Mossy Cottage Knits

Shoeless Joe and Steve and Sue and Betty and Frank...

Now that I’m back from vacation, I can reveal that said vacation revolved around an unannounced, surprise visit to San Diego for my sister’s birthday. Ho hum, you say. But that’s because you don’t really understand… This was my first airplane flight since 9/11. If I had acute flightophobia before 9/11, which I most assuredly did, you can imagine what a twitchy ball of noives I was this time around. My gift to my sister was not, in fact, my arrival or my visit; it was the fact that I had to spend two hours holding an airplane 30,000 feet up in the air with nothing but my stomach muscles.

However, my terror was alleviated somewhat by an experience in, of all places, the airport security line. At Sea-Tac Airport, everyone passing through security has to take his or her shoes off. I never knew what a great equalizer stockinged feet could be! As long as Person A is wearing flip-flops made from recycled tires, Person B is wearing scuffed but respectable tennis shoes, and Person C is wearing $400 Ferragamo calfskin lace-ups, everyone’s place in society is known and understood. But make all of us stand around in holey socks or with our hangnails, calluses, or hairy, hobbit-like insteps revealed to the world, and society as we know it goes to pot. Oh, but I had a good, relaxing laugh over that tableau.

Knitters, I am pleased to report that my size 8 metal needles and très pointy metal cable needle made it through security sans a hitch. My knapsack did get sucked back two or three times for more careful eyeballing but eventually I, my needles, my yarn, and my current project were reunited at the other end of the conveyor belt. Hallelujah!

A big thank you goes out to the England family for their hospitality this week, especially to my niece, EvilSmartandGigglyBob (don’t ask), and my nephew, Agent Cody Banks.

More about my trip on Wednesday…

Knitting Knews
Thanks to some Knitting Friends Who Shall Remain Anonymous who are working on a Highly Secret Project, I was tip-toeing around the idea of trying my hand at some aran knitting. I had been invited to participate in the HSP but declined since I am a sloooooww knitter (even before you take into account the Sisyphus Effect) and because I had no experience knitting anything even faintly aranical. Then, coincidentally, I stumbled across a free pattern for an aran pillow and decided it was “a sign.”

Here a picture of the beginning of the pillow, knitted in sage Cascade 220:

And lest you think the Aran pillow is actually my way of avoiding the Sisyphus Scarf, the SS is almost done. I need to knit about 2 more inches, sew on some beautiful silver celtic knot buttons I purchased last week, and I should be able to post a photo!

Dye Garden Dyegest
Before I left on my trip, I dyed with the hollyhock flowers. Here, to pique your curiosity, a picture of the flowers soaking in a one-gallon bag. As always, I used three cups of plant matter to three cups of water. The opaque-ishness of the bag is due to the steam from the very hot water that I had yust poured in. On Wednesday, I’ll post pictures of the dyed yarn.

Posted by Ryan at September 8, 2003 12:00 PM