I'll have to propose that to her. It could be fun!