My Prize

This week the prize I won in the Sock A Month KAL for last month arrived! Hurray!

There's a very cute little bag, hand made by Zonda.


A skein of Gypsy Knits hand dyed sock yarn in a nice bright colorway. Btw, this yarn is nice and soft.


A set of hand made beaded stitch markers, and a sample pack of Eucalan wash. I love the way these stitch markers are made. They won't catch on the knitting because the bead covers both ends of the jump ring.



Originally, I was going to give Ruth the little bag because she's a new knitter and doesn't have any nice bags for her knitting tools (not that she has knitting tools), but now that I've seen how perfect it is for toting around a sock project, I've changed my mind. I will find something else for her tools. She will get the stitch markers though. Her birthday is coming up in a couple weeks. I'm giving her knitting tools, a tote, and a 'goody bag' for the tools. (I'm hoping she's too busy with work to read this.)

I had an interesting day today. I was scheduled to have lunch with my friends. I thought I was going to have a leisurely morning of knitting, blogging, and drinking my coffee when someone rang the door bell. A fellow in neon yellow with a bright orange vest and a hard hat informed me that they were installing a gas line down our street and were about to dig a deep ditch across my driveway and I wouldn't be able to get out for about 3 hours. Arrrgh! They figured they'd be done around noon. That wasn't going to work. Both me and Ruth were planning on leaving at 11 for our respective destinations (me-lunch, her-work). So we quickly got dressed and headed out early.

I waited in my car in the Applebee's parking lot, knitting my Charade sock until lunch time arrived. I had a lovely lunch. I ordered their Quesadilla burger. Oh, man, it was SO good! I had a wonderful chat with my friends too, catching up on all the gossip.

After lunch I went to Bead Creative to see if they ever got the Rivoli's in. They did, so I bought some so I could try them out. They also had some new bead caps in pewter that were just gorgeous, and perfect for all the spiral ropes I love to make.

Then I ran a couple errands-looking for various items. After that I went to our bank to take care of a problem that was going on with our checking account. I got there at 2pm. As luck would have it, the very person I needed to talk to had just left for lunch. Could I come back at 3? Sure, why not? I live only 5 minutes away. I decided to go home then come back in an hour. There was only one problem. When I got home, there was still a deep ditch full of guys in hard hats across my driveway. Sigh. So much for done at noon.

I went to McDonalds and knitted in the corner for an hour while sucking on a vanilla shake. I'm so glad I took my sock with me or I would have been bored out of my skull. By the time I got done with my banking things the ditch had been filled and I could return home.

Now I'm home, and pooped. It amazes me how tiring running around doing errands is.

Have a nice evening.

Don't Hide Donuts on Top the Fridge

There are great advantages to being married to a tall guy when you are a short girl. The light bulb went out in the laundry room. Even when standing on the step ladder/stool I could not reach the lamp to change the bulb. This morning Sweet Hubby just reached up and changed it. No ladder, no step stool, not even a chair. How cool is that?

Of course, there are disadvantages too. For instance-I can't hide a batch of home made donuts on top the refrigerator. I learned that early in our marriage. Sweet Hubby has a little problem with control when it comes to sweets. I made 3 dozen super delicious deep fried sugar and cinnamon covered donuts. I knew he'd have a problem, so I put 6 on a plate and hid the rest on top the fridge. I couldn't see up there, therefore no one can see up there, right? HA!!!

After I went to bed that evening, Sweet Hubby ate the 'hidden' donuts. All of them. He was pretty sick the next day. I was extremely upset-more with myself than him. Of course, I should have thought of it! On top the fridge is eye level for him.

I learned my lesson. I hide things in the bottom cupboard now. He won't bend over all the way down to the floor to look for something.

Sometimes he complains cos I hardly ever clean the top of the fridge. I tell him I can't see it, therefore it doesn't exist. If he has a problem, the sponge is right there by the sink. That's how I clean the top of the fridge. Heh heh........

You can keep your red roses. I'll take the purple ones. Sweet Hubby got me these for our anniversary.



I got him a box of chocolates. Girls aren't the only ones who love them. We went out to dinner too. No place fancy this time. Sweet Hubby was in the mood for Fish n Chips. So we went to O'Malley's Sports Pub and Grill right here in Rathdrum. Sweet Hubby says they have the best Fish n Chips in the universe. I don't eat Fish n Chips so I'll take his word for it. I had the Country Fried Steak, with garlic mashed potatoes----mmmmmmm.....mashed potatoes.

Last, but not least, I've finished Franks brown socks.



Pattern: My basic sock pattern with 7x1 rib, and the Eye of Partridge heel.
Yarn: Fearless Fibers 100% Superwash Merino Sock in the Sublime colorway.
Needles: Circular size 2
Size: Mens medium.

My new Mens size sock blockers arrived yesterday, just in time. I'll give the socks to him tonight.

Have a great day.

I Love Gansey

It's official. The government is run by complete idiots! Let me prove my point.

I used to have a yarn shop. In January of 2006 I had to close my business. You have no idea what a person must go through with the government to close a business. The piles of forms to fill out!! To make sure I did it all correctly, I called every National, State, and Local government agency I'd dealt with during the course of having my shop and got detailed instructions and all the forms to fill out. It took me a few weeks to get them all done and sent. Fortunately, I've dealt with government agencies before and had the good sense to make copies of every single form, and kept detailed notes on when and where they were sent-all carefully and conveniently filed so I could find what I needed easily, and often, if necessary.

As the months have gone by, I have received notices for almost every single form from almost every single agency accusing me of not filing those forms. Some have even wanted to charge me penalties for my sin. Until last Friday, it was all but one. But a letter and various forms to fill out for the last one who's reputation had not been sullied has arrived. According to the IRS, my business has been open all of 2007, I've been paying wages and collecting withholding, and not sending it on to them. If they can provide proof my business is still there, then I demand they give me my share of the income it made. Jeez! The place I had it in doesn't even exist anymore! Sometimes I wonder if the government lives and operates on the same planet, or dimension, as the rest of us.

(Insert picture of me banging my head on the dining room table and wailing a keening sound. Or is it keening a wailing sound?)

Every form has either been lost, misfiled, or completely ignored. And people wonder why our country is in such a mess.

I've spent the afternoon making copies of all the forms I sent to them originally with all the pertinent information circled with bright red ink and a detailed letter explaining what it all means and why they're a bunch of dunderheads, along with the additional forms they want me to fill out now (which I admit I just wrote across each page in red ink "NO BUSINESS!!!!") .

A thought has just occurred to me. For every form I originally sent in I have had to make copies and send them in again along with additional forms. What ever happened to the Paper Reduction Act??

There, I've had my little rant. I feel much better. Back to the ILG socks. I started the first one before the holidays. I took it with me on the cruise but only managed to knit 4 rows.

Last week a feeling of panic set in. If I want a J next to my name in the SAM5KAL, I better get knitting. I worked on them feverishly last week. Saturday evening I finished the first sock.

Ta Da!

Have a better day then I've had.