Redux

Once again the sadly frogged Catherine sock #1 is mid-instep length, now with the right heel.  I have decreased to 13 stitches on each needle (52 stitches) for fit, but that means I had to give up my 9 inch circular needle and insert the CZs.  I would never have guessed how much I would enjoy knitting a sock with a 9" circ! 

 

Pretty in Pink (done in Tiffany Glass colorway) is nearing the end of the first half and making me feel the hope of finishing someday.  I shouldn't complain (but I do it so well) because I realized that I have knit three sweaters since January 2011. 

My next undertaking--GS#4's weird Christmas hat.  Last year it was the dragon hat and this year it is the Dead Fish Hat.  His head fits in the mouth of the fish making it just the kind of crazy thing he loves.  Also, I love the fact that when he takes it off he will display his recent mohawk haircut.  Do kids get anymore wonderful?

 

This week's wonderful surprise:  Sweet Grace's beautiful Lovin' Comfort Shawl as a 10000th commenter award!  If you don't have this pattern you should get it!  Thanks so much Grace! 

Speaking of wonderful, the hot, hot weather has given us more time to discover annoying cute traits in the two dogs, Macy and Max.  It's too hot for them to spend a lot of time in the play yard so they hang out in our office all day and take their playtime there. 

 

Life is good!

 

Knitting Backwards

I have a problem with socks!  No, that's not right--I have a problem with my feet and getting socks to fit them.  My feet are long and skinny.  I actually had a woman in the YMCA locker room ask, "How does a big girl like you walk on those skinny little feet?"  At least she thought something about me was skinny.

Anyway, over the years I have developed a formula that produces socks that fit my feet like they were made for them.  Pun intended.  I've outlined it a couple times on this site so I will not do it again, except to say that it is a series of casting on for regular sized legs, decreasing  at the ankle, knitting a long flap followed by a deep cup heel, and decreasing more for the foot and toe.  Fits every time!

This time, when I cast on for the Catherine Socks I decided to try Cat Bordhi's new Sweet Tomato Sock Heel.  I love Cat!  I follow her on Facebook and I love her sock patterns.  Her designs are interesting, sometimes challenging and always beautiful.  The Sweet Tomato Heel--not so much!!  Not so much for me, I should say.  My skinny heel swims in the Sweet Tomato.  Then there is the whole short-rowing thing, which I always swear I will not do, need I say more?

 

So now I have this sock that is half finished and I am about to frog it back in the most inhumane way.  I'm going to grab that yarn and pull it all the way back to the design on the leg.  Muwhahaha.  I have to add the sinister laughter because I've never done this before and I would cry otherwise!

Well, that's my week--sock gone bad, brutal frogging, big delay finishing and no accomplishment to show.  It just has to get better!

Macy says, "Maybe if I can rub off some of this fur I'll be cooler!"

Happiness is Swap Swag

I had such fun with the box I received today.  It is part of a swap sponsored by Irisheyes Knitting Blog.  Great swap Kathyb!  My swap buddy is Wyoming Breezes' Nancy.  Interesting note:  the sock yarn she sent to me is Cherry Tree Hill in a colorway that I have used before.  This particular yarn produced a pair of my favorite socks which have since gone to sock heaven due to love, wearing and washing.  I can't wait to get started on the new pair!!

The wonderful box from Nancy also included a cute sheep pen to keep by my chair for taking knitting notes, little sheepy stitch markers and a Subway gift card that I will use for one of their huge salads.  She also sent some of those yummy water additives that taste like raspberry drink or lemonade. They didn't make it into the photo because I poured them into bottles of water and am currently drinking pink lemonade.  What a wonderful box.  THANK YOU SO MUCH NANCY!  I love swaps.

The day before, I received a birthday gift from sweet Grace of Lovin' Comfort Knits.  I adore her cute monsters and she knows I am a Young & Restless junkie, so she sent me monster replicas  of three of the characters--Neil, Sophia and Malcom.  If you are a Y&R lover you know that the characters are quite close and can also be monsters!  In the picture I staged them so that Sophia and Malcom are holding hands but Neil surreptitiously has his arm around Sophia's shoulders.  Ahem!

 

Good news--I finished Corinne.  Wow!!  It's no wonder I was having so much trouble holding the sweater in my lap.  It is heavy enough to be my winter coat this year.  Sometimes a heavy sweater like this one is too warm for Texas.  It was knit using KnitPicks Wool of the Andes worsted and the swing construction added to the weight, so I'm happy to have finished this one.  It will take some time for my hands to recover.  You might notice that the ends are not woven in yet.  I needed a break!

Now I'm hitting other projects hard to play catch-up ball.  I have found that I knit really fast when I watch the news and listen to all the political machinations going on.  Of course my heart rate goes up too so I can only do that for so long--then I have to watch a Disney show or The Housewives of New York City.  Something mindless like that doesn't require much logic or thought.  Isn't it sad when the state of politics in the country requires us to hide from events so as not to have a stroke.  Still...

Life is good!

New and Old

A couple new things going on--I have cast on for Catherine Socks by Kate Blackburn and am knitting along on a 9 inch circular.  I had no idea I could knit socks on teeny-tiny circulars but thanks to SusanB of Seduced By Yarn blog I have learned a new and enjoyable method.  Thanks Susan!!  Instead of using the interesting heel as written in the pattern I have decided to try Cat Bordhi's new Sweet Tomato Sock Heel.  You can find a tutorial for the heel here on YouTube or you can buy a book of patterns using the heel on Cat's website.  

It seems like long, long ago that I started the one piece cardigan called Corinne.  I believe I can see the end in sight but I have to say that I have reached the point of screaming from boredom.  As close as I am to being finished (15 more pattern repeats) I sometimes feel that I can't knit another row on Corinne.  It will be beautiful when finished and I think it will be one of my favorites but--I will never knit another one piece sweater!!

To reduce the chance of falling asleep from boredom I cast on for Pretty In Pink by Josee Paquin.  I love the design of this cardigan/wrap.  Thanks Josee for sheer genius!  I found it on Ravelry and ordered the yarn from Elann the same day.  I'm using Grignasco Merinogold in the Tiffany Glass colorway and let me tell you, I want more of this yarn!  It is so soft and easy to knit, and the colors are gorgeous.  It reminds me of Debbie Bliss Rialto.  I decided that a long scarf would be a nice touch for the cardigan and went back to order more of the Tiffany Glass.  It was gone!  It was gone everywhere!  Finally I found several skeins on eBay and was able to order them but I'm afraid that yarn is like people--only the good die young.  

Hope it's cool where you are!

Stuff Happens

Kathyb asked me to share what I did when disaster struck and I lost my wallet and had an unknown person attempt to use the credit cards AND my identification.   When our identity is in question the fight or flight response sets in.  Let me tell you--you fight or you lose!  I spent an hour or so crying, a half hour ranting and raving and then grabbed pen, paper and phone to start the calling process, all while on vacation.

1.  I made a list of everything in the wallet.  I say wallet but mine was actually a Coach clutch outfitted with slots for credit cards  and identification and plenty of room for other things (I even carried dog biscuits in it).  Because it was larger It contained most of my life--driver's license, Social Security card, insurance cards, credit cards, incidental cards like Costco and Sam's Club (important stuff), money, and normally my phone and checkbook.  When I got out of the RV with the clutch, DS#3 was using my phone because his was charging and DH had the checkbook in his shirt pocket--small miracles!!

2.  I prioritized the list and immediately started calling to report the credit cards missing.  Fortunately, for travel purposes, I had listed the numbers for the CC companies in my phone contacts and didn't have to search for them.  It was then that I discovered that in less than 4 hours someone had tried to use one of my credit cards.  The charge was refused because the ID didn't match (attempt to use card by unauthorized user).  How many times have you used your credit card lately and they didn't ask to see additional identification?  God bless the sales clerk who asked to see identification!!

3.  Social Security and driver's license are a given.  I reported them stolen and had them replaced online.  You can go into DMV and the SSA offices but most states allow you to do this online.  

4.  Finally, I can't find the words to tell you how important it is that you find a service that will protect your identity.  There are many!  One that I have had experience with in the past, when a family member had her purse snatched, is LifeLock.  Others are ProtectMyID and Identity Guard.  Our bank has their own service which works the same and tracks both credit charges and check purchases as well as credit inquiries and any use of my identification for financial purposes.  Whatever the cost it is worth it!!  At least for a year or two.

I'm sure I left out a dozen things because the whole process seemed to take up the whole vacation.  Calling insurance companies and everyday people like Costco, Sam's, Staples, Exxon, pharmacies etc. is enough to keep you busy for a week--or more.  We are still remembering things I had in that wallet.  It is a scary time!  Something I never want to have happen again!! 

 

I have a new wallet/clutch.  See that wrist strap?  I'm hanging on to that puppy!!  Through it all I can honestly say...life is good.

Gift From A Friend

What a happy day!  I received a gift from friend Kathyb of Irisheyes Knitting Blog for being the 8000th person to comment on her posts.  The gift is beautiful note cards and you can imagine how delighted I was when I saw the cute little Jack Russell Terrier on the front of the cards.  The drawing looked just like my sweet Macy so I had to take a pen and write her name on each card.  She would have insisted anyway!!  I can't wait to use them.  (The cards are from an Etsy store called The Painted Peep Show).

Thank you, thank you Kathy!  You are a sweetheart and I consider myself blessed to be one of your pretend friends.  (Macy thanks you too, for acknowledging her exalted place in my life).

Kathy has also asked me to share my story of what to do when your wallet/purse is lost or stolen.  I will post that tomorrow and hope you all agree that it is important to think about these things before they happen.  I didn't and had to hit the ground running!  Till then....

A Half Dozen Reasons To Shed Tears While On Vacation

   

                                                                   My next sweater

It was the best of times it was the worst of times...I've always wanted to have reason to use that lead-in and this is it.  I can state with certainty that a grandson's wedding is the best but I can't deny that losing my wallet is the worst.

 

#1 - Can a wedding be anything other than beautiful?  My sweet grandson and his beautiful bride had a simple, outdoor wedding with trees swaying in the breeze, gauze drapes blowing around the pergola, and flower scents sweetly wafting on the air.  The thick grass carpet was strewn with rose petals and the bride's gown and upswept hair were enough to make even the groom shed tears.  How's that for a reason to get teary?

#2 - An hour and fifteen minutes out of Chicago I apparently left my wallet/clutch at a truck stop, and didn't notice it was missing until the next day.  The tears were flowing, not just from my eyes but DD and DH were looking misty-eyed as well.  There were credit cards, money a bunch of money, drivers license, Social Security Card, insurance cards, and other things like medication and keys.  The only thing that usually resides in that clutch that was missing was my phone.  I still have my phone.  After two days of cancelling credit cards, dealing with identification, refilling prescriptions and copying keys, my final thought on the situation was, "I wish someone would just give me back my Coach clutch!!  I cried again!

#3 - Visiting with grandchildren who we do not see regularly (they are good about communicating though) is a tear worthy event!  They are growing and changing in such a beautiful way and we are so proud of the people they are becoming that the tears just flow freely when they are around.  I want more of them--more of their smiles and hugs and faces and voices!  Leaving them is like tearing my heart out.

#4 - Having grown children say, "We want to travel with you because we don't get to spend enough time with you," then having them make all the arrangements and thoroughly enjoy the trip (and Mom and Dad) is enough to make a mother cry big tears of joy and love.

#5 - Realizing that time (and aging) has made traveling a tiring event requires acceptance that does not come without tears.  I'm not old mind you, but getting in and out of a big RV, loading and unloading, packing and unpacking and repacking--well, if you are over 40 it is tiring!  I'm over 40.  It makes me feel like crying to realize that long trips are not the adventure they used to be.

#6 - Leaving.  Coming home.  Going away from loved ones knowing you will not see them again for a while.  I can't seem to do it without tears.  We hugged each one and kissed each sweet face and every hug and kiss became a promise for the future.  When I think of that promise I get tears in my eyes, but life is good!!