October 03, 2003
Keys, Keys, Who's Got the Keys?
Came home last night. Unlocked the front door. Dumped my knapsack, sweater, knitting, book, papers, all the crap I tote to and from work. Decided to go back to the car to get the Henry's Attic skeins. Realized I had lost my keys. No, really; I had lost my keys after one nanosecond in the house. Went into Search Mode. Dumped out everything from the bazillion different small, medium and large pockets in my knapsack. Dumped everything out of my knitting bag. Moved and thus annoyed the PAC (Pseudo-Adopted Cat) to rummage around in the blankets on the bed. Checked my mailbox in case I had left the key in there. Checked in the recycling bin, just in case. Out of desperation, poked gingerly and hesitantly around in my putridly rank kitchen garbage can. Gave up. Called K, the Miracle Finder of Lost Articles. K drove over. Pointed to my keys which were hanging on the key hook. K drove home.
Growing old—fun, fun, fun!!
Knitting Knews
Finished the five repeats of the vine pattern for the ankle of the sock. I have to say, I am likin' this design! Next, eye of partridge heel, and then on to figuring out how to run the vine pattern down both sides of the foot, since some rows of the vine have 16 stitches and some have 15, so I have to figure out which side gets 8 stitches and which side gets 7 on the "off" rows. (Oh, my God; I'm boring even myself with this paragraph.)
Did a few more rows on the Aran pillow, which I am also likin'. What a pleasure to have two intriguing and enjoyable projects going at the same time. But I really have to get away from green. Blindingly bright pink for the next project, I think.
Dye Garden Dyegest—The Dye That Ate Seattle
I should have known from the uniquely gross brown color of this steeped yarrow that this would not be one of my more successful dye projects:
In fact, it never got past the first few minutes of simmering. Oh...my....God. The smell!!! One of my dye books warns that yarrow smells pretty strong and unpleasant but, I repeat, oh....my...God. It smelled like eau de methane combined with rotting, sinus-reaming, nuclear-powered lemons combined with the slimy green smell of flower stems that have sat in water too long. OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod. The putrid concoction is now gagging the worms and pillbugs in my compost, and I've started steeping the madrona instead. Never again!
Posted by Ryan at October 3, 2003 08:20 AMLOL, I LOVED your key story, happens so often here. My son had complained to me now for 3 or 4 days that somebody must have stolen his graphing calculator... I happen to "visit" his room yesterday when he started the whining again. As if driven by a magic force I bend down and pick up something from the collection of whatnots on his floor, look, its a graphing calculator, cool eh? He threw me out LOL...
Posted by: Maus on October 3, 2003 09:44 AMWell, Maus, it looks as if you, too, are a Miracle Finder of Lost Articles! We need one of you or K for every one of me or your son in this world.
Posted by: Ryan on October 3, 2003 12:52 PMOh, my gosh! You described it perfectly! When I was making my way thru the wonders of menopause, I lost things constantly. In fact, I got so "practiced" at losing things, and panicking, that I would do exactly the thing you described...lose them when actually I had put them in their special little place, so as NOT to lose them. My oldest son grew very used to being summoned to find things for me, and was so kind about not teasing. It does pass, and it taught me to be a little more organized.
Posted by: Bren on October 4, 2003 05:58 AMI will gently sidestep all references to losing and/or finding objects (so far, I've managed to find everything I've lost, but it's a delicate balance that one of these days will go out of whack, I'm sure) and move on to comment on the eye of the partridge heel--looks cool. What stitch it that? I'm very eager to see this finished sock, Ryan! And I was wondering if one could continue that partridge-stitch along the bottom of the heel? My socks always wear out at that particular spot, and I'm always wanting to include extra thickness or reinforcement there.
Posted by: Mary B on October 4, 2003 08:33 AMLOL, yes, miracle finder :) My family needs me at least for that one!
Here's another one: daughter (21 years) is out of her mind, can't find her car keys to go to work. For some reason that I can't explain I right away ask her: did you look in your bed? She says, WHY IN THE BED?! and yes, ahem, I did look there. I walk to the bed, stick my hand under the covers at the footend and grab her keys. After a while this gets eerie when it happens too often, and no, I didn't hide her keys there LOL. By now they all got used to this and just ask me where their stuff is ;)
MY keys are usually just hanging in the door . . . mocking me, I swear.
But if you want putrid smells, just try dyeing with tomato plants. I can't remember why I thought this would be a good idea. Just trust me, though--a bad smell and an eye irritant as well.
Still hoping to make the Acoma socks but Lord knows if it'll happen for Socktoberfest!
Janine
of all the things i've lost, i miss my mnind the most ;-)
Posted by: vanessa on October 6, 2003 03:58 AMobviously should have been mind! and the ability to spell...
Posted by: vanessa on October 6, 2003 03:59 AMMy goodness! Who knew the key story would strike such a chord! In a way, Dear Readers, you've made me feel better. :-)
Mary, I'll post the partridge heel stitch pattern in my next entry. This was the first time I've used it and it looks just as neato in real life. I think with some careful calculating you COULD continue it along the bottom of the heel but it might be a little bumpy for one's tender little feeties.
Janine, not to fret about the Acoma Sock (but I do have my fingers crossed you do do it some day!). Looking forward to seeing you at Guild!
Posted by: Ryan on October 6, 2003 08:26 AMI was reading deep in the blog (oct.6). Is the guild a fiber arts guild or a knitting guild?
Posted by: karen on January 20, 2004 01:58 PM