Pleased To Know

 I'm sure you will all be pleased to know I made it to work this morning without almost hitting a deer, and no one caught her clothes on fire today.

All in all, it was a very dull day...

So, what shall I tell you about?  How about my somewhat pathetic attempts to repot my plants? I don't know.  I try so hard, and imagine myself getting my plants beautifully and gracefully arranged, but when I'm done, they look like I tossed them into the air and where they landed is where they got potted.

I'm sure you're anxious to see them, so here they are:

The one on the left is the salmon colored blooms, taken from cuttings of the original cactus Cody gave me when he was 7 or so.  It's long since died, but at least I have this little bit of it left.  The one on the right, and the one below is one I bought a few years ago at Walmart.  Well, the one below is.  The one above is cuttings taken from it -- accidentally, of course. 

The weird thing about these two is that when I took them out of their other pots, neither one had a single root on it.  Maybe that's why they look so bad.  I did a little research and the red leaves are a sign the plant is in distress.  I think I may have been overwatering it, leading to root rot.  I stuck them into the new soil anyway, and maybe they'll grow new roots and be OK.  If not, Walmart will have some more in stock next Fall.  

This one below is the only one I didn't repot, because it was the only one that looked healthy. 

It's one I got when I was plant sitting for James and Beverly when they moved back to Texas.  I accidentally broke a piece off, and felt guilty, so I rooted it.  The irony is, theirs has died (though when we were down there in December, I saw that it looks like it's trying to grow again), and this one is thriving.  I'm probably going to prune it a little bit later, to encourage it to be bushier.  Again, we shall see...

And last, but certainly not least, little Marty Mac.  Oh, I was going to be so careful, and delicate with him.  I joined a group on Facebook and read up all about proper care, and how to repot.  I found a pot just the right size, ripped the bottom tray off, and found a bowl to put him into.  I was going to delicately fill it with clear, clean distilled water.  What he ended up being potted into was a muddy mess.  I'm afraid I may have killed him.

I hope he survives, but we'll just have to see.  

In knitting news, I finally cast on my new sock.  I haven't gotten very far, but here you go:

I have a friend who is wanting to knit a pair of socks for her husband.  She asked me to send her my simplest pattern.  I told her that would be a plain vanilla sock, but I've knit them from memory for so long, I don't really have a go-to written pattern any more.  One of my other friends sent me a link, but that pattern is pretty complicated.  Not the actual sock pattern, but the way it is written out.  I read through it, and for an absolute sock knitting beginner, I can see how it would be confusing.  

I've thought about trying to write out how I knit socks, but I'd have to do it as I go to be able to put it into words.  All I can say right now is, cast on 72 stitches on size 2 or 3 double pointed needles using your stretchiest cast on.  For me, that is the Chinese Waitress cast on. Divide stitches evenly over 4 needles -- 18 stitches per needle-- using the 5th to knit with.  Join, being careful not to twist.  Knit  K2P2 rib for about 2 inches, then switch to plain stockinette --knit every stitch.  Continue until leg is about 8" long.  

Once you get there, let me know and I'll figure out how to tell you how to knit a heel flap.  

Or.... if anyone has a clear, simply written pattern, please let me know!  I'll be sure to pass it along.