Skidding on Asphalt

I'm pretty good about knowing where I am in space. Sure, I rarely occasionally frequently bump into the corners of tables and desks and such, leaving bruises on my hips. But when it comes to staying on my feet, I'm rather talented. Or so I thought, until last night.

We met some friends at our favorite watering hole and due to the popularity of the place, I had to park farther away than usual. It was also raining, so I was a bit miffed as well (I got over it). While we were there, additional friends and acquaintances unexpectedly showed up; it was almost like old times. (Over the past several years, the patrons have shifted from local townsfolk to what we assume to be people from the massive subdivisions that are encroaching on our little town.) I started the evening with a pomegranate Cosmo and then had a glass of wine with a pot full of mussels (in a Thai curry coconut and ginger broth; very yummy). After dinner, we took our leave and headed home.

And that's when it happened.

I'm a fast walker. Unless I'm hiking, I like to get from point A to point B quickly. (This propensity for fast walking drives Tom crazy. He strolls. Unless we're hiking; then he puts his head down and wants to get from point A to point B quickly.) I was walking to my car at my usual fast pace when all of a sudden, one shoe flies off my foot, the other foot seems to stick to the ground, and the remainder of my body has a close encounter with the asphalt, which is wet from the recent rain. Fortunately, I fell in the gutter (no jokes!) because a car was coming up behind me just as I took the dive. I don't seem to be damaged beyond a few scrapes and the injury to my pride.

Feeling the Love
I started a new pair of socks for Tom using the Fortissima Socka pictured on the previous post. Several times, actually. I needed something easy to knit while I was waiting for the dreaded procedures to begin. (They went well, by the way.) I'm using the generic toe-up sock from Wendy Knits, modified to account for Tom's larger foot. I love this sock dearly. When I'm not knitting it, I want to be. When I am knitting it, I don't want to stop (so ripping it back a couple of times because I knit the short rows inside out wasn't a problem). I'm entranced with the way the yarn is self-patterning. And I love the slightly worn look of the yarn. I don't like its splittiness, but I can live with it, because everything else about it is so perfect. It even smells vaguely sheep-like.

Here is the object of my affection:



The other side has maroon and red stripes. Unfortunately, the camera batteries decided to give up the ghost as I was photographing the sock. You'll just have to imagine it.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to knit the sock.

Presenting...

The Gentleman's Fancy Socks. They are finished!

On the hoof:


Reclining on the bed:


After all was said and done, despite the numerous do-overs on sock the second, these socks were a pleasure to knit. They fit Tom relatively well, although they are a little snug. Personally, I like a snug sock. Tom declared them very comfy and I practically had to wrestle them away from him so they could relax in a nice warm Eucalan bath. I think Tom's next pair of socks will be from this yarn:



It's a nice self-patterning yarn and hopefully the pattern will cause the socks to look like Tibetan socks. Or rather, what we imagine Tibetan socks to look like.

I didn't have too much energy last night for knitting anything complicated, so I started prototyping the Thumbless Jogger's Mittens from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Around, using some Manos I had left over from a hat. While these mittens continue to charm me (how can you not love a mitten where the top curls around your fingertips?), I am not charmed by the way they are turning out. I think they are sized for a large adult hand (which I definitely don't have) and even though I'm getting something approximating gauge, I don't like the way the single-ply is knitting up. These will be headed straight for the frog pond and I'll try with another type of yarn. Hmmm...maybe a two-ply like the pattern calls for?

Okay, it's time to stop now. I'm beginning to focus on the hungry tummy rumblings (no solid food since Saturday night) and am sure that anything else I write won't be very cohesive.

Happy knitting!

Do-Overs

I lied last weekend when I said I would finish the second Gentleman's Fancy Sock by the end of the weekend. I almost finished the toe, then realized the stitch counts on the needles were off. I unknit and was appalled at number of mistakes I found. There were decreases in the wrong place, decreases partially worked, and several stitches that were just slipped from one needle to the other. However, I was running a fever over the weekend and am sure that it was the fever that caused the plethora of mistakes.

However, it wasn't the fever that caused what happened next. That was sheer stupidity poor judgment on my part.

See, I ran out of yarn. And not by a little bit. By a lot of bit. How the heck could I get a full sock out of the first ball of yarn (with 19 inches left over) and miss the mark so badly with the second ball on the second sock? Because I added an extra 10 rows, that's why. It looked like the foot was too short, so I added an eighth pattern repeat. I spent a good part of the morning frogging the toe; now all I have left to do is rearrange the stitches on the needles and start the toe over again, like for the third time. I swear, this sock is turning into the Never Ending Sock. I'm so close to finishing I can almost taste it.

And today, it will be finished. I'll have plenty of time this afternoon and evening to knit to my heart's content. I'll be prepping for tomorrow's "procedure" and leaving the house is not advisable. I'm on a clear liquid diet for today as well, so there will be no pesky cooking to take up my time. The only wrinkle in my plans is that I have to drink eight ounces of a polyethylene glycol solution every 15 minutes for about three hours. Shudder... That alone could put a stop to my knitting plans.

Yoga Socks
Thanks for all the nice comments on the yoga socks. I gave them to my teacher before class on Saturday and she loved them. She immediately put them on and tested them with some downward dogs, upward dogs, and lunges. She pronounced them eminently usable for yoga. And the best part is they kept her feet warm during class. I suspect there will be at least one more pair of yoga socks in my future.

That's it for now. Remind me not to knit tomorrow. I suspect knitting while recovering from anesthesia is going to be more deleterious than knitting with a fever.

For the Most Part

I'm back, after a somewhat long absence. The blogging muse took leave of me and a weekend morning schedule change left me with no blogging time. Plus this has been a difficult winter for me, what with the health issues and potential dietary changes. Toss in non-winter weather and that makes for one discombulated Libran.

I'm adjusting, albeit a bit grumpily. My comment during cooking shows that showcase the ingredients I'm supposed to avoid? "Mmmmm....allergens!" Forays into the gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free manufactured food realm have turned up some surprisingly tasty items. The Foods By George brownies are excellent. Their English muffins are acceptable. The Tinkyada brand of pastas is also excellent. Even Tom liked the spaghetti. The various gluten-free, etc. breads are challenging--very dry and crumbly, with a rather slick mouth-feel. The Energ-G brown rice loaf isn't too bad, but it lacks the chewiness of real bread. I'm having two more tests done to confirm the initial diagnosis. It's probably overkill, but I want to be sure that these dietary changes are absolutely necessary before I start modifying the way we eat. If it was just me, it wouldn't be a problem. But I've got a skeptic for a husband (which is good) and a conclusive diagnosis will go a long way to ensure compliance, especially since he does a lot of the cooking.

0-50 in 11
That's my motto for this year. Zero to 50 miles in 11 months! I've started training for the JFK 50, which accounts for the lack of early morning blogging time on weekends now. My longest run so far has been about six miles (which isn't long at all). I was hoping for seven this weekend, but a bout of the flu has me sidelined. My plan is to increase mileage slowly, to keep the ITB problem at bay. There are at least three other women in the club who want to run the JFK 50, and we all run at about the same pace. Having a group will make training so much easier. For some masochistic reason, I'm looking forward to this challenge. Tom can't be the only one in this family to run an ultra marathon!

Knitting Progress
Surprisingly, there has been knitting progress. Not much, to be sure, but it's progress, nonetheless. And the progress has resulted in some FOs. I finished the hat for my friend at the Miami Marathon (to read the trip report, go here). Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of hat, but it fit her perfectly and she says she receives a lot of compliments when she wears it. Also on the FO list is a pair of yoga socks for my yoga teacher.



She was intrigued by the idea and offered to be a guinea pig. I knit them using KnitPicks' Andean Silk. The yarn was a pleasure to work with. The color did run a bit when I washed them, but I don't think it's anything that a little white vinegar rinse can't fix.

On the "Almost an FO" list are the Gentleman's Fancy Socks. I've started the toe on the second sock and am beginning to wonder if I'm going to have enough yarn to finish the project. I had a mere 19 inches left from the first sock. With any luck, I'll have this sock finished today.



What's next on the project list? I'd like to continue working on the Counterpoised Shawl, but will wait until my brain is a little more alert. Somehow lace and a less than alert brain a good combination do not make. I might dig out the Fern Leaf Shawl and try to finish it; it's a fairly simple lace pattern. The Monkey socks will move to the forefront of the sock projects. And then there's a simple tank that I might make for the Belize trip in April, using yarn that I got from ArtFibers in San Francisco a couple of years ago:



It's a wool/mohair/silk blend and is very yummy. On second though, maybe that fiber combination is not the best for a sailing trip in the tropics. Hmmm...

So, lots to do! Time to get started!

Happy knitting!

That's It!

Dear Winter,

This letter is difficult for me to write. We've always enjoyed a rather rocky relationship, what with my dislike of being cold and all that. However, the stark beauty of the grays and bare tree branches helped me overlook the fact that I was freezing. And then when you unleashed the snow, I was truly in love with you all over again. The pristine white, the muffled sounds...I'd stand for hours and drink it all in. The ice storms that made each surface look like it was encrusted with diamonds...a truly stunning work of art.

But this year, dearest Winter, you have sorely disappointed me. Oh sure, we've had a few days of very cold weather, but I don't count daytime highs in the 40s as "winter weather." And the snow this year? Where's the snow? You've teased and taunted, snowing just enough to make me want more, and then we have temperatures in the 50s or 60s. And this last storm that you threatened us with? That was the best you could do? The barest dusting of snow, followed by a wee bit of ice? Surely you can do better than that!

I've hoped, wished, cajoled, wore my snowflake earrings, all to encourage you. This is hard to say, but if you aren't going hold up your end of the relationship, I want you to pack up your bags and leave. Right now. I'm done with your capriciousness. Let Spring come, with its warmth and soft breezes. Spring will do a better job in this relationship than you.

And Winter? Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

All the best,
T.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Well! It's been an interesting week in my hometown. Blogging time seems to have gotten away from me, mostly because (get this), I ran this weekend. Can you believe it? And I ran early (prime blogging time) and outside. Let me tell you, it was a bit chilly. I think it was 16 degrees on Sunday. I managed to run about four miles on Saturday and five miles on Sunday. And the best thing? I didn't have any ITB pain. In order to keep me running, Tom challenged me to run the JFK 50 in 2009. He thought it would be cool for me to run a 50-mile race while I'm (cough) 50, except I won't be. I'll have exceeded that age by about a month. I'm not sure that I'll be ready to run the JFK 50 this year. I have 11 months to train, though, so it isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.

But the thing that totally threw me for a loop was the last set of test results from my doctor. She had some concerns about adrenal fatigue and other vitamin and mineral deficiencies and ran a battery of tests. Her adrenal fatigue suspicion was confirmed as was her concern about other nutritional deficiencies. I'm either deficient or low in just about everything they tested for. And why is that? The answer is truly depressing.

I tested positive for allergies to gluten, casein (dairy), and soy.

Let that sink in for a moment...gluten, dairy, and soy.

That means a lot of foods (like most of the foods I enjoy eating) will need to be eliminated from my diet. So long, macaroni and cheese! Good-bye, pizza! Farewell, bagels! No more butter (sob). No ice cream. No pancakes or waffles. No doughnuts, cakes, pies, cookies, puddings. And Sheep, no more black and white cookies.

Dang. My world has been rocked and not in a good way. The gluten allergy is probably the more serious one, since it could be an indication of celiac disease. And it seems it's the allergy that is the root of the nutritional deficiencies, since a gluten allergy causes malabsorption.

It's a good thing both Tom and I enjoy cooking because we've just been handed a big cooking challenge. We don't rely on packaged foods at all, which is a big benefit. Soy, casein, and gluten are all hidden in even the most simple processed foods. Ah, well.

Knitting Progress
We have flappage on the second Gentleman's Fancy Sock! It looks like changing to a larger needle size did the trick. I'm predicting that within another week or so this project will be finished.

I'll have ample knitting time this weekend. We're flying to Miami (ah, blessed warm weather!) for the Miami Marathon and everyone knows that a plane trip is perfect knitting time. The Monkey socks will be resurrected since I'm using wood needles (I suspect that TSA guys might have problems with the extremely pointy metal needles I'm using for Tom's sock). The hat will also be finished this weekend; the recipient will be in Miami with us and I'll be able to do a fitting.

That's about it for now. Happy knitting!

And hold the cheese.

My, How Time Flies!

Wow, it's already the 12th of January! How did that happen? Life these days has been a combination of exhausting (stupid thyroid!) and busy, with a trip to visit my family last weekend, as well as various social engagements. For some reason, January and February seem to have a busier social agenda than November and December. Go figure.

The trip to my parents was preceded by a period of extremely low energy, which made thinking and performing other daily activities a bit difficult. This in turn created a bit of anxiety, because I still had to buy and wrap presents for my youngest nephew and nieces. However, Ka-BOOM! once again came to my rescue. They have the best toys (high quality and designed for imaginative play), arranged by age appropriateness, no less. After scoping out the offerings, I made quick call to consult with my mother, and made my purchases. Three gifts for kids aged 2, 5, and 6 bought in less than an hour! It doesn't get any better than that! To give you an idea of how late I was with the gift acquisition, we were on the road an hour and a half later.

Why yes, Procrastination is my middle name. Why do you ask?

We had a very enjoyable, but too brief stay with my parents. Everyone came to dinner and the kids made it high energy. I must say that Carl and Laurie have done an excellent job of raising well-mannered children. Their presents were sitting on the hearth, and not once did they ask anyone about them. They seemed rather surprised, in fact, when we handed them out. Do you know many young children like that?

I was surprised, too, when my sister-in-law Barbara handed me a gift bag. For me? I reached inside and pulled out this:



If you look carefully, you can see that the ball band says Plymouth Yarn Royal Cashmere. I was flabbergasted. Cashmere! This is definitely a yarn that I would not buy for myself. It was a very thoughtful gift. Thanks again, Barbara! I've already started daydreaming about scarf designs.

Knitting Progress
There's been a bit of knitting activity chez Libran and in fact, there's almost a finished object! But before that, there was frogging. The second Gentleman's Fancy Sock bit the dust. Or at least most of it did. I had the brilliant idea of inserting the needles at the point where I wanted to the ripping to stop:



After they were in place, I let 'er rip!



The technique worked almost perfectly. I had to make a few minor adjustments, but it worked! And then I discovered that I didn't have 2.25mm needles. Time find another project to take on the trip to my parents house.

I pulled out my ball of Fibra Natura Heaven to start the hat for my friend Heidi. Given that I didn't have her head measurements and wasn't sure that I was going to have quite enough yarn, I opted for a top-down method and discovered I really like working hats top down. Here's what I have so far, modeled by my trusty iron:



The hat was a little too plain with just stockinette and the standard ribbing seemed to be too dull. I came across the Crystal and Pearl lace pattern in Barbara Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns and thought that it would make the perfect edging with just one repeat, followed by 1x1 ribbing on smaller needles. Here's the lace detail:



The best part about top-down hats is that you can try them on as you go. This hat is a bit loose on me and it covers my ears. I had a friend at work try it on, and it was somewhat tight on her and barely covered the tips of her ears. I definitely need to have a fitting session with Heidi before finishing it off. I predict that the hat will be finished this weekend.

The 2.25mm needles finally arrived, and I'm slowly cruising towards the foot of the second sock. I predict the pair will be complete by the end of the month.

Unfortunately the weekend does not promise a lot of knitting time. The herd of dust buffalo needs to be culled and we're spending the day in DC tomorrow, visiting museums, restaurants, and finishing up with a concert at the Kennedy Center.

Have a great weekend!

Uh Oh

I've been knitting the second Gentleman's Fancy Sock all week, with the goal of having the sock finished by New Year's Eve, so Tom could wear them that night. As I was knitting early yesterday morning, it seemed very likely that I would actually achieve that goal. I was within 20 rows of reaching the toe when I looked at the amount of yarn left. "Hmmm," says I, "It seems like I've got an awful lot of yarn left." At this point on the first sock, I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have enough yarn to finish the sock. A nagging suspicion crept into my mind. I pulled out the first sock, matched it to the second sock at the heel, and...



Yep, my suspicion was right. The second sock is smaller. I matched gauge on the cuff, the first pattern repeat and possibly the heel. Other than that, every thing is knit at a tighter gauge. I made Tom try on the second sock to be sure. Try as he might, he couldn't get the second sock over his heel. A quick gauge check revealed that the first sock pattern repeat and foot is knit at my standard 10spi on 2mm needles. The second sock is knit somewhere between 11 and 12 spi. So, dear readers, the second sock is headed for Frog Pond. On the return trip, it will be knit on 2.25mm needles. And you can bet that I'll be checking gauge throughout.

The lack of an active sock presented somewhat of a problem yesterday afternoon. What could I knit on the drive up to my mother-in-law's? It takes about an hour or so to get there. I pulled the Counterpoised shawl off the shelf and figured that I could make a bit of progress on that.

Trouble-free knitting is clearly not in the stars for me right now.

The first row I knit presented no problems as it was a purl row. The second row was a pattern row. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the pattern repeat to come out right. The border and the first 12-stitch repeat looked fine and after that everything fell apart. I unknit, looked at what I had, and tried again. No luck. It didn't help matters that we were driving on bumpy, twisty country roads and the light was poor. So Counterpoised was unceremoniously (and rather grumpily) crammed back into its little Ziplock (TM) bag.

I think both projects are going to sit for a while. Next project? A nice soft easy hat for a friend who is currently going through chemotherapy for breast cancer. She's doing amazingly well and is still training to run the Miami Marathon at the end of January.

My Mother's Knitting
Mom seems to be having similar problems with her knitting. The project that she started on Thanksgiving has been relegated to the knitting bag until I can get down there to figure out where she started to take artistic license. My sister-in-law Barbara has turned out to be an enabler and started a little stash for Mom this Christmas:



Barbara did an excellent job of choosing yarn and needles (rosewood...yum!). Mom's been enchanted by the Villandry Lace Scarf that Sheepish Annie knitted up a couple of times this month and decided to take advantage of the new needles and yarns and give it a go. Sadly, that project is not going well either and appears to have been relegated to the knitting bag as well. Mom's comment? "It looks like a knotted mess." It's a good thing we're visiting next weekend so I can get her back on track.

A Christmas Present
Every year, the adults in both families draw names for the exchanging of gifts (our families are a bit large). Yesterday was the Simonds Family Christmas Celebration and a good time was had by all. In a bit of serendipity, my brother-in-law Steve and I drew each other's names. I presented him with several books about World War II (it was Tom's idea; he's been waiting for one of us to get Steve's name), which he loved. Steve gave me this:



His son Martin made this pendant. The stones (a Herkimer diamond and some other greenish mineral) are wrapped in sterling silver. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and all of them are stunning. Martin uses all sorts of different stones and works primarily in silver. If you are interested in seeing more of his work, contact me by leaving a comment and I'll get in touch with you.

The Year in Review and a New Year
It's hard to believe that 2008 is upon us. Where did the time go? I swear, each year seems to go by faster than ever and most of the things that I want to accomplish don't get done. I did finish some projects this year, but not many. Two pairs of socks (almost three, darn it), one shawl, and one scarf. I didn't manage to get much spinning in, either, despite what seemed to be a good start.

What does next year hold? More socks, to be sure. After some reflection, I think I need to approach my knitting and spinning with some structure, given that I have a lot of UFOs that are most likely failed projects about which I'm in denial. So, I'll take the approach of a scholar and start a project, working through the techniques until I understand them. I will finish one project before starting another (socks don't count, although I will keep only one pair of socks on the needles). After "mastering" a particular type of knitting (as evidenced by a finished object, I will dive into the UFO basket and finish a project of the same type of knitting. I will not try to knit as many things as I can. That said, here is what I would like to accomplish in the coming year:

• Lace


• Colorwork mittens


• Sweaters

That last one is going to take some thought and planning. I see so many sweaters that I'd like to knit, but I find the yarn and time investment daunting. I've been shying away from bulky yarns, but perhaps that's my ticket to a completed sweater, since for all accounts and purposes bulky sweaters knit up quickly.

What are your knitting goals for 2008?

Have a very Happy New Year!

'Twas....Christmas!

I had grandiose visions floating through my head of a clever 'Twas the Night Before Christmas post. Alas and alack, fate conspired against me. I had to work yesterday and my company did not let us leave early. That seriously cut into blogging time and last minute preparations!

We're in town this Christmas and opted to stay at home, instead of visiting friends and local family (that celebration is next weekend). The hibernation instinct is strong in us this year. However, staying home gives us plenty of time relax and eat ourselves silly play in the kitchen. Christmas Eve dinner:

• Cosmopolitan and Martini


• Grilled Ostrich with Wild Mushrooms in a Mustard Shallot Sauce


• Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes


• Creamed Spinach


• Chocolate Cloud Cake


• Patricia Green Cellars, Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir, Estate Etzel Block, 2006

Everything was very good, although the bourbon in the sweet potatoes tasted very raw.

And then it was Christmas! I was up a little after 6:00 this morning and finished wrapping Tom's presents. We exchanged gifts over morning coffee. I do believe we are the only couple who has a matching set of half-sheet pans!

Christmas breakfast:

• Bloody Marys


• Grapefruit


• Baked Pear Pancake with Gingered Maple Syrup

The rest of the day has been rather leisurely. Tom went over to friend's house to install a new kitchen faucet while I worked on the running club newsletter.

Tonight's dinner:

• Cocoa and Spice Slow-Roasted Pork with Onions


• Sauteed smashed potatoes


• Steamed spinach


• Waldorf Salad

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. It's hard to believe that the new year is just around the corner. Where did the year go?



Emma's thinking that maybe it's in the tree.

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful

The Good
My husband. When I came home from work yesterday, he had set the stage for a relaxing evening at home. My current favorite cocktail (a Sidecar) was waiting in the shaker, the dining room was illumined by candles, and the Christmas tree was lit and a fire was burning in the living room. Tom was in the midst of preparing a delicious dinner as well: sole stuffed with crabmeat and scallops (from Omaha Steaks, his mother's Christmas gift to us), steamed asparagus, sauteed smashed potatoes (made with homemade chicken stock), and salad and bread. Everything was absolutely perfect. Tom is wonderful, even if a bit irascible at times. But that just makes him more lovable!

The Bad
Emma. How can something this cute



be so bad? The badness revolves around the Christmas tree. Last year Emma was pretty good with the Christmas tree. After the initial curiosity wore off, she hardly ever bothered it. This year is different. She nibbles on the lights, she nibbles on the branches, and even worse, she has taken to selectively removing ornaments from the tree. The other night as we were enjoying pizza while watching the Food Network, she wandered in and dropped an ornament on Tom's foot. Fortunately, it was one of the handmade ornaments and not breakable (the breakable ones are at the top of the tree). When Tom returned the ornament to its rightful place on the tree, he noticed there were several other ornaments laying on the floor. Sheesh. And this morning my knitting session in the living room was cut short because Emma would not leave the tree alone. She nibbled on the lights and on the branches and sat in front of her favorite ornaments and calculated what it would take to remove them from the tree. After unsuccessfully trying to persuade her to have a lap or relax on a warm radiator, I gave up and moved to the cold kitchen with its hard chairs. At last, I was able to knit (albeit somewhat uncomfortably) in peace.

The Beautiful
A vintage hand-knit sweater from Birdsong. Scroll down a bit in her post to see the cream sweater. As Birdsong says, the knitting is awesome. The sweater is a comfortable fit, perhaps a tad on the loose side, but it's so comfortable. It will look great over my standard winter turtlenecks. Here is the back neck and shoulder:



Here is the buttonband; I love the ribbon reinforcement:



Thank you, Birdsong, for gifting such a beautiful sweater. I'll definitely wear it!

Knitting Progress
The sock is progressing and today we have flappage. This is the halfway point on the heel flap:



And the inside:



See the line of stockinette stitch? That's a "seam." It's actually a one-row rib and provides a slight bit of expansion on the heel. I find it immensely intriguing.

So, the goal for this weekend is to make it through the heel. If I get some quality knitting time in, I might even be able to finish the sock before Christmas.

I just can't knit in the living room.

Our Big Fat Winter Storm

The significant winter storm that was predicted for this weekend turned out to be a big fat bust. See?



Nary a flake of snow fell last night. There was some sleet, but it was gone by the time we got up. And now it's raining. And it's supposed to be warm today, with a high of 47 degrees. Bleh. I really wanted a nice blizzard. Stupid snowflake earrings didn't work, even though I wore them for three days. Do you think I wore out their effectiveness?

Knitting Progess
I did manage to get some knitting in yesterday and this morning, although not as much as I would have liked. The sock also seemed to have gotten into a bit of mischief. As I was knitting last night, I noticed that something looked odd. I looked at the back of the knitting and saw a float that spanned six stitches. I thought I had dropped a stitch. After tinking a row, I found that I didn't drop a stitch. I had slipped six stitches. How the heck did that happen?! I suppose I could have attempted to knit those stitches and accidentally didn't pull the working yarn through. But not for six stitches worth.

And I still can't seem to read a pattern consistently. Once again I followed the P2, K2 pattern when I should have be doing a P2, K2, P2, K4, P2 at the beginning of the first needle. Sigh...so out came another four rows.

Here's the second sock; it's not much bigger than the last picture of it.



I probably won't get much knitting accomplished today. I need to clean the house a bit, decorate the tree, compile the running club newsletter, and then have dinner at a friend's house. And then it's back to work tomorrow, which definitely means I won't get a lot of knitting done.

The Christmas Meme
I don't usually do memes, but this one seemed kind of fun. I grabbed it from the PurlingPirate. So without further ado, here it is.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both; it depends on the shape of the gift really.


2. Real or artificial tree? Real


3. When do you put up the tree? After we get it, usually the second week in December.


4. When do you take it down? On New Year's Day or the following weekend


5. Do you like eggnog? Yes; the best I had was made with real cream and uncooked eggs and lots of booze!


6. Favorite gift received as a child? A walking doll that was about as tall as I was.


7. Do you have a nativity scene? No


8. Hardest person to buy for? One of my sisters-in-law


9. Easiest person to buy for? My husband; give him fine Belgian beer and he's happy!


10. Worst Christmas present you ever got? There haven't been any, although my friends were a bit upset when Tom gave me a road emergency triangle and an electric toothbrush for Christmas one year.


11. Mail or email Christmas cards? I gave up sending cards several years back; too much procrastination and lack of stamps.


12. Favorite Christmas movie?My favorite Christmas show is A Charlie Brown Christmas.


13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? After the first of December, although if I find the perfect gift earlier, I'll buy it.


14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, why let an unused gift take up space when someone else can use it?


15. Favorite thing to eat on Christmas? Everything (except haggis)


16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I prefer clear; Tom prefers colored.


17. Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells, Silent Night, and Walking in the Air


18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We alternate years with our families, so this year we're home.


19. Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer? Of course.


20. Angel or star on top of tree? Nothing goes on the top of the tree, if I'm remembering correctly.


21. Open presents Christmas Eve or morning? One present Christmas Eve and the rest Christmas morning.


22. Most annoying thing this time of year? The fact that commercial Christmas decorations go up after Halloween. I hate that. It makes Christmas less special.


23. Do you decorate your tree in any theme or color? No, we have lots of handmade decoration from Tom's mother. We're not really theme-type people.


24. What do you leave for Santa? Nothing; Emma would eat it before Santa even got close to our house!

Precipitation

It's been a cloudy week in my hometown. The sun finally made an appearance yesterday; it was nice to greet an old friend. And right now, the sun is attempting to shine through clouds, which makes it look weak and watery. The forecast for this weekend consists of the dreaded words "wintery mix." In fact, instead of predicting the amount of snow that will fall, the NWS is predicting sleet accumulation. Yuck.

Knitting Progress
I continue to make progress, albeit slowly, on the second Gentleman's Fancy Sock. I painstakingly unknit the eight incorrect rows and reknit them. Since the weekend weather is supposed to be bad, I'm hoping that I'll get some good knitting time in. However, today is looking busy (farmers market, yoga, kitty shopping at the shelter, and Christmas tree shopping). If we find a tree, we'll decorate it tomorrow, which means cleaning the house. Right now there's a stack of dirty dishes in the sink and papers and such scattered about. I've really let the housecleaning go these past several months.

Best Cat Toy Ever
Are you looking for the perfect gift for the cat who has everything? Perhaps your cat has become a bit Rubinesque these last couple of years and you're looking for a toy that provides good aerobic exercise? Look no further! Da Bird is what you've been looking for! Its unique combination of feathers and a fishing toggle thing-y make Da Bird act like a real bird in flight. Emma goes crazy over it and performs amazing acrobatic feats to try to snag it out of the air. If you had to buy only one cat toy, I'd say buy Da Bird.

That's it for now. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post tomorrow.

Of Snow and Squirrels

Earlier this week, the forecast called for light snow, with an accumulation of 1-3 inches of the white stuff. Oh boy! I could hardly wait! Every kid (and apparently every teacher as well) has a ritual intended to help encourage the snow to fall earthward. I'm no exception.

At the slightest hint of snow in the forecast, I don my snowflake earrings and wear them every day until it snows (or until I realize that no matter how much I want it to snow, it is physically impossible when the temperatures are hovering around 70 degrees). Understand that my employment is not in the vaunted halls of education. That means that if it snows on a workday, I still have to go to work. Which means driving in Washington, DC area rush hour traffic, which is bad enough when the driving conditions are perfect. During a snow event, the traffic can reach epic proportions. (When I was living in Baltimore and commuting to Reston, a 65-mile commute, it once took me over 5 hours to get home one evening. Actually, I never got home; I turned around and stayed at a friend's house that night. I think I had traveled at total of 30 miles in 5 hours.)

So, ignoring the ramifications of snow on a workday, I wore the snowflake earrings on Tuesday. The snow was supposed to start falling around rush hour, but the forecasters assured us that the road surface temperatures were too high and the snow would stick on the grass. All would be well. Traffic would still be snarled, but it would be because everyone would be admiring the snow as it gently floated down from the sky, not because of treacherous driving conditions.

Ha!

The snow actually started in the middle of night and when I arose Wednesday morning, my little world was blanketed in snow. The grass wasn't totally covered, but it was close. I did a little happy dance, thought briefly about working from home, then ditched the idea because it was probably snowing only in my town and I'd look foolish if there wasn't any snow at the office 25 miles away. And a glance out the front window showed that the road was relatively clear. I prepared for work, girded my loins for the commute, and headed out.

I think of my commute as being tripartite: toll road, Route 28, and Route 50. Each presents different driving environments and a smooth commute on one leg of the journey does not necessarily mean a smooth commute on all legs of the journey. The first half of the first leg lulled me into a false sense of security. The traffic was very light, although it was moving at a slightly slower pace than normal. I was pleasantly surprised because people were actually driving responsibly, including those in SUVs. Most people had opted to stay home, I thought. Excellent, they probably needed a day off from their stressful jobs. Good for those type-A personalities!

And then traffic stopped at a place that indicated that most people didn't stay home. Instead, most people were sitting in traffic all around Washington metro area. One traffic report reported that time to drive from Reston Parkway on the toll road to I-495 (the infamous Beltway) was 55 minutes. That portion of the drive should take 15 minutes. The problem was that because it started snowing earlier than expected, the road crews didn't start treating the roads until rush hour, after the bridges and ramps had frozen over, causing unsuspecting commuters to lose control of their vehicles. I was beginning to think that I should have worked from home after all, but too late; I was committed (it was also my turn to bring the bagels). It took about 90 minutes to get to work, which in the grand scheme of things wasn't too bad. It took some people (covering about the same distance as me) 3 hours to get to work. Bleh.

It continued to on and off throughout the day and by the time I left work, it was snowing right properly. Fortunately, most people had left early and traffic wasn't nearly as bad, even though the driving conditions were worse. It took me 50 minutes to get home, which is only 20 minutes more than normal).

And the morning, our backyard looked like this:



Of Squirrels
At various times in the morning over the past couple of weeks, I've heard odd noises coming from the roof over our bedroom. It varies from what sounds like someone running over the roof to mourning doves cooing. Every now and then, there are scritching noises. Tom figured out what it was yesterday.

We have squirrels living in the ceiling.

Of course, this provides endless entertainment for Emma as she tries to figure out how she can get through the ceiling to catch them. However, squirrels in the ceiling are not a good thing. They could end up chewing through the wall that separates that portion of the house from the main attic and have access to the rest of the house. My main fear, though, is that they'll chew through the wiring and burn the house down. Tom's mission today is to figure out how to rid the house of squirrels and block their access area. Given that it's cold and rainy, that's going to be hard. The squirrels are not going to want to leave their dry, cozy home.

Knitting Progress
I have knit 13 rounds on the Gentleman's Fancy sock. However, I haven't made any progress because I am apparently incapable of reading the pattern. I knit five rows of the pattern, only to realize that I forgot the change the pattern at the center back. Out came those five rows and I started that repeat again. I was so pleased because I was making good progress. Then I looked at the pattern again and realized I had just knit the next repeat instead. So now I've got to rip out eight rows. The sock and I (or perhaps the pattern and I) are no longer on speaking terms. This is a problem, because it's my one piece of Christmas knitting. Sigh...

The Counterpoised Shawl, however, continues to hold me in its thrall, even though it sits all alone most days. I managed to knit one pattern row this week. The next row is a purl row, then comes row 7, my nemesis row. Will I be able to knit this row without error? Or will I discover an error at the end of row 9, which will involve tinking hundreds of stitches? Stay tuned!

Since today is gray and rainy, it's a perfect knitting day. It's also the day we're supposed to get our Christmas tree. I'm hoping that Tom will be too tired after his run this morning to feel like going out and finding a tree. I'm really not feeling motivated to get a tree. Next week would be much better.

Happy knitting!

Weekly Recap

This week turned out to be busier than I anticipated. There was lots of stuff happening at work, including a trip to Richmond to attend an Excellence in Government awards ceremony, where our VP was one of the recipients of the Innovation in Government award for the procurement software created by the team I work with. There were also performance evaluations to write, meetings to attend, and documentation to review. And of course, most of it seemed to happen on Friday.

Best of all, I seem to be firing on about half of my cylinders. A month ago, I was probably firing on about half of a cylinder. (Yes, that's physically impossible, but work with me here.) I have more energy! While I'm not quite ready to take on the world or run a marathon (or even run a mile), I'm no longer totally and utterly exhausted by the time I finish getting ready for work in the morning; I'm only slightly exhausted.

Yesterday proved to be busy as well, although I did take some time to knit a few rows on Counterpoised in the morning before my yoga class. After yoga, I returned home to find Tom preparing pork and sweet potato empanadas for dinner (the pork had to marinate in a dry rub for a couple of hours and then cooked slowly for several more hours, hence the early start). We put up the outside garland and lights in preparation for the Christmas parade that evening. Even though the Christmas parade takes place the first Saturday in December every year, this is the first year we've actually been decorated for it. Then it was off to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for a Spanish-style split pea soup to round out dinner.

Today I've got the usual complement of chores to do: laundry, housecleaning, straightening my work room, which once again looks like it exploded. There's also some cookie baking in the works and possibly some bread baking as well.

Knitting Progress
Most (which is to say not much) of the knitting this week has been focused on the second Gentleman's Fancy Sock. I still like knitting this sock, which says a lot about the pattern. It's easy, yet engaging. I'm on the fourth (of 12) pattern repeat of the Counterpoised shawl, with very little ripping out. The pattern is finally beginning to make sense and is working its way into muscle memory.

When I called my mother today, the first thing she said was "I have a knitting question for you. How many times can you rip out something before the yarn isn't good anymore?" Uh oh. Despite the ominous nature of the question, her knitting is going well. She frogged the scarf only once but is glad she did because her gauge relaxed a lot the second time 'round. She's ready to frog it again because the stitch pattern section is not working out. If I had been thinking, I would have given her some test yearn yarn (why is it that I always initially spell "yarn" "yearn"?) so she could get some knitting practice in. Oh well...lessons learned.

During the course of our conversation, Mom mentioned that they went to their local farmers market, where there was a woman selling alpaca yarn. Get this...she was selling a 110-yd. skein of hand-dyed, hand-spun alpaca for $15.00! Personally, I think that's an excellent price, especially when you factor in that the purchase of said yarn is supporting a local business and helping to keep land in agricultural use. Mom didn't buy any. However, I did a quick search on the Internet while we were talking and gave her the name, phone number, address, and directions to the farm. Maybe some fine, local alpaca yarn will be the beginning of Mom's stash!

Oh my! Will you look at the time?! Time to start the chores!

Happy knitting!

Stuffed

I meant to write the obligatory Thanksgiving post before travelling down to my parents' place on Thanksgiving, but time got away from me. And then I was going to post from my parents' house, but once again, time got away from me. Oh well...

All of my family was together at Thanksgiving (with the exception of a a step- niece and nephew), making 19 at dinner. Long gone are the days when Mom did all the cooking. Now everyone brings a couple of dishes and the hosting family provides the turkey. I brought macaroni and cheese. It's not exactly a traditional Thanksgiving dish, but everyone loves it. Mom's oyster dressing was excellent. We also had green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, corn pudding, and mashed potatoes. Laurie made an excellent pumpkin pie and Cindy's chocolate pie was delicious. And Barbara's apple tart? There wasn't enough of it. I overate, as usual, because everything tasted so good.I admit it, I'm a taste junkie.

Everyone had a great time. It was nice to see my brothers again. They've grown to be outstanding fathers and wonderful men. Who would know that these are the same brothers who destroyed dissected performed "dental work" on one of my dolls just to see what made it cry? They are truly awesome.

Tom and I spent Friday helping Mom and Dad around the house. Tom chopped kindling wood and sawed up some downed trees and I helped straighten up the house. Carl and Laurie brought over a big pot of shrimp creole for dinner, along with the leftover pie from Thanksgiving. Their three kids kept everyone amused with their antics.

And of course, there was knitting. I worked on the Counterpoised shawl and managed to complete two repeats of chart 2. If you count the number of times I had to tink and reknit, I could probably have the shawl done by now. Row 7, for some reason, is my nemesis row.



See that stitch marker a couple of rows down? It marks a dropped stitch. I'm not sure that I can successfully work the stitch back in, so there's more tinking in my future.

I wasn't the only one knitting.



Mom is knitting, too! Despite having not picked up the needles for a good many years, she's doing a great job. Her tension is even and she remembers the knitting lingo. Way to go, Mom!

We drove back yesterday, stopped by the house long enough to feed the cat, then headed up to Rockville for a second Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law's house. My MIL doesn't like to cook, but despite that, she made the best sweet potato casserole. The sweet potatoes were whipped and flavored with orange. The turkey was good, too, and she did something that even we don't do. She butterflied it! It was perfect. Once again, Larry outdid himself and made a stellar pecan pie. True to form, I ate too much. Oh well...we'll be back to our normal eating this week.

Happy knitting!

These Things Are Sharp!

True to my word, I finished the first Gentleman's Fancy Sock. I had enough yarn, thanks to the liberal application of toe decreases. Here's the sock, next to the remains of the ball (all 19 inches of it).



That was cutting it a little too close for comfort.

I felt total love for the first sock, although I didn't quite feel the love for the yarn. It was a bit splitty on 2.0mm metal needles. But I survived and the sock survived. Not too many stitches leapt from the needles, which was a pleasant surprise given how slippery they are. And even though the needles have sharp points on them, I suffered nary a scratch (although I came close to poking one or two eyeballs out). As soon as I finished weaving in the ends, I pulled out the second ball and cast on for sock the second.

I'm not feeling the love for the second sock. The yarn is being cantankerous. It's sliding off the needles, splitting beyond imagination, and is being totally uncooperative. Maybe it's a bit miffed that I knit an inch of cuff with it about a year ago (swatching, don't cha know) and then abandoned it. It took three attempts with casting on before I was able to start knitting the cuff.

But what's worse is that the needles seem to be in cahoots with the yarn. They work themselves to the beginning of the knitting and then the stitches leap free. The points seem to have gotten sharper, leading, dear readers, to a small laceration on my left index finger. I'm left-handed and control the yarn with my left hand. To keep a nice, even tension, I work with the needles and yarn very close to my fingers. Every time I work a stitch, the needle lightly grazes my index finger, creating a small callus over time. This time, however, the needle viciously dug into my finger with each stitch, oblivious to the protection that the callus afforded. After about 12 rows, I surrendered decided it was wise to set the sock aside to allow my finger to heal.


See? They're really pointy!

That doesn't mean there won't be any knitting for a while. I'm switching to a different project; one where the needles aren't metal or aren't so pointy. I'm resurrecting the Monkey sock (knit, thankfully, on wood needles) and am having another go at the Counterpoised Shawl, which is knit on metal needles but the needles are much larger and therefore should not have the potential for laceration that the DPNs have. Before I continue with Counterpoised, though, it might have to be frogged. The stitch count is off on the current row and I cannot for the life of me find the mistake.



Now it's off to bed. I've got an early and busy morning tomorrow: two sets of cats to feed, coffee to make for the husband, macaroni and cheese to make for the family Thanksgiving feast, and a four-hour road trip.

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to my dear and wonderful husband! May we share many, many more.



While we were partaking of the celebratory dinner last night, Tom said "Next year we're not buying anything except necessities." My heart skipped a beat. He continued "We're not going to buy any TVs or electronic equipment or furniture. No clothes." "How about beer?" I said (knowing full well that he loves a fine microbrew). "No, beer's okay." Then the next question "Can I buy yarn?" "Yes, you can buy yarn" he replied, giving me a funny look. I couldn't quite tell if he was thinking that I have enough yarn already and really didn't need to buy more or if he now considers yarn necessary to my existence and was wondering why was I asking such a silly question. Maybe he thinks both. (And in the interest of full disclosure, we do not buy TVs or electronic equipment or furniture on a regular basis, so this moratorium on large purchases won't be much of a hardship.)

Crushed!

Yesterday started early (4:30 a.m) and cold (28 degrees according to one bank sign). I can hear you thinking "What in the blue blazes were you doing up that early?" Not much; just getting ready to crew for Tom as he ran the JFK 50.

The running club had four runners participating. Each had trained all summer and fall for this event. The course is somewhat difficult, both physically (13 miles are run on the Appalachian Trail) and mentally (27.3 miles are run on the C&O Canal towpath). There are two starts, one at 5:00 a.m. for the slower runners and another at 7:00 a.m. for the "regular" runners. All runners have until 7:00 p.m. to be off the course. Tom once again opted for the 7:00 start.

After gathering at the Boonsboro High School gymnasium and listening to the instructions, runners and their support crew walked the one kilometer to the start line (the stop light in town). The gun went off right at 7:00 and they were off and running! I'd see Tom and the others at Gathland State Park, about nine miles into the race. Because of the number of spectators, parking at all of the viewing points presents challenges, especially since the roads are narrow and shoulders are mostly non-existent. Add to that the presence of trees, rocks, and Civil War-era stone walls and parking can be as much of a challenge as running! I got to the park in enough time to see the front runners come through. They were flying (the winner finished the race in 5:50:34; that's a 6:59 pace over 50 miles!). Our runners came through (considerably behind the front runners) and looked strong. After we saw the last one off, we packed up and headed to the next stop.

The second stop, at Weverton Cliffs, is where the runners come off the Appalachian Trail for a brief period. Most take some time to change out of their trail shoes into their running shoes because the towpath is a much softer surface. They also take the opportunity to eat something (Tom's fuel of choice these days is Ensure). Once again, all our runners looked strong, although the distance between them was beginning to spread out more. Jill was flying, Tom was running strong, Phil was looking good, but taking his time, and Casey had slowed down a bit because she took a rather hard fall on the trail (lots of people trip over roots, rocks, and slip on wet leaves). After Casey left, it was on to the next stop at mile 27.1.

The third stop was at the Antietam Aqueduct and is one of the places where you can start to see runners getting tired. Jill, our fastest runner, was visibly hurting as she came through this stop; Pat started running with her at this point. Tom was still looking good, but said his feet hurt. Phil had fallen behind somewhat but was still looking good; he said he was just taking it slow. Casey had also slowed but she was still smiling and energetic. Mike (one of her crew members) donned his running shoes and took off with her, giving her a boost. Next stop: Taylors Landing, the "38 Special" stop.

To get to Taylors Landing, you must drive past some of the Antietam Battlefield. It's incredible that such a beautiful, peaceful area saw such a terrible, terrible battle. As I drove past, I thought of all the men and women whose lives were forever changed by the war. My great-great-grandfather was at Antietam and it felt strange to know that I was seeing the same land on which he once walked.

Parking was extremely difficult at this stop; fortunately, they had Park Service personnel and race volunteers to direct people. As I was walking toward the aid station, I saw Jill fly by; it looked like she had recovered nicely (it would also be the last time I saw Jill until the finish). Tom came by a little while later and still looked good, although he said he was beginning to tire. I waited for Phil and Casey to come by but they didn't arrive before I had to leave to get to the next stop, at mile 46.

I arrived at mile 46 and had about a 10-minute wait before Tom came by. I thought he was looking pretty good, but he said he was very tired. Then he was gone. I'd see him next as he crossed the finish line in Williamsport, Maryland.

When I got to the finish line (after walking what seemed to be forever from the high school parking lot), I met up with Jill's crew. She finished in 8:53:26 and placed 12th in her division. That's not bad for a first 50-mile race. Tom crossed the finish line a little after 5:00, in 10:05:03, crushing his time from last year (10:36:43)! He placed 59th (out of 197) in his division. I am so proud of him! And he wasn't even cranky during the race.

We saw Phil sitting in the lobby of the middle school where the post-race activities were being held. How did he pull that off? It turned out that he missed the time cut-off at mile 34 and was pulled from the course. That is such a disappointment, but he seemed to take it in stride.

After Tom had a quick shower and grabbed some sustenance that wasn't GU or Ensure, we headed outside to wait for Casey. She crossed the finish line in 11:36:42, although when she saw us, she thought we were the finish line. After running 50 miles and going that long, you are easily confused. One older gentleman turned off the course and headed toward the school, thinking the finish line was there. The spectators corrected him and he made it across the finish line safely.

Congratulations to all the runners of the 45th Annual John F. Kennedy 50 Mile Race!

Knitting Progress
Given that the greater part of yesterday was taken to standing around waiting for the runners to come by, you'd think that I'd have finished the sock and started its mate. Not so. With the temperatures hovering in the low 40s most of the day, my hands stayed encased in wool mittens (sadly, store-bought). The thought of knitting on 2.0mm metal needles was not a pleasant one, so the sock never saw the light of day, even though it was my constant companion. And no, I don't have any traveling sock pictures. I didn't think about it and I was using a camera that used real film. How quaint. And how frustrating not to know if the pictures you took are any good until after the film is developed!

That said, I predict the first sock will be completed today. I'm so close to finishing. I'm still worried about having enough yarn. This is how much is left:



What do you think? I've got 12 more rows to knit, plus grafting.

Surprise!
When we got home last night, there was a package from Wooly Wonka Fibers on the doorstep. I eagerly ripped it open to see what wonderful exotic fiber Anne choose for us this month. I found this:



Alpaca in the most beautiful chocolate brown. The pattern included for this fiber is a lace shawl pattern by Miriam. Hoo boy...is this ever going to test my spinning and knitting ability! I think I'll not attempt to spin this until after I take the spinning class that's offered at Maryland Sheep and Wool. My fear of spinning yummy fibers is akin to my fear of cutting into cloth...you've only got one chance to get it right. Once the fiber is spun, it can't be unspun and spun again.

So, today will be spent finishing the sock and doing some quiet activities around the house (yesterday sort of drained me, given that I forgot to pack food for me). Maybe, just maybe, if I'm a good girl and finish the sock, I'll pull out my wheel and spin a bit!

And Finally
I want to thank everyone for your concern and good wishes during my thyroid scare. It meant a lot to me, especially during the last biopsy. I finally met with the holistic physician (she spent over an hour with me) and she identified additional mineral deficiencies that are probably contributing factors to the thyroid dysfunction. So, while the fix might not be fast or easy, I'm confident that there will be fix. The journey to health continues, and it will be an interesting one.

Happy knitting (and spinning)!

The Results Are In

The waiting has ended. The results are in and the nodule is...benign! This is very good news, indeed. I can remove one item off the list of things that are potentially wrong. I've got an appointment with a holistic physician tomorrow and I think we'll be able to figure out how to get my energy levels back up.

I haven't been too worried about the results, though. Mostly I've been worried about how much it will hurt to have my thyroid yanked out. This, of course, is based purely on how much my neck hurt after the biopsy.

So, life is once again good.

Knitting Progress
The toe is not quite finished, although I have started the decreases. I'm just hoping that I'll have enough yarn to finish this sock. It's going to be very, very close.

That's it for now. Have a great rest of the week!

Overdone

I had a fairly good weekend. I managed to get to yoga class on Saturday morning and get through the class without hurting my neck. I straightened up my workroom (which once again looked like a clothing and yarn bomb had detonated). I knit some on the sock, although sadly I did not finish it as I was hoping. Why?

Because Sunday I kicked it up a notch.

I was up early and went for a six-mile walk with some of the other walkers in the running club, followed by coffee (hot chocolate for me) and pastries at the local coffee shop. That was followed by a grocery shopping which was followed by actual cooking. By me! We dined on:

• Grilled Lamb Loin Chop with Roasted Mustard/Sage Sweet Potatoes, Mexican Mint Marigold Pesto and Warm Goat Cheese Sauce (except I used tarragon)


• Roasted Brussel Sprouts


• Guiltless Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake

Our friend Leigh came over and what with cooking and talking, we lost track of time and she ended up leaving around 10:30. I didn't get to bed until about 11:30. That was a very bad thing because today I was totally exhausted and back in a brain fog. The exhaustion was so bad that I felt like weeping when I discovered that the nice folks at Panera had given me the wrong to-go sandwich (I ordered the Mediterranean Veggie and got turkey, bacon, and gouda instead). But I managed to pull myself together enough to drive back to Panera and pick up the correct sandwich. It was a struggle to get through the remainder of the afternoon.

Note to Self: Even if you think you are feeling better after a procedure, you really aren't!

Knitting News
I've got about 20 rounds to go before I start the toe decreases on the sock. And the ball of yarn is looking mighty...thin. I would think that one ball of Socka would make one size medium man's sock. We shall see.

And I've fallen in love. I was leafing through EZ's book Knitting Around yesterday and came across the Jogger's Mittens. They are lined mittens with a curved top and no thumb! I'm entranced and I think they'd be wonderful knit in the leftover Manos I've got. Or even Cascade 220. Must...not...cast...on. Must...finish...socks.

That's it for now. It's past my bedtime and the furry, four-footed alarm clock is going to go off around 5:45.

Have a great week!