newest socks

can't remember if i've ever put pics of my socks on my blog, but for the record, here's the latest pair. they are made from stash yarn, which is quite obvious... including some yarn spun with mohair locks and plyed with a silk single. it makes the cuff soft, warm and cushy. i especially love the way the colors go in the heel flap of the sock on the right.

spring????

can spring be far away?? 2 of my "signs" that spring is on the horizon have shown themselves: the fresh asparagus is less than $2/pound this week, tho price will probably go back up before it really drops... and, Meika the husky has gone into her projectile shedding phase. how can she possibly have that much hair? seems i walk past her and if i'm within 2 feet, her fluff leaves her and attaches to me. and the sun is shining and i'm feeling that pull to go out with a rake and clippers and get involved with the weeds and overgrown bushes... uh, shrubs. and my best news today is that i had my medication induced (nucular* injection) cardiac stress test... and the radiologist said i'm normal, and since it is extremely rare that anyone says i'm normal, i will take this as an exceptional day. so, i'm happy about that, but guess we still need to figure out why my blood pressure has gone off the charts.

*yes, i do know how to spell it and pronounce it!

more about Frank

I totally agree with Charleen's comment about being that fly on the wall when Frank tells the stories to his friends at home about his adventure! what would be especially fun would be seeing him with his *7* children when he gives them the gifts he's brought for them!! the youngest are twins, about 3 years old. Rach took him to shop at Target, and has a lovely photo of him standing in an aisle with other shoppers milling about... and there's Frank grinning. He had Rachael take pics wherever they went... grocery store, walking in the snow, Frank wearing his new sweater that they bought to keep him warm.

had a twisted sister spinning day here today, with about 7 of us. Jane let me borrow her woolie winder for my van Eaton wheel, so i had a good spinnin' time and got lots of yarn spun. sure do love that gizmo and will be very happy when i finally have one of my own (it's been on order for a couple of years... i ordered one before he'd made one for a van Eaton.) it's odd getting used to not having to move yarn to another hook... but i'm willing to make the effort :-]

tho it isn't the result of any kind of new year's resolution, i've been motivated (for some obscure reason) to go thru stash, reorganize ... and lo and behold, i found a top down raglan sweater i started.. um.. maybe 4 years ago and started knitting on it again. damn! i should not have even mentioned it. that seems to be the kiss of doom for my projects... talk about it and something goes wrong with it. this one, however, has all the yarn spun for it and i haven't dipped into it for another project (a miracle in itself), and body of it is done down to about 6 or 7 inches from the bottom. there is hope. also found a pair of almost finished socks and got 'em done and off the needles and almost finished weaving in the hundreds of end. i love to do patterns and use lots of colors... but sure do hate all those ends. of course, i don't remember ever hearing anyone say they love dealing with all those yarn ends!! and got a new pair of socks started for that take-along project, which i should get a lot of knitting done on tuesday. i'm having a cardiac stress test done which takes 4 or 5 hours, most of it just sittin' around and waiting. i think the worst part of the whole thing is having NO caffeine for 24 hours before (includes no chocolate... eeeek) if that's the worst of it, that's ok. but not looking forward to 2 mornings of no coffee.

interesting evening

Tonight Rachael came for dinner and brought Frank, who is the elementary school teacher in the village she was in when in the Peace Corp in Tanzania. He's the only one who spoke english, so was a huge help to her in their village. She arranged for him to come to the US and observe classes in several schools, and is giving him a tour of our little corner of the world. This is the first time he has traveled out of Tanzania, and he is quite wide-eyed with the whole experience. He flew into Seattle, Rach met him there and they took Amtrak to Portland, and they've been shopping at a mall, to Powell's Books, to a grocery store, walking in the snow and all kinds of new adventures for Frank. On Sunday they'll to up the gorge to Goldendale, where Rach and Matt live and he'll spend time in the schools there. I just can't imagine what this whole experience is like for Frank.... he lives in a village where they don't have running water, no stoves in their houses or refrigeration, any travel is on foot or on a run-down bus on dirt roads ... you get the picture.... He was interesting to talk to and was very willing to try the food we served... I had tried to keep it to a pretty simple menu. He didn't quite "get it" why I like pink flamingoes and why the guest bathroom looks like homage to the pink flamingo... and I knew he would'nt understand that i love 'em just because they're so damn tacky!! so i just smiled sweetly and said i think they're pretty! Here's a photo of Frank, Jim and Rachael looking at the world atlas:

New fibers for sale

I have some newly dyed Merino/Tencel and a Superwash Merino with Alpaca on my fiber blog:
http://woolgatheringsfibers.blogspot.com

new PC information

I just cain't hep it....

Due to the climate of political correctness now pervading America, Kentuckians, Tennesseans and West Virginians will no longer be referred to as "HILLBILLIES." You must now refer to them as APPALACHIAN-AMERICANS.
And, furthermore,
HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT WOMEN AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT:
1. She is not a "BABE" or a "CHICK" - She is a "BREASTED AMERICAN."
2. She is not "EASY" - She is "HORIZONTALLY ACCESSIBLE."
3. She is not a "DUMB BLOND" - She is a "LIGHT-HAIRED DETOUR OFF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY ."
4. She has not "BEEN AROUND" - She is a "PREVIOUSLY-ENJOYED COMPANION."
5 . She does not "NAG" you - She becomes "VERBALLY REPETITIVE."
6. She is not a "TWO-BIT HOOKER" - She is a "LOW COST PROVIDER."

HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT MEN AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT:
1. He does not have a "BEER GUT" - He has developed a "LIQUID GRAIN STORAGE FACILITY."
2. He is not a "BAD DANCER" - He is "OVERLY CAUCASIAN."
3. He does not "GET LOST ALL THE TIME" - He "INVESTIGATES ALTERNATIVE DESTINATIONS."
4. He is not "BALDING" - He is in "FOLLICLE REGRESSION."
5. He does not act like a "TOTAL ASS" - He develops a case of RECTAL-CRANIAL INVERSION."
6. It's not his "CRACK" you see hanging out of his pants - It's "REAR CLEAVAGE."

I'm back

just returned this afternoon from Duvall, after spending a week helping Chris with the kids while Kate is in London for a week, then Russia for 2 weeks. Loved spending the time with them... and am now exhausted and happy to be home in a very quiet dome central. the deities in all their wisdom certainly did it right in planning for women under 40 (in general) becoming mothers. sure takes a lot of energy and patience that i left behind years and years ago!