OTN Update with some genealogy news tossed in

Here's what I have on the needles:

1. Baby blanket using Bernat Baby Coordinates in "Sweet Pink" I'll donate this to a community outreach project downstream - the place was destroyed in the June flood, and I read on Ravelry that they happily accept knitting items. The pattern is very easy. However, the yarn I'm having a problem with. It was on sale and a lovely bright pink - just what I wanted. But it has a crinkily white strand that wraps the pink loosely. So loosely that I keep getting it caught when I do a stitch. So the fabic looks a bit 'snagged' I try to fix as I go [or when I go back on the reverse side] - but some snags are not fixable.

Would I use this pattern again -- most definitely. Would I use this yarn again. Well, I'm debating whether I'll make the blue blanket. Bought the yarn at the same time. Did I say it was on sale? I think I know why! If I decide I don't want to fuss with the blue ... I'll donate that yarn some where. And No I would not buy it again.

2. Another pair of socks for me. The yarn is Filatura Di Crosa - Maxime. Can't remember where I bought it at. Not locally that I know. Color is #16 - a dark forest green. I wanted to use Brigit - luv the cables. But the yardage on the two skeins of Maxime is not close to the suggested yardage for the Brigit pattern. Drat it.

Then I worried that whatever top down pattern I used, I might run out of yarn. Drat it again. I dug out Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts' Simple Socks and have two toe uppers started. I can remember my first attempt with PAGR's wraps about drove me nuts. [But, then I was still on post op drugs....] This time, tho. I had only a few minor issues. and now I'm beginning the foots. I'm doing st st. When I get to the legs, I'll do some cable pattern. Haven't decided what - just that it will be an 8 st pattern repeat from Charlene Schurch. I'll wait to look at the stitch patterns when I get that far.

So. I'm off now to knit and to watch Disk 2 of the HBO miniseries John Adams. No bad for a miniseries...and an introduction to John and Abigail. Two very intelligent, very forward thinking individuals. I would be proud to claim them as ancestors. But, alas no connection so far.

OH! Genealogy content: No J. & A. Adams, but, it looks as if Mayflower people are beginning to sprout from my family tree! My grandmother would not be too impressed - she would tell snooty acquaintances who were into the DAR and Mayflower Societies that HER ancestors MET the Mayflower. Maybe. I need one bit of proof tying my mother's mother's mother's mother's mother to a known descendent of four Mayflower passengers. In early 1800s western PA, they didn't leave a lot of records, so I might never find the proof. But. I'm 95% positive I've got it right.

Egads! It's almost Christmas!!

I remember my great grandmother saying [when I was about 8] that the older you get the faster time goes. I thought, "Crazy old lady." But, man, she was right! How did it get to be June? Similar question raised by Sport recently, "Grandma, how did you get to be 60?" He can count past one hundred now, so he knows that sixty is a BIG number. I told him that I kept having birthdays every year and finally got this many. ...seems the bigger the number, the faster they pile up!

Of all my plans for knitting [or crocheting] Christmas gifts, I've only got four dishcloths done [my "gag" gift for everyone this year.] Or maybe 6...if I don't have to frog the two that are in the same color/dye lot as the environmentally friendly shopping bag I'm working on. I'm thinking I'm going to need to use them. Time will tell!

I've got photos from my dear friend in the UK - DF and her granddaughter in matching Strawberry Creme socks. That will be a separate post.

Current OTN 1: Socks for me!! I'm nearly finished with the leg of the second sock.

OTN 2: I've started several practice pieces for felted slippers for CIC. But, haven't been happy with any and keep frogging. But, I think I've found a pattern that will work for me (a no brainer pattern.) I *thought* that I'd take the Kool-Aid dyed yarns along to work on while mom has surgery tomorrow. But, decided I'd better complete one pair -- including the felting process [which I've never done] before I knit additional slippers.

So, not OTN yet, but will be later today. More socks for me. Yarn from my stash [not shown on Ravelry yet] -- think I'd better go with the "camel" color since I don't know about the lighting in the waiting room, etc. Pattern? Hmmm. Maybe a cabled leg. On size 1 [US] needles. The smallest I've used so far are 1.5 [US], but I want a denser fabric.

OTHook: a shopping bag. Details later.

On the genealogy front: I've been adding info from various paper & computer files into my database. There's a national "family" reunion in Kansas City this month for people with my maiden name - and numerous spelling variations. Some share common ancesters with me, some don't. I think it would be loads of fun to go to the reunion & meet some of these distant cousins, but it's the same weekend as the state convention and just two weeks before my niece's wedding in Colorado.

So, I've been busy making print outs, copies, etc. to send to one of the reunion organizers for their display table.

Oops, the grandsons woke up and one is not a happy little fella. Took them to a baseball game last night so they were up late - probably haven't had enough sleep!

Still need to add a blog & photo of the Strawberry Creme socks on feet. Later.

April Socks Completed

Still no digital camera - so I had to fold the top [bottom in real life] sock to show the second one.

Almost identical except for the last few rows of the toes. The 2nd one has more "tan" - and less "raspberry" at the very end.

Details were posted on March 29.

April Socks update

I knew it would be slow going with these. That's why I got a head start on the April socks. But, I'm making good progress. Love the feel of this yarn. [I've read a few blogs or socknitters' posts from people who have not liked it. But, I'd definitely use Step again!]

Sock #1 nearly completed - need to finish toe and deal with the cast on tail. I left the tail long to help me match up the start point of the second sock. Yippee. The second sock, now OTN, is looking like the stripes match up well :-)

Yarn: Austermann Step #10 Melba
Needles: No. 2 [US] aluminum, 5 dpns
Pattern: rather basic pattern - top down, k4, p1 rib that I saw at Michelle's Basic Socks - but then the rest is my modification with a heel flap instead of a short row heel. Maybe one of these days I'll actually use Michelle's entire pattern.

It's About Perspective

DD1 thinks all I do is knit on that April [Austermann Step #10 - Melba] sock. But, that's because that's all she sees me doing. Up until yesterday I was napping more than not, but from DD1's perspective my days have gone like this:

7:30 a.m. - Mom's up. In the recliner. Knitting on that sock. [DD1 leaves for coffee shop day job.]

Later in afternoon - [DD1 returns from day job] Mom's up. In the recliner. Knitting on that sock.

An hour later - [As DD1 leaves for evening job at very nice Italian restaurant] Mom's up. In the recliner. Knitting on that sock.

Hours later [DD1 returns from Italian restaurant.] Mom's in bed. There's that sock, yarn & knitting needles on the table beside the recliner. She must have knit all evening.

From my perspective, the past five or six days have gone like this:

Knit a few rows. Lay it down. Take a pain pill with a big glass of water. Knit a few rows. Hoist myself out of the recliner and head to the loo. Back in the recliner. Knit a few rows. Sleep for an hour or two. Knit a few rows. Take a pain pill with a big glass of water. Knit a few rows. Doze off for ten minutes. Hear DD1 putting key in door. Pick up my knitting. Knit a few rows. Decide I need to head to the loo....

You get the idea.

Tying Up Loose Ends

I'll be gone for a while. Having surgery later this a.m. [uterine cancer] and will be in the hospital "three or four days." I'll get back to the computer ASAP!

Loose ends:

• Packed yesterday, repacked this morning.
• Checked my several email accounts [but not the one for work.]
• Cleared out my "nest" - the area around the recliner [which I do usually every day anyway, but last night I just went to bed. Had to put away all those pointy little sticks that seem to intrgue Buster to no end.]
• Knit 2" on my April Socks - finally using the Austermann Step #10 and Michelle's Basic Socks pattern [k4,p1 leg] - taking with me.

All for now. Take care. I'll be back....