A Bit of This and That

The sock is tinked back now and waiting impatiently for me to return. But I told it I really needed to get this post done since morning just wasn't a good time for computers.

No more rain today, and I think that's a good thing. Soccer fields looked like little ponds and the creek by my house was rushing merrily along when I left for work. I don't know of anyone flooded here but I'm sure that in some of the low places it was close. Over 3 inches of rain while I slept. And more rain for tomorrow. I'm thinking the drought is over.

Yesterday was just overcast and muggy as all get out. So I stayed inside and worked on the quilt aka Summer Cover. Thanks to Heather Bailey and her (to me) very clear instructions, the binding found its way and the cover is now on my bed. The bright blue something on the bed of my machine?? It's a piece of painter's tape being used as a seam guide. Hey, it could have been masking tape! At least this doesn't make everything all sticky.


I find it odd. I've always had one heck of a time getting anything bound. I've got books that explain, and leaflets and many printed out web pages. But for some reason, when I found Heather's, it finally clicked. Maybe it was the soft colors that relaxed my brain enough that it could finally 'see'. Who knows? I'm just thankful for it and for her.

The bed looks sort of wonky and it is. I needed a bit more padding for these sometimes creaky bones and I folded a double bed size fluffy topper thing in half and it's on the top 2/3 of my bed. So there's a definite dip in the surface at about knee space. /shrug. I just know I felt so clever when I got into bed last night and thought about the fact that I'd actually made my cover. Sprt of Laura Ingalls syndrome, I guess.


And some knitting was done as was noted in this morning's post. But some in this house have other ideas about this knitting business!

Good Stuff!

Hi! I'm awake and alert! What a concept. Much of yesterday was a nap, I think. Certainly the afternoon was. One of the folks at work brought me lunch and I think she must have put in some sleeping medicine. I did accomplish something other than feeding cats, dogs and worms.

A couple of weeks ago, I sandwiched my quilt top with it's batting and backing using spray basting. (Love that stuff at least the brand I used). It's been rolled up on a mailing tube waiting to be tied and I decided that yesterday was the day. So with pearl cotton, needles, scissors etc next to me I spread it out over me and working from the middle out, I got it tied. This is what I looked like for much of the day. And, when the yawns would overtake me, I could just slide down a bit and snooze already covered. :-D My feet are sticking up because hey, I have a loveseat and I'm longer than it is.

And, there are new things in my home. Cookie was kind enough to shop for some sock yarn for me. I want to try Sockotta and my LYS didn't have any and wasn't sure if she would be getting any. My color is 6670...pink and white and orange. Yum! Cookie's LYS though seems to have a wonderful selection and she shipped a skein to me. My color is 6670...pink and white and orange. Yum!The fun part was it arrived just after I got home on Monday. The Hello Kitty bag was from her also. It's sooo cute and will be put to good use. Thanks Cookie! It even outranked my great deli box lunch that the facility provided.

I stopped at Barnes and Noble before the test, and yay they had the newest copy of Simply Knitting!! I was so excited! With the value of the $ dropping, it gets increasingly more expensive to order it from Britain. And the project bag on the left was the freebie packaged with the magazine. The kitty? Well there is a bit of a confession attached to it. When I'm extremely stressed or scared, I find it quite comforting to have something soft in my hand. I'm a bit old for a blankie LOL, and this works and if I'm not really obvious, nobody really notices. Maybe it comes from years of sleeping with a cat on my arm. Anyway, I had the perfect softie to take with me. A wee little lamb, that when in my hand is completely covered. But, egads! Halfway over there I discovered that I'd forgotten it! This kitty is obviously a bit bigger than I usually use, but she was on sale...and she fit in my bag. So once I got in my little room, I had my new magazine, my knitting, and a soft thing to hang onto. Safe space indeed.

And the last good thing? When they did the test they discovered an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Why is this good? Well, because there was no clue it was there. And it could cause major major problems in my knitting/sewing/happy life. Friday, I shall have an ultrasound to accurately measure the size and that will determine how they treat it. Mine is rather hourglass shaped...reminds me of an insect thorax or something. I think I shall name it Marge. That sounds like someone who could either me quite nice, or a real b*tch. Should know next week what the plans are.

And now I shall go gather some leaves for the worms, have a shower and then figure out how I will entertain myself today!

SSS

Second sock syndrome or Stupid Susan Syndrome? I just can't decide.

Happy that it was time to start the second Monkey sock, I got all comfy on the loveseat. Cats properly arranged. Pattern by side. TV tuned to Sunday morning news shows which require no actual watching. And I proceded to totally screw up the ribbing! WTF? How can you screw up ribbing? Well if part of the time you knit into the back of the stitch and part of the time you knit into the front it really doesn't look good. Honestly, I messed with this all morning and finally put it all back into the sock bag.

Afternoon arrived, and I switched to fabric mode. I got all the squares sewed up and attached to each other and discovered that I am still short. Not by much. I can't decide whether I want to order another packet of squares or figure out some sort of border that takes up about 8 inches. Or something. Only problem with a border is that I would have to cut it. And I hate cutting. I find it odd that using a guide and a new blade on the cutter I can still screw up stuff. However, it is farther along. And folded up neatly and back in the drawer.

Evening arrives. There is NOTHING on tv. I'm not a big fan of the Academy Awards, and besides I would have to keep looking up to look at people's dresses, or the lack thereof. A book on tape seems the answer. The batteries in the radio thingy are dead. I change batteries. It still won't work. I investigate. I put them in all backwards. That fixed, I settle in. I've listened to this book so many times that I can practically repeat it along with the reader. So no distraction, just some company.

Shazamm, the ribbing is done and correctly. I happily knit the first row. All is well. I start the second row. I screwed it up so many times that I finally just cut the yarn. I knit slowly and carefully. And still, I messed it up. Finally, in tears, I cut the yarn; stuffed it into an envelope and sealed it and put it at the bottom of the bag in case I need it later. I thought about smudging it, but figured I'd burn down the house. I thought about blaming it all on cough medicine. But that doesn't work for the morning fiasco.

Moving on, I tidied up the desk. Oh great. The checks I wrote for bills are still stacked neatly for mailing. And it's a short month. And they will probably all be late. :-0

At this point, my goofy mind was scaring me so I went to bed. And before I went to sleep, I realized that in spite of having a functional vehicle, the only place I'd been was to Walmart! Maybe I am turning into a hermit! But even so, it had been a fun weekend. I do love weekends!

Smoky Sky for Saturday

Hi, sorry to have been among the missing. I really wasn't, I just couldn't think of anything to say. Fortunately, this pic was really taken on Thursday. A planned grass burn that got a bit carried away with itself. No structures, or people or animals were injured. It did, however, impact my work as I spent a lot of time taking pictures outside. Grass fires=spring in Oklahoma. The wind today is a major problem. Wayyyyyyyyyyyy windy, but clear and in the 50s.

And while I've been gone, knitting has been happening. Behold Monkey #1. It still needs one more repeat to finish the leg. I can't tell you how much fun I am having with this pattern and this yarn. Dave..you really outdid yourself this time! I'm not going to set any speed records, but that's ok, because that just means I get to enjoy them longer. Hopefully this evening, I will get that last repeat done, and then start Monkey #2.

There's been other SUKCC going on also. I've been made aware that the hat I made for The Girl using some sort of cheap camo yarn has become a pawn in a power struggle between her and her older brother. So I thought I should make him one even though it's not really cold enough now to wear it. But I didn't have any appropriate yarn. Only worsted I had was turquoise. Or just left overs from other things. And since I've been without transportation, shopping wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Yes, I could have ordered something, but the night I decided to do it...I wanted to start it RIGHT THEN. I'm like that. So delving into the good yarn stash, which is mostly sock yarn, I realized I had some lovely varigated browns dyed by the infamous Dave. And, it was already wound into two yarn cakes. So...using two strands of sock yarn I started this hat. 2x2 ribbing and then plain stockinette. Hopefully it will fit him. As soon as it gets a bit bigger, I'll check it and try to figure out how far to go before the decreases start. And it's really really soft and pretty.

Today though, it's going to be sewing time. Way back some time ago, I stitched together some precut squares to make a summer quilt top. It wasn't quite big enough but I put off buying more squares because other things demanded my check book. This week, though, I discovered that the place I'd ordered them before Fat Quarter Shop had them on sale. So I ordered some and very quickly they arrived in the mail. And this morning, several more rows have been stacked for sewing. Originally, I tried to make sure that there weren't like colors touching. This time, I dumped them in a sack and just picked them out randomly. The colors and the simplicity of this quilt (in my brain, at least) sing to me of summer naps with that soft, soothing fan noise.

And there's another sewing project that I haven't quite figured out yet. I want to make a bag for my swift. Since it has to stay in a small closet, I don't want to risk damaging it by it tumping over. And besides...the fabric is here. I don't know what it was supposed to be originally but I think it will work well for this.

There's yarn in the mail, or so I'm told, so it's all quite exciting around here. And once I balance the checkbook and pay the latest batch of bills, I may have to go back to Walmart because I discovered an ever-so-cute Rubber Ducky bathroom trash can LOL

But, wait! Really important news! My vehicle is running again!!! I asked my friend Richard to call the mechanic and see when he could get to it. (Mechanic talks over my shoulder. If there isn't a male standing behind me, he talks to the wall! But he's very good and reasonable and I have other wars to fight). He said that it would be Tuesday or Wednesday before he could start it but in the meantime, could Richard check the solenoid which is somewhere under the car. This had been discussed before, but apparently, if it goes out...it goes out. The car isn't going to not start one day and start the next. But Richard checked and guess what. There's a wire that goes to it, and it was barely connected. Apparently on the days it wouldn't start, it had wobbled itself away from contact. And then, maybe because I was stomping and cursing inside, it wobbled itself closer and would start later. Until recently when it wouldn't even try. He tightened it up and so far, I have driven home from work and to the store this morning. And, on the way home I discovered that gas has gone up 20 cents since the last time I bought any. :-( That's just not fair!

Now off to the sewing machine. What are you going to do today??