Monday, November 30, 2009

Second time is faster

I am now speeding along on the second sock. Why does the second one seem so much faster to knit than the first one did? I am turning the heel and it has been less than a week since I started it.

I have to admit that I am now hooked on sock knitting. At first I didn't share the enthusiasm everyone seemed to have about this type of project but then about the middle of the second sock, I got it. It seems to be an addictive behavior from what I have observed and I am going to have a difficult time concentrating on Christmas gifts which remain to be made.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

And around the heel we go


Sock progress
Originally uploaded by january spin
Yeah!!!! I have started on the cuff, finally.

True confessions---there is a gap on each side where I joined them back together and I thought about tinking it and redoing that part. I decided not to however since the thought of it put me in a really, really bad mood (as in, why do I want to knit with these tiny needles anyway).

I'll not make the same mistake when I knit the second sock in 20 years but for this one, I am going to finish it as is. Then I am going to take matching sewing thread and take a couple of little stitches and close those holes. Is this the "correct" thing to do? Definitely not. Do I care? Definitely not.

Knitting is supposed to be an enjoyable task and tinking this sock was not going to come under the heading of enjoyable in any way shape or form so therefore, I will cheat.

Apparently I have low standards when it comes to sock knitting and I don't care. I will have a finished sock and at this point that seems to be the goal. A finished, perfect sock just isn't going to happen this time..

Ok, confession time over. BTW, don't bother trying to make me feel guilty about this character flaw. I don't do sock knitting guilt.

Oh, for those of you who actually read this and look at the picture, the pink ribbon is just one more way for me to remember which side is the top of the sock. Now that the heel is turned I can remove it.

Monday, November 9, 2009

It's Official!!!!

I have entered my second childhood officially. (I am ignoring those who imply that I never left the first one.)

How did this happen? I have been experiencing a lovely case of the hives for the past month. Not fun! Benadryl has been my friend but if I take it, I go to sleep which really, really makes it hard to knit. Therefore, I decided to seek the help of a physician who specialized in allergies. My neighbor had had wonderful results for her chronic hives by going to this doctor so I had an appointment with him this afternoon.

Now comes the funny part. The doctor is also a pediatrician. I went to a pediatric clinic today . So instead of going to a physician who specializes in gerontology I am going to one who specializes in children and I'm just fine with that. It brings back memories of an old song which was a favorite of mine. "Fairy tales can come true. It can happen to you. If you are among the very young at heart." I kind of giggled (inside, of course) through the entire visit thinking about being there. It's good to find something to laugh about when you have the hives.

I hope you're feeling young today also.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Hendersonville, NC


Apple NC a
Originally uploaded by january spin
Hendersonville, NC is one of those neat little towns that you might overlook since it is so close to Asheville. The downtown area is very attractive with many interesting shops. Decorating the downtown are large apples decorated with various motifs similar to what other cities have done with pigs, horses, and cattle, among other things.



Every Labor Day weekend is the Apple Festival in Hendersonville which explains the apples all around town.

We really enjoyed having lunch at Sinbad's which is a couple of blocks off Main Street and has a mediterranean type of menu. Also lots of fun was Mike's on Main Street which features great sandwiches and an old fashioned soda fountain theme.

The leaves were just beginning to turn when we arrived but were in almost full color by the time we left. although it happens every year, it is still a beautiful thing to watch.

While in the area, I attended the Southeast Animal Fiber Forum and of course, managed to find some yarn and fiber I just had to have. These were certainly "want" and not "need" type of purchases.