Blue Stripes update

Slow going... working-for-pay and sleeping seem to get in the way of knitting. Darn. But, since this sock has been on the needle for ever so long [before surgery], I've taken a vow to Finish the pair in a week. [I think I can, I think I can....]

Scanned this -- the leg really isn't odd shaped - just squished under the lid. And that bit of rose colored yarn -- just a marker/reminder for when I finally get to sock #2.

Details posted on April 29. Addendum: switched to size 1 [US] after leg.

Knitting Rules!

The book by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Knitting Rules! The Yarn Harlot Unravels the Mysteries of Swatching, Stashing, Ribbing & Rolling to Free Your Inner Knitter, arrived! A gift from my BFF Joanne.

I've read the first chapter so far. Luv it!

Red Sox and Blue Socks

Last evening, just as I finished cooking supper [egg & potato scramble...no onions], DD1 phoned. She got off work early & ask if I wanted to go out to eat. Of course! [Last night's supper immediately became today's lunch.]

DD1 wanted to go to a sports bar...with her mother yet! There had been one only 1.5 miles away - we kept talking about stopping in there. But it closed several months ago. So we went to one about 8 miles away [next town west.] Oh. Right. It's Friday night. That's why there's no parking spot within five blocks. The sign outside flashed "Immediate Seating," but that seemed very doubtful. Drove to a smaller sports bar up the road and across the freeway. The parking lot was full...except for one spot where a car was backing up. Yippee!! Inside...smoky bar atmosphere. I don't do "bars" and I don't do "smoke." The hostess said the non-smoking section had a 30-45 minute wait, but she could get us in the smoking section immediately. Sure. I'm hungry.

DD1 used to work in sports bar in NC. That's where she became a baseball fan. A Red Sox fan to be precise. I didn't count all the TV screens, but the Yankees were on about 20 of them. [Why?] Other TVs were showing the Rockies [I'm so out of touch with them - they're strangers now!], Oakland, and another baseball game. About five screens had basketball. And one [a big one] had Hockey :-) DD1 checked the schedules on her cell phone and when the Red Sox-Twins game didn't come on, she asked that it be put on the TV closest to us. She was happy! I'm sure she would have rather stayed to watch the end of the Red Sox game, but when I got tired she drove me home.

So who did the Blue Socks play? Well, they are battling it out with each other for first place. Knit me, Knit me they yell from the bag. Earlier this week I decided to schedule the Blue Socks: Mother's Embossed Leaves [see April 29 post] on even days and the Blue Striped OPALs on odd days. That worked for about two days. It was an odd day - and I realized that I had frogged the heel flap on the Blue Stripes about five times -- and after the leg, switched from size 1.5 US to 1 US needles. I'm feeling like I'll never get this first sock done, let alone the second. SO... I'm going to go the distance, extra innings, [over time], whatever ...till I get the pair finished!

Thursday Off

I took a "personal day" off from work on Thursday and it was a very productive day. For two days I had worked on a list of errands I needed/wanted done on Thursday...and I was amazed I got ALL 15 [count 'em: fifteen] things on my list done!

One of the reasons it took me two days to do the list is that I tried to write the list in order for the most fuel-efficient route. By the time I left the house about 10 a.m., I was quite pleased with the result. No back-tracking. Used the shortest routes between two points [not my favorite roads, and definitely not the smoothest - but the shortest driving distances.]

Half way through the list, I picked up Mother. We had lunch at her favorite Chinese restaurant. I usually order one of the spicy/hot dishes, but chose a milder one this time - Beef Mushroom. Also had the egg drop soup. Wow. Hadn't had EDS there in a long time as I usually have the Hot Sour Soup. I forgot how GOOD their egg drop soup is. DD1 says its the best she's ever had. I think so too!

After lunch we got our hair cut. Mother has been paying [still, after 40 years] $2.00 for a hair cut. But, the lady lives 45 miles away. Mother doesn't drive anymore, so she asked me to take a day off and take her up to Ruth's for a hair cut. I agreed to take the day off, but I was not driving 90 miles for a $2.00 hair cut. We went to my hair stylist and I paid for Mother's cut/style. A heck of a lot more than $2.00, but she was VERY pleased with the result.

More errands and I was back home by 4:10 p.m. - all missions accomplished. Also pleased with myself that between #14 and #15 [radiation] on my list - even though I had a half hour and *could* have gone home for a few minutes [it's only a mile away] - I sat in the CTC parking lot [with engine off] and balanced my checkbook. And cleaned out my purse. I had knitting with me, but figured I'd better not start or I'd loose track of the time. So I went inside and they were ready for me. Yippee!

It was also a good day because I finished the last two assignments for my grad class and got them emailed off at 9 a.m. -- one day before the deadline. Another Yippee!!!

A Lazy Summer Sunday & OTN Update

90 deg. F. and a cloudless sky. Beautiful :-) This is DD1's first spring in the Midwest since 2002 - she mentioned a few days ago that she forgot that we had just two days of Spring up here between Winter and Summer. Yep. That's about right. I was still running the furnace on Wednesday and needed the AC by yesterday [Saturday.]

Went to Mother's late yesterday afternoon to pick up Buster. Poor little fella had to stay with me overnight instead of going camping with his family. Maybe he can camp next summer... or the summer after. This was Sport's first adventure in a tent. He seemed to like it-- except when I asked if they cooked supper on the fire. He replied with a big sigh, "No. They didn't buy marshmallows."

DD2 & I had agreed on Mother's as the drop off/pick up spot for Buster because I was going up there anyway and she lives "sort of" half way between my place and where DD2 & family moved to last week. I wanted to have Mother try on the sock I'm knitting for her. [Yarn: KnitPicks' Essentials "Dusk"; pattern: Embossed Leaves from Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs.] The leg isn't stretchy like the ribbed legs I've done so far. And after I turned the heel on sock #1 I tried it on my foot. I can "just" get it on. I figured it would be OK for Mother since her feet are smaller than mine, but I wanted to be certain before I proceeded.

But, I forgot to take the unfinished sock along yesterday when I drove up there to get Buster. SO... I went again today. The sock fits. And, I've reinstalled Mahjong II on her computer again. [Have NO idea why it gets "lost"....]

On my way home I decided to shop for groceries. [Shouldn't do that on an empty stomach!] It was quite an ordeal because I tried to chose things that would be easy to fix and tasty, but easy on the innards. I started radiation on Wednesday and a week ago started adjusting my normal eating habits [spicy & full of fiber] to food that's not spicy or fiber-ish. Even with cutting back on the caffeine, spices [including black pepper], and fiber, I've still had side-effect issues. Already. I wasn't expecting that for a couple weeks. Dang.

I'll try not to complain here. But, I'll warn you. I'm a poor patient. I have a low discomfort threshold. Three down. 25 treatments to go. [I'm working 7 hours a day and taking an hour sick leave to go to the cancer treatment center.]

I do have a few "treats" to look forward to during May. I'm taking a personal day off on Thursday. I'm getting my hair cut and I promised Mother that I'd take her out to eat at her favorite Chinese restaurant. Guess I won't be getting my usual Kung Pao Chicken and Hot & Sour Soup.

Plus, I'm taking 5 days of vacation at the end of my treatment - and with the two weekends and Memorial Day I'll end up with 10 days off. Yippee!! I'll probably just sit & knit...and nap.

Finished the CIC Kids pullover. DD3 took digital photos yesterday - but needs to email them to me.

OTN 1: For Mother, first sock. Pattern: Embossed Leaves: from Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs; Yarn: KnitPicks' Essentials "Dusk"; needles: five dpns [US 2 ancient aluminum]

OTN 2: Blue stripes, first sock: Pattern: leg - k4, p1 rib Yarn: Opal Feelings #1703; needles: 5 dpns [US 1.5 bamboo]

Kitchener Addendum and Rearranging Furniture

I have two pair of socks OTN now - but won't be ready to close the toes on either for ...days... yet. When I'm there I'll watch that video again. I also made notes on the steps & wrote them on a 4x6" file card. Then I taped it inside the lid of the little plastic box I use to tote around misc. knitting accessories - optimistic that I won't need to watch the video too many more times :-)

No knitting this a.m. I'm catching up on reading emails, but will wait till later to reply. I'm feeling rather perky this morning - and my house needs major dusting & vacuuming - so that's the project for after breakfast. DD2 & J. are nearly moved out of their apt. but need to finish the kitchen this morning. So they'll bring Sport & Buster over here while they do that. Hmm...maybe I can talk DD2 into bringing her digital camera [and whatever's needed to download photos to my computer!] While DD2 & J are here, I'm going to ask them to move the couch to another wall. It's a hide-a-bed, so I cannot [or should not, I suppose] do that by myself.

I inherited [from Mother] the gene that causes people to move furniture around frequently. One month, maybe two, is about all I can stand it before I have to rearrange again. But, my living room has been the same away since we set up the Christmas tree - ARGH - that was five months ago!! The tree was taken down three months ago but I wasn't feeling like rearranging furniture then.

BTW - I finished sleeve #1 on the CIC kid's sweater last evening while watching hockey.

Off the Needles! And Kitchenered, too!!

I've had these kids socks (for CIC project) completed for awhile excepted for closing the toes. When I got home today I decided that would be my project for the evening. I've tried the kitchener stitch several times (with light weight "sock yarn") but never have been happy with the results. I figured these socks in heavier yarn might be easier to practice on. I opened up the video from knittinghelp.com and watched it 5 or 6 times.

I'm happy to say - I'm happy with the results!!!

Yarn: Wool of the Andes worsted weight in Cranberry

Needles: size 4 [U.S] dpns

Pattern: "Swirling Confetti" Kids' Socks from a CIC list file

Another Friday Road Trip & OTN Update

Road trip tomorrow - again for work - this one a two hr drive away [but, I'm not driving.] Looking forward to this trip, too. But there won't be any shopping or sightseeing afterward.

I've been watching the Grandsons a lot this week while their folks work on packing and moving their belongings...35 miles away. Not too far I know. It could be a lot worse. But, they currently live just 2 miles away, so I'm used to seeing them nearly every day.

And since I have been busy with the boys - AND I'm now back to work full-time, I haven't been doing much knitting. No sock knitting at all. However, I finished the body of the sweater I'm knitting for CIC Orphan Knitting project ...it's a pattern that can be made as a vest 0r add sleeves for a sweater. I thought I'd do a vest, but I have plenty of yarn left over, so I've started a sleeve. I'm not going to do the pocket.
Needles: sizes 10.5 and 11 [US] circulars
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Bulky in Emerald & Taupe.

Friday Road Trip & OTN Update

Working part-time is going OK, but I've been taking afternoon naps. If the Dr. OKs my return to full-time on Monday, I'll miss those naps. Not really sure if I actually NEED the naps, or I just *think* I do....

Friday, however, I took a road trip! A co-worker & I went to a conference, but, it *was* a road trip! My C-W had never been to that city. What? How could that be? It's only 90 miles away. The conference got over at 3 p.m. and I was able to easily persuade C-W to do some sightseeing & shopping. [No yarn shops, tho. -- couldn't find any online info on any possibilities.]

Had a good time sightseeing - including a cable car ride :-) & a visit to a marvelous toy store, a bead shop [C-W says the prices were much better than here in town], an Irish shop [I bought a box of Barry's Gold Blend Tea], and an English import shop [where I bought my all-time favorite Yorkshire Tea.]

OTN Update:
1. a pair kids socks for CIC - just need to finish the toes
2. socks for Mother...nearly finished with first leg
3. oops - side tracked -- I have 9.5 inches completed on the body a "child size 4" pullover
4. Opal Feeling socks - on hold for now

Photos later...

Back to Work

Maybe I'm not as recovered from my surgery as I thought. I worked from 8:00 a.m. - Noon. And I slept from about 1:30 - 3:11 p.m. I would have slept longer, but DD2 arrived with the boys. They were only here about an hour before the mama came back for them.

The weather is still unseasonably cool, but the sun was warm. [Oh, and the humidity was a perfect 20% -- just like back home in The West.] The boys brought bottles of bubbles, so we sat on the front steps and blew bubbles. Well, Sport did. He's a pro at it. But, Buster had shaken his bottle so much that the wand was full of tiny bubbles - not blowable. I guess Buster got bored with chasing his brother's bubbles and high-tailed it around the corner of the house.

I'm not ready to run. But run I did...that short, chubby fellow can Move! Then they played on the slide out back...until Buster decided to bounce a big ball on the empty parking lot behind my house. OK. We can do this. Bounce the ball. Toss it back and forth. Coax Buster to come back closer. Play "soccer" with Sport.

Of course, they didn't want to go back in the house when I was ready. Do you want juice? No. How about hot chocolate? Yes! Sport likes to hold the glass with the "hot" water while I stir in the powdered mix. He loves "Grandma's hot chocolate." Poor kid...someday I'll have to make him Real Hot Cocoa.

OTN update 1: Ribbing for sock #2 for a CIC kid's sock. [I joined the CIC knitting list recently. Still waiting to hear what the new challenge will be.] Yarn: Wool of the Andes worsted weight in Cranberry, needles: size 4 [U.S], pattern: "Swirling Confetti" Kids' Socks from the CIC group file [I think.]

OTN update 2: The blue striped OPAL "Feelings #1703" is on hold for now. Leg for sock #1 is completed.

OTN update 3: Belated birthday socks for mother. She's always said that she doesn't like blue. But, she picked out KnitPicks' Essentials "Dusk" - it's definitely a denim color. But, that's OK. She wants them to wear with blue jeans. [Mother is 79, by the way.] Since the yarn is a solid, I offered to do a pattern from my [very own] Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs. I was thinking of the Uptown Boot Socks, but when I showed Mother the book, she said she'd rather have the Embossed Leaves. So...that's what I'm doing. When DD3 was here yesterday, she took a digital photo of the few inches of pattern that I had completed at that time. I'll add the photo when she emails it to me.

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.

My Past Week - Part C

Oh, yeah. The dryer quit working a few days ago. Need to contact the landlord. Don't know if they are back from Florida yet or not. [If they Are, I bet they wish they weren't. Windchill this a.m.: 6 degrees.]

My Past Week - Part B

Earlier this week...Monday to be exact... we had a lot of rain. The ground was already saturated, and now the rivers are up. I live on high ground, so I was really surprised on Tuesday morning when I went downstairs to do laundry. Standing water! [I rent, by the way. And for some strange reason, the landlord had raised the floor around the drain. The center of the basement floor is several inches lower.]

I got a mop & pushed water uphill to the drain for nearly an hour & a half. I sent a text message to DD1 saying HELP! - she came straight home from work. Most of the wet stuff belonged to DD3 who's [90 miles] away at college. I left a voice message on her phone saying that it looked like most of it would have to be pitched.

DD3 called after class and said she would come home to help and arrived around 5 pm-ish. DD1 helped her haul wet stuff out to the garage. I stood around and tried to be supportive. Her boyfriend came over when he got off work & they hauled all the wet mess away.

We turned on a couple fans and by bedtime that evening the floor was completely dry.

I was SO thankful that DD3 was able to come home to help. Thanks again, Honey Bunch!

Things That Go

[Grandson content]


These photos were taken at Christmas time. My grandsons are a treat! I have 3 lovely daughters - but had no idea how much fun grandsons would be. They are fascinated by all things motorized & with wheels. Sport wants a motorcycle and Buster wants a "digger." Poor Buster thought this one was his to take home. :-)

My Past Week - Part A

[Genealogy content]

I have been knitting...some. But, I spent a lot of hours working on genealogy stuff. A year ago I bought a new database program and decided I wanted the data to be as "perfect" as possible. So, I started transfering each individual manually - each ancestor, ancestors' siblings, in-laws, known nieces & nephews, etc.

That works well, but takes forever. There are 2998 individuals in my old database. When I got to my paternal grandfather's line, I decided to do a data download for those individuals. That did NOT work well. I have no idea how it happened, but during the download random individuals were given burial dates ranging from 2002 and 2007. Really random. Not everyone. But, some of the people are still living. Some died in the 1700s. Some of the "notes" sections were duplicated, but not all. ARGH.

I started to clean up the records for those in my paternal grandfather's line and learned some new tricks for using this new database. And then, I decided to look at the data for every single person. I went alphabetically through the entire new database -- 1527 records -- and fixed what needed to be fixed. It was *very* time consuming, but I'm glad I did it.

Now for the remaining 1471 records -- I'm going to enter the data manually. It might take me a year, but I'll end up with a "clean" database.

yDNA Update: A few days ago I got word of a new project participant who matches our results perfectly. Our Most Recent Common Ancestor was born about 1750 in Pennsylvania. And here's another who matches very closely - but we don't have a proven connection, yet. Most likely it's several generations farther back. Now - if I could just talk a couple of my mother's male cousins into doing a yDNA test I think we might be able to prove or disprove a certain family oral tradition. The test itself is a bit pricey, but the two cousins I would ask could easily afford it.