Football Wrap Up

I get so aggravated at the TV stations around here. I didn't get to see LSU or U of Texas games at all yesterday--though considering UT lost, I may be the better for that. Then this afternoon, I was happily ensconced in my recliner, knitting and watching the Cowboys annihilate the Rams, when the powers that be at FOX decided that game wasn't exciting enough. They switched coverage to another game. One I wasn't at all interested in. And here I was, all excited that I would finally be able to see an entire Cowboys game! Idjuts. Still...

LSU won and is now #1 in NCAA.

U of Texas lost and drops to #19.


Cody's Colts methodically dismantled the Broncos and move to 4-0.

\

My Cowboys also remain undefeated as they demolished the Rams 35-7. There have been some comparisons between Tony Romo and the incomparable Roger Staubach lately. I hadn't paid much attention to them until today's game.

I began to see shades of The Dodger in some of these moves.

This looks like it's going to be an interesting season.

How 'bout them Cowboys!

WIP Time Again.

It's time again for the dreaded WIP update. Let's not pick at the scab, but just rip it right off. Here we go:

1. Yukon Leaves socks. DONE!!

2. Columbine Peaks Socks from Cat Bordhi's book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. I cast on the second of these this morning.

3. Garter Rib socks. Nothing to show on these.


4. The Jaywalkers. DONE!!!

5. My charity scarf for Scarves From the Heart. DONE!!! However, I did cast on another just like this one. I've only got one row knitted so far, so no picture yet.

6. Cody's Texas Longhorns scarf. No progress as of yet.

7. Cubs for Kids charity knit. DONE!!!

8. A Prayer Shawl. Very little progress since last update, though I did do a couple of rows.


9. Two toe-up socks on magic loop. I transferred these to two circular needles so I could use my this one for my Columbine Peaks sock.

10. Branching Out lace scarf. No progress on this one, either.

11. Monkey Socks: DONE!!!!

See you in two weeks.

Saturday Sky

I know I'm up late posting, but I really, really wanted to finish my monkey socks today. And I did. Here they are in all their glory, my completed monkey socks:

Next up, I'm going to do the second Columbine Peaks sock.

I also cast on another charity scarf, but only have one row done on it, so no picture as of yet.

And lest you think I've forgotten, here is my

I don't know what these little flowers are. They are no more than an inch across, and they really are that color.

The Vortex

Every knitter knows about it. Most knitters have had experience with it. All knitters dread it. What is it? It is the phenomenon of setting a needle down and having it vanish before your very eyes. It is the parallel universe which calls to our needle friends. It is the paradoxical existence/non-existence of knitting needles. It is that anomaly which consumes all needles in its path. It is The Vortex Of Nothingness. * I had a close encounter with The Vortex this morning.

Perhaps I'd better start at the beginning.

It all started when I took this picture to show you my new knitting needles. Well...let me back up a bit. I was entering my needles into my Ravelry notebook a couple of days ago when I realized that I didn't have a set of needles in size 13. So today when I was in Wal-mart, I happened to spot these 10" long size 13s.


These are just right for knitting my charity scarves. They are plenty long enough for the scarf, but their shorter length makes them less awkward and more portable. So I snapped them up. Naturally, I wanted to show them off, so I took a picture. Upon looking at said picture, I realized I'd probably explain why my computer desk is so clean. Relatively speaking, of course. Pay no attention to the dust behind the monitor.


Do you see the pile of stuff on top of the printer? Normally, the whole desk looks like that, but here it is, amazingly clean. Which brings us to where the story actually takes place. This morning between 5:30 and 6:00 AM--not a good time to do anything that requires thought or sight.

While Cody was in the shower, I sat down at the computer to read e-mail and knit a couple of rows on Monkey sock #2. Sunset's tank is right next to the computer desk,

so naturally it becomes a handy place to set things. Here is evidence of said setting:


When I got up to fix Cody's breakfast, I set the Monkey sock, with it's accompanying pattern and necessary needles on top of Sunny's tank. Later, I picked the sock back up to continue knitting, and lo and behold one of the needles was missing.

"No big deal," I thought. "It is probably still on the computer desk."

I began shuffling things around. No needle.

"It must have rolled off onto the top of Sunny's tank," I thought. I checked the tank top. No needle. I went back to the desk and shuffled things around a bit more. No needle, but I did find the house note.

"I'd better pay that," I said to myself. I paid the house note, but still no needle. I checked the top of the snake tank again. Still no needle. I went back to searching the desk. I found last month's bank statement, reconciled my account, and filed the statement, but still no needle.

I then checked inside the snake tank, thinking that though improbable, it was possible that it had slipped through the screen and into the tank. No needle. I went back to the desk. I found a two year old Wal-mart receipt.

"I don't need that any more," I said, and shredded the receipt. Still no needle. I found last month's gas bill. I'd already paid it, so I filed the stub. While I was doing that, I checked the filing cabinet for the needle. It wasn't there. I checked the snake tank again. I checked the floor under the tank. I checked the tangle of wires behind the tank. No needle. I checked the chair in the living room where I had been knitting last night. I checked the floor under the chair and behind the end table. Still no needle.

I checked the snake tank again. I checked the desk again. I checked under the printer. I checked under the desk. By this time I was beginning to think that needles really did vanish into thin air. But the desk was clean.

Finally, after about an hour of diligent searching, the missing needle was discovered trying to escape the lure of The Vortex. Sunny's tank is the top right tank. That is where I'd left the needle. It had jumped off the tank and had crawled over and was hiding behind Snow's tank--pictured at bottom left.


The needle was successfully rescued and is now back happily knitting the second Monkey sock, which is past the gusset decreases.

Despite what this quiz shows, this whole incident made me feel rather not smart. And it has given me a whole new respect for The Vortex of Nothingness.

Am-I-Dumb.com - Are you dumb?



*Note: This is not to be confused with the Black Hole of knitting to which knitted stitches are irrevocably drawn. For a more complete explanation of the Black Hole, click here.

Tonight

I spent the majority of last night on a boat, trying to hide or otherwise escape from men with guns who wanted to shoot me. Why I don't know. I finally jumped off the back of the boat and into the water, where I was trying to hide under the water until the boat motored far enough away that I thought I could escape.

Thus I woke up more tired than I was when I went to bed, so I'm off to hit the hay.



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Warning: Apparently, lack of sleep causes bad puns.

Karate Questions

One of my knitting buddies Tabitha sent me an e-mail asking a few questions about martial arts. With her permission, I thought I'd answer here.

Since you are a martial arts person, will you permit me to ask you some ignorant questions?

What is the difference between the different types of martial arts - karate, tae kwon do, etc. I am thinking of putting my kids (and maybe me) in martial arts classes for exercise. There is a Tae Kwon Do studio not far from my home and I was wondering if it would be a good thing for my family.

The main difference in the types of martial arts is their origin. Karate originated in Japan and Okinawa (which technically is part of Japan), tae kwan do and tang soo do originated in Korea, and kung fu, or gung fu as it is sometimes called, originated in China. There are other differences as well. Some styles are called soft arts--in that they emphasize redirecting the opponent's attack, and others are hard styles in that they emphasize blocking and countering--hitting back. Some styles emphasize kicking, while others use primarily hand techniques. The best suggestion I can make is to find out what styles are available in your area and research them. Find out which styles appeal to you best, and which might work best for your body type. Also, visit the schools in your area. Visit them more than once. Ask questions. Observe the class. Participate in a few classes if the instructor permits it. If the instructor will not allow you to visit or observe the class before signing up, run, don't walk to the nearest exit. If he requires you to sign a hefty contract up front, run, don't walk to the nearest exit. Note here that some good schools do require contracts. After all, they have overhead as well, and need to know that they can depend on your dues so that they can get their bills paid. Look over the contract carefully. If it is for a reasonable period of time--like a year or less, and you feel the rates charged are reasonable, go ahead and sign. If, however, the instructor wants you to sign a three year contract paying $2000-$3000 up front plus monthly dues--run, don't walk, to the nearest exit. Also, if they promise you a 2 year black belt, it is probably not a reputable school. Attaining black belt level takes years of hard work and dedication and simply cannot be truly earned in one or two years.

Also, observe the instructor. Is he patient? Is he fair? Does he encourage students to excel without pushing them to frustration? Does he emphasize self control, courtesy, and respect? Or does he scream at the students like a drill Sargent? Does he humiliate and belittle them? Does he emphasize fighting? Does he swagger around like he's got an overload of testosterone? Does he act like being tougher than the next guy is the only thing that matters? If so, run, don't walk, to the nearest exit. A good sensei will strongly emphasize that karate is for self defense only, and should never be used outside of class except in dire need.


1. Will my old joints be able to handle it? You and I are about the same age but the warranty expired on my joints when I turned [mfffbbermmm].

Only you can answer that. But I would still encourage you to try. I started training when I was 38. We have another student in my dojo who started when he was 53. My joints aren't the best either. I'm the one in class who usually sounds like Rice Krispies. A good sensei will allow you to work within your capabilities, and whatever physical limitations you may have. With continued training and effort your flexibility will increase and your muscles will grow stronger. Now, about Tae Kwan Do...this style places an emphasis on high, hard kicks. Personally, I don't know if I would have been able to train in TKD because of the kicking. Still, any instructor worth his salt will understand your physical limitations--such as age--and will work within them. If he is insisting that you get your kicks up above your head, and your flexibility just will not allow that, perhaps that is not the best school for you to be in.

2. Will I be able to keep my 6yo from "karate chopping" other kids? I am having flash backs to Sunday School classes during the Power Ranger phase. Do instructors make it abundantly clear that you don't just hit other kids for fun?

Yes. Good instructors will place a strong insistence on self control. They will make it abundantly clear that karate is for self defense only. We don't use our karate outside of class. Don't show off to your classmates at school (or church). Don't even tell anyone you are taking karate because then they will want to see some. Some instructors will even kick kids out of the dojo if they continually get into fights. If the instructor of any dojo reminds you more of the bad guy of The Karate Kid movies, run, don't walk, to the nearest exit.

3. Is there practice at home between lessons that requires specialized equipment?

Not at first. If you stick with it, however, you may eventually want to invest in a few things--a heavy bag for instance. Still, even though this is definitely a benefit, it is not a necessity. I don't have one. I wish I did...Also, later on, if your dojo trains with weapons, you will want to buy one of whatever you train with. Usually, though, you can get student weapons for not too much money. Sparring gear will also be required, and trust me, you don't want to spar without it. When you visit a school, ask the instructor what types of equipment is required. He should tell you straight away what all will be required. If he seems evasive--run, don't walk, to the nearest exit.

Karate is an excellent form of exercise. It is also a good way to learn self defense, and especially for girls, that cannot be emphasized enough in this day and age. Karate is also an excellent way to build confidence. Everyone who knows me says I am not the same person I was when I started. I am strong and capable now. Before I started training, my favorite phrase was, "I can't..." Now, I believe I can do anything.

Well, I hope I've answered some of your questions. I would also encourage you to look over some of my older posts and read through them. In my sidebar, there are some links to other martial arts blogs. Read some of them, and ask questions of them also. As always, if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

How We Watch Football

It was a good weekend for football around here. All four of our teams won again. Them Cowboys are on a roll, beating the reigning NFC champions Chicago Bears. They turned Da Bears into Duh, Bears.

Some have hailed this guy

as the return of this guy:

I don't know if I'd go that far, but he just keeps on getting better and better.

For our September Football-Along project, we are to describe how we watch football in our family. Frankly, it's pretty low key here, because Cody doesn't really like to watch the games. He wants his teams to win, but he doesn't like to sit through an entire game. Mostly, it's just me and my knitting.

Funny, most men wish their wives/girlfriends would watch football with them, or a the very least not say, "Are you watching football again????" Me? I wish I had a man to watch football with.

Football has pretty much always been a part of my life. I grew up watching the Dallas Cowboys play. For a while, Cowboy football games were a regular Sunday afternoon fixture around my house. When I was 6 years old, my Daddy taught me how to play chess sitting at our card table in front of a Cowboys game. I was never that enthusiastic about chess (I liked the knights best because they rode little horses), but playing the game with Daddy while watching a game on TV is one of my fondest memories from childhood.

I vividly remember watching The Cowboys win Superbowl VI. I also remember my mother telling us that we'd better be glad they won, because if they'd lost she'd be too upset to fix supper, and we'd have had to go hungry.

My parents' enthusiasm eventually waned, but mine never did. After one particularly disappointing game, my dad said, "If they don't start playing better, I'm going to start following the Houston Oilers," and the whole world rocked from my gasp of disbelief. I couldn't believe my daddy would abandon our Cowboys! It was like sacrilege or something. Fortunately, he wasn't serious. Just momentarily frustrated. My brother, on the other hand, took his words to heart and became a Houston Oiler fan. His room was decorated with Oiler stuff, while mine had abundant Cowboy stuff. And I had a lot of Cowboy stuff in my room. I had two team posters, pictures, mini helmets, banners--I even subscribed to The Dallas Cowboys Weekly newspaper.

I grew up in a strict Southern Baptist home. We went to church on Sunday nights. It didn't matter if the Cowboys were still playing. It didn't matter if it was a playoff game, or the NFC title game, or even the Superbowl. We went to church on Sunday nights. Period. I saw lots of first halves, but very few second halves. I would have to wait until the Monday evening news came on to find out if my team had won. But then, when I was 14, my life changed forever. My grandma died.

Not too long after, my grandfather remarried. Vivian presented us kids with a bit of a conundrum. We weren't sure what to call her. We were just kids, so calling her "Vivian" seemed disrespectful and rude. But we also didn't want to call her "Grandma" because, well, she wasn't Grandma. Grandma was Grandma. Finally, my sister just flat out asked Vivian what we should call her.

"Just call me Granny, like the rest of my grandchildren do," she said. And from that day on, she was Granny, and we were her grandchildren as much as those of her blood were.

Granny was as big a Dallas Cowboy fan as I was. Maybe even bigger. It was so great to finally have a Cowboy buddy again. Granny was the one who taught me to sneak into the church office on Sunday nights and watch the games on the TV in there. That's where she was watching them. I knew I would get into trouble for doing that, but I didn't care. I thought it was worth it. It was in the church office that I watched the heartbreaking loss to the SF 49ers in the NFC title game. That was the last time I ever watched a game in the church office.

After I graduated from high school, I pretty much quit watching football. I pretty much quit watching T.V. altogether. I still kept up with the Cowboys, though, and railed when Tom Landry was fired so unjustly. I was overseas in the Military when Troy Aikman led them to three Superbowl wins. But it was when I was in one of my Navy schools in Ft. Gordon, GA that I truly realized how deeply ingrained football was in my life.

I was at my instructor's house for Thanksgiving dinner. How I got there is the subject of another post altogether. The short version is that he gathered up all the people on base who had no where else to go and took them home with him. Also there was a guy from Australia named Darren (I think--memory is a little rusty on that). Naturally, after dinner, the football game was turned on. Dallas Cowboys, of course. Darren, being from Australia, and not the athletic kind anyway, didn't have a clue as to what was going on. I was trying to explain things to him, i.e Me:"It's fourth down. They have to punt." Him: "What's a down?" It never occurred to me that someone wouldn't know what a down was.

What was really amusing, though, was Darren's reaction every time someone got tackled. "I can't believe he's getting up!" "I can't believe he's not hurt!" After one particularly bone jarring tackle, one in which the crunching and grunting came over the TV loud and clear (this was before the days when players are regularly miked up), Darren exclaimed, "I can't believe he walked away from that! I was waiting for the ambulance to come get him." Seeing the game through Darren's eyes gave me a whole new appreciation for it.

After I got out of the Navy, I still didn't regularly watch football. I only got one of the major networks where I lived, and they didn't (and still don't) show a lot of it. Last fall, however, I moved into a new house, and where it is located, I can now get all 4 networks. One Saturday afternoon, I was doing a little house work and decided it was too quiet. I turned on the TV. A football game was on. It all came rushing back. The sights. The sounds. The excitement. I was hooked once again.

It was like coming home.

.

.

Food Meme

Ok, so I followed a link on Silverstar's blog and found this meme:

Name 5 things you are embarrassed to admit you like to eat:
Sounds easy, right? Ok, here we go....

1. Corned Beef Hash. I don't know what it is about it, but I loooooove corned beef hash. Hormel brand.

2. Fat. Any and all kinds. I especially love the little bit that hangs at the end of a t-bone steak. When it's all nice and crisp on the outside and soft and melty on the inside. Oh, I'm in heaven. Of course, I only do this about once a year, so I figure in moderation it won't hurt me.

3. Marrow. When I buy said t-bone steaks, I don't look for the quality of the cut, but how much marrow is left in the little dip at the top of the bone. The more the better.

4. Cookie dough and cake batter. Yep, Cody and I fight over who gets to lick the bowl. Actually, not so much any more because he is outgrowing it faster than I am.

5. Chocolate milk. I can't get to sleep at night unless I have my chocolate milk. I've even been known to buy a half gallon of chocolate milk and hide it. That's the sign of a serious problem, right?

Actually, that wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be. Now it's your turn. What things are you embarrassed to admit you like to eat?

*Disclaimer: I'm not really all that embarrassed to admit these things. Except maybe the cookie dough...

Photo Of The Day

Vintage Fire engine on display at the Downtown Jubilee.

I haven't forgotten about it. I'm going to post. I've just been busy Ravelrying lately. I'll get to it soon.

I promise.

Happy Fall!

Photo by: Kris Applegate courtesy of Webshots

No I didn't take that picture. I only wish we got color like that around here!

In knitting news, Monkey sock number 1 is finished, and monkey sock number 2 has been cast on.

The rest of the day has been spent knitting, Ravelrying, and watching football. I tell you, it must be throwback uniform day in the NFL. Both the Eagles and the Redskins had throwback uniforms on. The Redskins uniform was ok, but the old Eagles uniform--talk about ugly! What were they thinking?

I did get my fall decorations out, but don't have any of them up yet. Except for this one:

It's new, and wasn't in storage. While doing that, I straightened out my closet a bit, and can now actually walk in to my walk in closet.

Happy Autumn!

I'm In!

My Ravelry invite came this morning! I've been spending most of the day entering my projects and stash. I'm still not done with the stash. It is quite time consuming to get started, but I think it'll be worth it. My user name is FineMartialFiber, if you want to add me to your friends list.

Since today's
looked like this
it was a good excuse to stay inside and do that. And, of course, a good excuse to stay inside and watch football. The only game I watched was the LSU game. They beat South Carolina 28-16. Texas also won 58-14 against Rice, but none of the local channels carried that game.

Last night when Cody came in, he brought home this little guy.


It is a wild rat snake, but it was very tiny. He was also very weak, and hung limply from my hands when I picked him up. I told Cody that I doubted he would live through the night, but we fixed a place for him in a spare tank. Sure enough, this morning he had died. Cody was very sad, and buried him under the azalea.

Summer Of Socks Wrapup

Today is the last day of summer, and thus, the last day of Summer of Socks. My final tally: 4 pairs of socks.

Bubble Wrap:



Big Black Soldier:



Jaywalkers:



and Yukon Leaves:



It was a pretty good summer for me, though I'm nowhere near the most socks knitter. I'm already looking forward to next summer.

Now, on to autumn!

Getting Ever Closer!

You signed up on July 12, 2007
You are #16013 on the list.
237 people are ahead of you in line.
18472 people are behind you in line.
45% of the list has been invited so far

Ravelry.

Myths and Rebuttals

So there I was, perusing some vegan websites. No, I am not turning. I was merely looking for some egg free recipes. With the holidays coming up, I am beginning to wonder how I'll make many of my favorite desserts and such without eggs. Vegan websites have recipes already written out for you, without having to figure out what to substitute and how much. Oh, yes, they make an egg replacer, but shipping on it costs as much as the stuff does. When I go for my allergist appointment next month, I'm going to check the health food stores in the Jackson area to see if any of them carry it. But for now, I have to make do.

Which brings us back to where I was: perusing vegan websites. In my wanderings, I ran across one website (sorry, I didn't think to bookmark it) in which the author lists what he refers to as "silly vegan myths." He then offers a rebuttal, which is nothing more than his own opinion. No statistics. No qualifiers or quantifiers, for that matter. No empirical evidence. Just an opinion.

For example, one of the "silly vegan myths" he rebuts is; vegans don't get enough calcium. His response?

Vegans get enough calcium from plant sources.

That's it, and we are just supposed to take his word at that. No list of which plant based foods are high in calcium, nor any list of how much calcium each plant based food contains, and how much you would need to eat of that plant based food to get your body's daily requirement of calcium. Just, a "yeah we do."

Another similar myth on the site is: vegans don't get enough protein. His response:

Vegans get enough protein from plant sources.

Again, he could do the same thing here. He could list which plant sources contain protein, which types of protein, and in what amounts. Another thing he failed to mention is that plant proteins are incomplete. He could take the opportunity here to list which combinations of plant foods one must eat to obtain a completed protein. Red beans and rice complete a protein, but one can't eat red beans and rice every day. In most cases, several plant foods must be combined to complete a protein. Or one could just eat a hamburger.

Now, my purpose here is neither to bash nor extol the vices and virtues of a meatless diet. I'm just saying, he would be more convincing if he were to offer something more than just a single sentence of opinion.

Ravelry!

I'm almost there:



You signed up on July 12, 2007
You are #16013 on the list.
884 people are ahead of you in line.
18173 people are behind you in line.
44% of the list has been invited so far



I got signed up kind of late, because at first I didn't really want to join. But then I began reading all the raves about it all over blogland and decided to give it a try. The rate they are sending out invitations has really picked up over the last few days. They had been inviting about 200 people a day, and the last 4 or 5 days, I've noticed the number of people ahead of me in line has been dropping by about 1000 per day. At this rate, I'll have my invite before the weekend is out--maybe even tomorrow!





Today's Pic: Squeaky. She really does not like cameras.

Things I Wish I Could Say Out Loud Part I

Dear Mr. YouTube commenter,

Thank you for the ever so helpful comment you recently left on my video. In order to make your commenting process a more rewarding experience for both of us, there are a couple of things I'd like to point out.

1. If you are not intelligent enough to express your thoughts without the liberal use of the obscenities proliferating in your post, what makes you think I'll believe you are intelligent enough to know what you are talking about?

2. Given the syntax you have used, and the abundance of chat speek in your comment, I am able to infer that you are in your teens, or at best your early 20s. What, then makes you think I will believe you know more about martial arts than those who began training long before you were born, and possibly before your parents were born?

3. MMA isn't real karate.

4. Neither is UFC.

5. Perhaps it is you who needs to find a new dojo as certain areas of your training are obviously lacking--respect, for example. Next time, try not to go the McDojo route.



Thank you for your kind consideration in this matter. I'll be looking forward to not hearing from you any more. At all. Ever.

.

Thank You

First off, I really want to thank all of y'all for being so supportive these last couple of days. For being so there for me. Though we may be separated by hundreds, even thousands, of miles, I could feel each one of you with me. Thank you.

Cody got up and went back to school this morning. "I don't feel like it," he said, "but I need to go." And I thought, "what happened to my baby, and were did this young man come from?" This is the first time Cody's faced death up close, and he has handled it with grace, with dignity, and with maturity. I am very proud of him, and the fine man he is becoming.

I had to go in and teach the kids class, so I am beat. I'm going to bed now.

Goodnight

Sorry

I'm sitting here trying to think of something to blog about, but tonight I'm coming up empty.

Thank you to everyone who offered condolences. Cody has been very upset, so much so that I let him stay home from school today. He and Dean were very close.

I haven't forgotten about the Downtown Jubilee. I'm going to post about it, but tonight, I just don't have it in me.

Thanks for understanding.

Dean

I was in the shower when the phone rang, but I knew. I knew it was bad news. A part of me even knew what that bad news was. My heart sank.

I got out of the shower, and Cody told me to call B. She confirmed what in my heart I already knew. Dean had passed away during the night.

Dean was my mother's room mate. They weren't living together. They just lived in the same house. Dean is the closest person to a grandfather Cody ever really knew. My father died when Cody was only a baby, and he seldom sees his other grandfather. He and Dean were close. He didn't call him Grandpa, but in a very real way, he was Grandpa.

Dean had been ill for quite some time. I don't know what was wrong with him. Something with his lungs. He'd been on oxygen for years. The last few months, he really began going downhill fast. After his most recent hospital stay, my mother and brother decided not to even bring him home. Even with Scott there to help, he needed more care than they could give. (I wondered where Dean's kids were through all this.) He was put into a hospice.

Last night he finally let go. My mother stayed with him all night (again, I wondered where his kids were), until he drifted off. Peacefully. Without pain.

And he was gone.

I'm Not Supposed To

open my windows, per my allergist, but today was such a beautiful and cool fall day that I did it anyway. And it has been a beautiful day. Cody and I went to our town's annual Downtown Jubilee--more on that tomorrow. I took my Saturday Sky picture of a balloon that had escaped a child's grasp.


While at the Jubilee, I saw someone selling poor quality digital images in mass produced identical wooden frames, and I thought to myself, "Self, I could sell poor quality digital images in mass produced identical wooden frames." Maybe next year...

It's time for another WIP update. I've decided to do them every two weeks until I have my current number of WIPs down to 4 or 5. Anyway, here we go.

1. Yukon Leaves socks. DONE!!

2. Columbine Peaks Socks from Cat Bordhi's book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. No progress on this one as of yet.

3. Garter Rib socks. A little more progress.


4. The Jaywalkers. DONE!!!

5. My charity scarf for Scarves From the Heart. DONE!!!

6. Cody's Texas Longhorns scarf. No progress as of yet.

7. Cubs for Kids charity knit. DONE!!!

8. A Prayer Shawl. I had to set this one aside after it's accident. It came too close to a set of puppy teeth. However, today I picked it up, and am almost back to where I was before having to rip it back.

9. Two toe-up socks on magic loop. Still no progress on these.

10. Branching Out lace scarf. No progress on this one, either.

11. Mindless stockinette sock in cotton. I finally made up my mind and frogged this one. There are too many patterns I want to try that I just couldn't get into another plain sock. If I need a mindless project, I've always got my toe up stockinette socks.

Evidence of said frogging:

In it's place, I cast on a pair of Monkey Socks using some of my new Knitpicks Essential. This is the Tuscany colorway. I think my picture is closer to what it actually looks like.

I think I may be the absolute last knitter in the world to make these socks, but frankly, when I saw the picture on the pattern, I wasn't that impresssed. Then I began seeing pictures of them all over blogdom, and thought those looked pretty cool.

Current tally: Four projects completed, one project ripped, and one cast on for a total of seven active WIPs.

In football news:

Texas has a slight edge of UCF. LSU plays later on tonight. Notre Dame and Michigan are in the 4th quarter. I'm afraid it's going to be a long season for Notre Dame fans.