Music Memories

I'm working on another post but it is not coming together right now. Anyone else hear Aerosmith singing Come Together Right Now Over Me? Are Over Me even the right words?

Ahh that brings to mind two fun facts about me. I thought Madonna's A Material Girl was actually 'I'm a Cheerio girl'. I used to sing it full force because I was too a Cheerio girl, at least in my mind I was.

Second fun fact is I had only one patch on my jeans jacket in junior high, the Aerosmith winged logo. Ahh those were the days. I always knew I was not cool but I think I cared even less then. I had dreams that I would have a teenage movie moment. You know the moment she takes off her glasses and puts on just a touch of makeup and bam she's the prom queen dating the quarterback. I did not even wear glasses then and now I think I look better with them.

I didn't even want to date the quarterback I just wanted to have one of those 'I'm beautiful' moments. Good thing D loves me for me.

Today I woke up in a funk. Time for a bad mood to control my day. I drove to work with the moon roof open, the windows down, and the radio blaring. It did not knock the funk out of me. Of course I did not have true ticked off tonic music on. That would have required ACDC, Def Leopard or Tom Petty. When we bought a new vehicle a while ago it came with satellite radio and they had a dedicated ACDC station. Guaranteed to get me in a better mood. Isn't it funny how some music can do that for us?

They say smells can bring back memories, but for me a song on the radio can slam me back to high school quicker than anything. Ice Ice Baby does it every time, whether I want it to or not. It does not help that I am married to a man that loves to prove that he still remembers all the words. Good thing I love him for him.

3 socks and a hat

I started a hat out of Woolease bulky yarn I bought when I first started knitting. Seems like bigger yarn and needles would be easier to work with when you're starting out. Keep in mind my hands are a lot like my feet, short and wide. Now small yarn and needles seem the most natural to me.

Gus was so happy to come out and tip-toe through the grass with me. As always with Gus what he thinks is his best side and what I think is his best side differ. He is always showing off his butt, and now you all get to take a gander at it too.

I frogged that hat shortly after. It had to be at least 2-3 inches to big. I'm planning to re-cast on but work has been busy so I stayed with D's simple socks.

He is even closer to a new pair than when that picture was taken. You know he is not as excited about new wool socks in the summer as much as he was in the winter, wonder why?

My first Celebrate Spring sock by Ann Budd is looking faboulus if I do say so my self. I am curious how this yarn will hold up. It is 50% Merino wool and 50% Tencel (a fiber made from wood pulp). It has a beautiful sheen to it that I am wondering if it will change.

I finished my Auburn Essentials socks. They are a cabling of my own devising. I like them but I think the space between the cables is too big so I will change it next time.

I finished these while we were back in SD for my nephew's graduation. I even wore them to the graduation. I gave all my new sock vibes to him. That does not make me weird does it? No wait I was weird to begin with that just makes me weirder.

So there ends my June Sockapaloosa. Let's say we meet back here and I will show you the others when they are done.

Comparing

On recent photo shoot in the front yard I thought it would be funny to see how a sock for D compares to a sock for me.

The difference is not as noticeable as I thought it would be. It is quite a difference when you compare our shoes.

I do find that I use the same number of stitches for both of our socks. So the circumference is similar but the length is less.

I am also finding that I now have a set pattern for D's socks that I tend to use. He likes his socks a bit shorter than I would like so I make a 3 inch 2x2 ribbed cuff then go straight into the heel flap. I think the ribbing is stretchy for him but does not seem to bag like plain stockinette does for him. He has not mentioned any issues with the socks I've made like this so far. Previous socks have drawn comments like it could be a bit taller or less baggy. My first pair for him was too big. I used 100 stitches then and commonly use 80 now. No wonder they don't fit right. I do notice once I figured that out he seems to like and wear my socks more. I guess it is easier when they're not falling off your feet.

Ah the lessons knitting teaches us. I should probably rip them out and reknit them but you see I have all this yarn just waiting for me to use it.

New yarn

Over Memorial Day Weekend I was lucky enough to do a day out with the girls. Which of course you know means yarn store and lunch.

Over Christmas one of the local yarn stores went out of business. Saratoga Needle Arts no longer exists, but A Common Thread was created to fill the void. She bought the remaining stock and fixtures. She was even able to keep some of the employees. Which we all know in this economy can be quite a blessing.

My friend L and I had checked it out on opening day, in April I think. It was eerie to see the same shelves in a new location. While we were there I fell in love with two single skeins that I did not buy. I loved the colors but could not think of what to do with them. I bought other items I knew I could work with instead on that visit.

This time I could not say no a second time. They were still sitting there all alone but surrounded by other yarn. I always was a sucker for the little orphan lambs.

This one is a wool silk blend that feels very nice. The color is more of a deep forest green, it turned out a bit washed out my photo. My tentative plan is to make a hat out of it, either that or a neck warmer, or a set of hand warmers. So really I don't have a plan at all. If you all see a future for it let me know and I will ask the yarn if your plan sounds good.

This on the other hand is destined to be a set of anklets. I always see Shibui yarns advertised in magazines but have yet to run across it in the wild. I really wanted to try it so I decided this lovely blue will make short socks for me. I am holding off starting them as the two pairs of socks that I have on the needles now are both blue. If I cast on another one someone may start sneaking me happy pills in my food to get me out of the "blues". Yes, I am this funny in real life too!

Soon I will show you my latest projects. Happy knitting ya'll.

Off Probation

So I sometimes write posts in my head, usually when I'm bored or doing a task that does not need my full attention (knitting on a plain sock). I think I have written this post in various stages several times now. Who knows how many times I am going to need to edit it.

So let me fill you in on my blogging experiences. I am what is commonly known as a lurker. I read blogs but I do not interact with the blogger by commenting or attempting to contact the person. I always thought "What can I add ?" Plus you know that whole antisocial thing plays in here too. I mean why would someone who has never met me care what I think of their posts.

Well, it turns out that is one way that you can tell people are reading your blog. Sometimes, some thing just strikes a chord within you and you feel the need to say "Hey I feel that way too." Or "My goodness I'm glad I was alone when I read that, because I fell out of my chair laughing, now I have a puncture wound from where I fell on my knitting needle and I need to come up with a story my husband will believe."

Started to expand my reading and found this blog: Adriene's Couch - Come and sit a while!

A place to relax, take off your shoes and pick up your needles and hooks. This is a place of comfort!

I was intrigued. Come and sit a while? Me? How kind. Then I read this post If its got cake in the name it must be good. What? I think I just found my yarn cake soulmate. She understands.

I love cake and when you combine that word with yarn it is still love for me. The weird thing was the timing of this post as I had just received a ball winder for my birthday. I was fighting the urge to continually wind up yarn into cakes over and over. I think I wound up or rewound 80% of the yarns that I own. Still I could not comment about that post, because I had commented on a post about a month prior and I did not want to look like a weird internet stalker.

How was it that Adriene could say so well what I was thinking? I had been composing a post about yarn cakes in my head but she was just so much more eloquent. She said what I wanted to say and more.

So I continued to read and laugh a her posts, then it happened one day she commented on my blog! Oh happy day!

This is the email I sent D:
Hey,
Someone, who's blog I read, but don't know commented on my blog. I feel super cool right now.

This is what he wrote back to me:
You are now sufficiently cool that I deem your knitting probationary period has ended and permission to knit unsupervised is hereby granted.

You just got to love a man with that sense of humor! Although I have my doubts about a non-knitter being able to grant me that status. Don't you think it should come from another knitter? Or is that what he was saying another knitter granted me that status?

So we will see if this is up to her specs.

The Crud

Yep I've got it. I've been totally wiped out, mostly from the knife convention going on in my throat. You want Ginsu I've got them. I don't want them but I've got them. It started out as a sore throat and complete all over body aches. The truck hit me in my sleep and backed over me a couple of times for good measure. I went to the doctor on the first day because I remember hearing that treatments for the flu must start within 24-48 hours of symptom onset. I'm not sure if this is true but let me tell you I was motivated. Dr did not even mention flu, he did quick and not as quick tests for strep. Quick one came back negative so he sent me home with prescriptions to control my symptoms since he deemed it a viral infection.

Have you ever tried to gargle toothpaste? A slight bit more viscose and you would have the consistency of fluid I was to gargle. Yeah did not work for me but I got a numb tongue for a bit. Not the area I was interested in numbing.

It is amazing how you body slows down saliva production when it hurts to swallow. You know it hurts when you wake up when you swallow. I think that is why I was able to nap so much. Jack took the first day's shift and Gus took the third day's shift. I went into work on the second day and got done what really needed to be done, then came home to suffer by myself.

Gus was cute because he kept checking on me. He would come up and tap me on my face to see if I would respond. When I did he would snuggle in close and purr for me. Jack is more of a general heat distribution cat.

I am even more antisocial when I'm sick. I don't want anyone that has less than four legs near me. It is like I feel I must entertain people and just don't have the guts to do it. I was even a bit annoyed when D came home the other night. I mean he lives here I think he has a right to be here.

I was even too exhausted to knit for a few days. I would carry it from room to room, but not knit on it. I was able to concentrate to day so I got a few rounds done on the two projects I'm actively working on.

I did look a bit on Ravelry today to find a pattern for Mom's hat but I was unable to make a decision. That is probably a good thing since decisions made while you're ill are usually not the best.

Well I am off to delay some decisions right now. Happy knitting

Been there done that

How does having worked at a job affect how you treat people currently doing the same job. Are you more patient? Do you expect a higher quality service because "It is not that hard"?

Recently I was in a new checker's lane at the grocery store. It was his first time checking and boy was he slow. I tried to be friendly and encouraging. My sister was a checker in a grocery store too, and I must admit I thought of her while standing there. I thought of a lot of stuff, did I mention he was slow. I think it takes a while to find your rhythm especially in a new job.

D and I both worked in food service and I can tell you it affected how we treat our servers. First of all it is a luxury to go out. It is not my right to treat someone like garbage because they got something wrong or I had to wait for a table longer than I thought I should have. We all had to start out somewhere. I did have one guy (seated with his kids) talk to my chest. Dude, I am up here and ewwwwwww!!! No I did not spit in anything of his but I did hold my arms over my bosom when I dropped off the ketchup.

Oh yeah we also never send food back. I have seen steaks dipped in butter so they get a really nice char on them. I like my steak to taste more like meat than charcoal.

So i guess that is how I view the world. Or atleast one small aspect of it