I spent the weekend at home sick – just a cold; nothing serious. But it was one of those weekends where we had several events to attend. So I sent my family to make the obligatory appearances at said events and I had the house all to myself. Ah, solitude!!!
During that much needed solitude, I had time to do a little bit of uninterrupted knitting.

First I worked on this sock that I am test knitting

It’s called Green Leaves. This is the first lace repeat. I didn’t get very far on this one because the k3togtbl requires a bit of concentration – something that is hard to do with a raging fever. I also kept fretting over the light spots in my yarn – my very first attempt at hand dyeing yarn. The experience has given me a new respect for those who can actually do this well. Mine is pretty sad. I will probably redye it after I complete the knitting.

Frustrated with the leaves, I worked on the these-HAVE-to-be-finished-by-dh’s- birthday socks for a little while.

but the black yarn combined with the Size 0 needles were hard on my feverish eyes in my poorly lit bedroom. I would have gone outside into the sunshine but my bed wasn’t there. This one also got pushed aside.

So I decided I should learn how to knit on two circular needles. I have been wanting to try this technique for a while.

Familiar sock pattern, worsted weight yarn. This should have been the perfect thing for sick therapeutic knitting. Unfortunately, I kept tangling my yarn and the constant fidgeting with the needles got on my nerves so this one got stuffed back into the knitting bag too.
[Just so you know, these socks are not intended as a pair. Since I didn’t know how to knit two at once and since I really didn’t want to divide and rewind a skein of yarn, I decided to knit two different color socks at the same time rather than the matching pair.]

Finally, I decided to pull out the sock that has been patiently waiting for me to finish knitting boring manly socks for my dh.

Dear Pomatomus, how I have missed you. At last, sock knitting peace. I managed to get 10 rows of the lace repeat done before the family came barging in on me. Oh well, all good things must come to an end.

At the end of the day I realized that I have 5 pair of socks OTN and I am itching to cast on another Cookie A sock. Am I crazy?!? Do any of you have that many socks OTN at one time??

A weekly meme for giving thanks and/or for noting important events in our lives

1) As horrible as the situation at Va Tech was (and I am in no way trying to minimize it), I am thankful that it wasn’t worse. I am thankful some people escaped unharmed and some were only injured instead of being killed. My heart breaks for the families who have lost loved ones and my prayers go out to them. But I am thankful for the times like this when people come together to support one another. When all grumblings and differences are pushed aside and when we shower one another with mutual love and understand and respect. I wish it happened more often, and not only in times of tragedy.

2)I am thankful for those friends who come into your life briefly, and, like a candle in on a stormy night, brighten it trememdously. One of those friends has moved away and I may never see her again but she brightened my life immensely during her brief visit into my life.

3) I am thankful for the moments of unexpected brilliance from my children. Those little moments that remind me I am not a complete failure as a parent. I am thankful for those times when they do something helpful or kind without being told. I am thankful for those little moments when you share a brief moment of pure love.

4)I am thankful for the few spring flowers that the April freezes didn’t kill.

5)I am thankful that those very noisy guinea hens decided that it wasn’t necessary to roost outside my bedroom window and scream all night long. I am also thankful for all the bugs they are eating even if they are noisy and silly creatures.

6)I am thankful for my health. I am thankful for my home and my neighbors and my friends. I am thankful for my community, my state and my country. I am thankful for the talents that God gave me and the ability to use those talents to bless others. I am thankful for the freedom to worship God openly.

7) Finally, I am thankful for a loving and supportive husband and wonderful, kind and loving children. They really are my world.

Those of you who are not Harry Potter fans will not understand.
This pattern is called Horcrux by Susan Pierce Lawrence. It was this quarter’s sock in the Six Sock KAL. I modified the pattern to make it a two color sock because my dd HAD to have Gryffindor socks. I cast on with both yarns at once to give the ruffled effect at the top – she likes frilly.

Here is the dd modeling her new socks

Realized when I looked at this photo that there is a mistake in the lightning bolt lace pattern on one sock. Oh well too late to fix it now. I may have trouble getting them off her. She is currently checking to see which shoes look best with her new socks.

Now she wants a matching scarf and hat to wear to the midnight release party for book 7. And DS has put in an order for Ravenclaw socks. Glad these are worsted weight so they knit up fast!

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Deets
Pattern – Horcrux Sock by Susan Pierce Lawrence
Yarn – Caron Simply Soft Claret and Lemonade
Needles – Size 4

I lived in New Orleans for a little while when I was a child. I was really too young to remember much about it but the experience apparently left me with a fondness for Cajun food. Cajun cuisine uses the humblest of ingredients seasoned just the right way to create a meal that is hearty and delicious.

Tonight I am cooking one of my favorite Cajun dishes – red beans and rice – real red beans and rice – not the kind from a package with the rice already in it. But this can be problematic at my house since my kids absolutely cannot know the ingredients in red beans or they will not eat them. My oldest, in particular, will flatly refuse to even taste something if she thinks it contains onion, garlic or green pepper – I could get her to give up chocolate it I told here there was onion in it. She eats things with garlic and onion and green pepper all the time – as long as she doesn’t know it contains onion, garlic or green pepper. Now you just can’t make a good pot of red beans without some onion, garlic and green pepper. I hate to have to be deceitful with my children but it is ridiculous for them to refuse to eat something they think they don’t like without ever tasting it. So in my kitchen we refer to onion, green pepper and garlic as “seasonings”. When I cook my red beans, I use whole onion, garlic and green pepper instead of chopped and then I remove it from the pot before I serve supper. I usually pull it out when I remove the bay leaf and add the salt. Major pain, I know, but sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do.

Just so you know that you haven’t stumbled upon a cooking blog, here is what I was working on while I was waiting for the red beans to cook.

The pattern is called Horcrux socks from the Six Sock KAL. I have tinkered with the design a bit – for one my dd just had to have her Harry Potter socks in Gryffindor scarlet and gold. She has already requested a house scarf and maybe a hat to match them so she can wear them to the midnight release of book seven. What we do for our children. And you wonder why some species eat their offspring.

I have also been playing with a design for a knitted towel and washcloth set. Here is a sneak peak.

I hope to have the pattern ready to share in time for Mother’s day.

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Deets
Horcrux Socks
Pattern by Susan Pierce Lawrence for Six Sock KAL
Yarn – Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Red and Lemonade
Needles – Size 5 dpns

Towel and washcloth set
Pattern – my own design
Yarn – Peaches and Creme white
Needles – Size 7

Finished my Two-at-Once-on-DPNs-Endless Ribbed socks. Can’t believe how long the foot on these babies is. It is actually a little squished in the photo to make it fit on the too small sock blocker. This pattern was my first attempt at a Dutch heel which I found fun to knit and very attractive. It was also my first Star toe. Not sure I like knitting this very long toe but it looks nice on the foot and should be well suited to the mile long toes on my dh’s foot. Honestly, his toes look more like fingers than toes. The yarn has elastic in it so the sock is very stretchy. Sure hope it fits my dh. I didn’t try them on him since it was supposed to be a surprise. You don’t think he would actually read my blog, do you?

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Deets
Pattern – Madder Ribbed sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush.
Yarn – KnitPicks Dancing – color Two Step
Needles – Size 1 DPNs