Snow! We got snow!

And here it is-- a most un-Carolinian batch of white stuff. It snowed mostly during the night, and about ten when I was coming to bed it thundered for a while. Phil's office is closed, the dogs are loving it, and I'm happily snowed in (except it means missing knitting group.) The coffee is especially good this AM.

I rounded the heel on one of the socks, the tan one, with a new short row technique that may work if I practice a bit. I'm thinking maybe go down a needle size to reduce the big honking holes along the seam. They're just for me and in cheap yarn, so they'll do.

In keeping with my nature I then got distracted by a fetching bit of lace in a sort of rusty pink, more about that next time. I started off in bellflower, pretty but annoyingly complex for a whole scarf, and now I'm trying something else.

Freezing rain yesterday, and the power was a little wobbly, so I made supper a bit early-- with bread pudding for afters-- so we'd have it if things went dark.

I've downloaded two books from http://www.audible.com/ to see if I want a membership, a new novel from Mary Balogh and one on climate change, Field Notes from a Catastrophe. I think the non-fiction is going to work better for listening. When I'm reading fiction I really want to be able to lose myself in it, and also want to carry it around (OK, I'll admit it, I read in the bathroom and at the table and just everywhere.) For knitting, I like news and podcasts, and non-fiction fits in there. We shall see.

Being firm with one's knitting projects

I had a Facing Reality session about my projects yesterday, and put away all but these: the blueish raglan sweater [because I need to learn to knit a raglan]; the Afghan-We-Have-Always-with-Us [because I need some mindless TV knitting and finishing it will make a nice, fillable hole in my stash]; and socks. Well, several socks. Everything else went into bags and into the closet. Out of sight, out of guilt.
We did figure-eight cast on sock toes in class on Tuesday, and it is fairly quick if kind of fiddly. I added a little shell rib design to the front of the sock to alleviate boredom... from one of Charlene Schurch's books. Heels next. I want to make toe-up socks not because the toes scare me; I really don't mind kitchener stitch; but I'm tall and have big feet, and this way I can use all the allotted yarn and make the socks longer in the foot and up the leg than if I had to guesstimate where to stop. I just knit up the leg until I run out. The current pair in Paton's Kroy looks like it could make a prodigious sock.
Little Cate was sick this week, an evil stomach bug; the first time she's really been ill (she's about 20 months.) Times like this I hate being a continent away from them, and wish I could help.
Weather won't settle down into spring. The temp jumps from 60's to 20's and back. We had much needed rain yesterday, just poured buckets, and then in true NC fashion today was sunny again. I went up to the huge Harris Teeter grocery, known locally as the Big Teeter or the Taj Ma Teeter, and did what the English call a big shop, with a list and coupons and everything. I'm sure I missed something, but I should be able to hold out for most of a week. Being retired has made me cavalier about running to the store, since now I have the time.
I've gotten the mileage in the Civic Hybrid to average 40 miles around town, better than at first. I don't know if it's the car or my driving, but it's fun to try to edge it up by hypermiling. Oh yes, I'm easily amused.

Rosie's Got her Wag Back

Well, mostly. She is recovering from [Ewww Alert!] impacted anal glands. I don't even want to think about what that feels like and I am grateful humans don't come with those accessories. The vet also tested and warned me to keep an eye on "Rosie's benign fatty masses." Well. I've got those too, but in my case they're called hips and thighs. Anyway the Rose is on the mend & we're glad. At nine years old I guess we can expect more doggy decline. Hmmm-- they're just about my age in dog years. Oh, dear.

The socks are done, see pic, and I'm trying to put another pair on the needles. This time I'm doing toe-up socks, so I can make the ankles a little longer without worrying about running out of yarn. This calls for starting with a curved toe geometry that is giving me fits; also, the yarn is finer and the needles smaller than the first pair. One needs very bright light. I want to start them so I can take them up to the Blue Ridge with me next week, when Phil & his friends go on bike rides and I get to knit to my heart's content and do a little hiking. It will be cooler up there, and I'm so looking forward to that. 96 degrees F yesterday (and the thermometer is in the shade under the eaves.)

Whooo-hoo!!

OK, if you're not a knitter, you may want to go get chocolate or something. I am going to brag on the fact that I have just turned the heels on a pair of socks. My FIRST pair of socks. It took several websights, some KnitWitch videos on YouTube, and two books to get me through it, but now I. Have. Got. It. DOWN.

I will freely admit they look kind of lumpy and not exactly identical. But hey, these things go on your feet, right? So it's not like they're close up where they can be scrutinized, and most of them is in your shoes anyway. I wear almost exclusively clogs, on account of having enormous feet that are very hard to fit (and if you wear clogs you only have to worry about fitting the weird toey part of your feet & not the skinny heels, and the extra half size that the shoe industry won't concede is essential can just sort of hang off the back.) (11 1/2 B, for you nosy types.) So I want to make my own socks because that way a. they will fit, b. I will have interesting yarn art showing at the backs of the clogs, c. they will go far enough up my leg not to leave the airy gap at the end of my pants when I sit down (I'm tall.) Plus I get the fun of playing with all that yummy sock yarn.

Also I am feeling very smug because I have knitted both socks along at the same time on two sets of needles, so when I'm done I will really be done, not having to do another whole sock which might never happen.

It's a glorious cool spring day, and Phil just took the dogs out for a walk. (That's Jack & Rosie in their summer clip-- shorn for tick & flea season.) Even at nine years old, every walk they take is the most exciting walk ever, like they haven't been on one in weeks. I have laundry to do and I need to make pillow covers for the couch in the den to go with the pillow-topped footstool Phil just finished, out of walnut, which really spiffs up the room. I hate to sew but I want the pillows, so I'll force myself. But first, I need another cup of coffee and a little knitting along with some public radio.

Additional smugness is due to supper for tonight already being made-- leek & potato soup with white beans and some fresh bread.

The Eternal Sock

This sock would be a little less eternal if we could ever reach the heel. It’s a First Sock, so it’s entitled to have issues. But. Phase One started off bravely with an inch of ribbing & three inches of stockinet when I finally had to admit that----- either I would have to put both feet in one sock or find a sockless elephant to gift it to. Not being on friendly terms with any elephants at the moment, I ripped. Phase Two got off to a jaunty start too, and lasted for about two inches, when I faced the truth that if I kept going I would have a roll-top sock that would snap down around my ankles as soon as I put it on. Then I got distracted and made a cushy pair of alpaca fingerless gloves for my Spanish teacher, a few bibs for my granddaughter Cate, and part of a pillow cover. A day or two ago I embarked on Phase III, and I think this time the sock & I will successfully get to the heel-turning thing. Maybe. Stay tuned. But don’t you love the Regia yarn?