January 03, 2005
The Fates Conspire Against Me
Alas, Dear Readers, the Fates it pleases
To burden me with endless sneezes,
With eyes that water, and honks that issue
From a nose that I dab with a much-used tissue.
Lucky for me The Mysterious K
Has been tending to me in her mother-hen way,
With soup and toast and lemony tea
As I cry, without ceasing, “Poor me! Poor me!”
The bad news, though, is it’s hard to blog
When your head is full of a cottony fog,
And all you want is some juice and a hanky,
And to crawl back under your warm woolen blanky.
Yet I shall see what I can do…
Excuse me a moment—I must go “ah-choo.”
And that lame attempt at poetry, Dear Readers, is how I entertained myself through the long night as I tried to read, breathe, and sleep, and failed miserably at all three. Who knew that the sound of an alarm clock could bring such joy to one’s soul!
On a more positive note, the New Year’ Eve PokerPalooza was a complete success. "Little A" was, as expected, charmingly entertaining for the first hour, flashing his dimples, giggling endlessly, and cheerfully “liberating” from the kitchen everything he could reach: Measuring spoons, measuring cups, containers, plates, cups, bowls, utensils, dog toys… Then, on cue, he obligingly went to sleep so we could convert the living room into a den of poker-playing iniquity and play endless hours of Texas Hold ‘Em, all the while wearing campy, sparkly hats that screamed “2005!” and cheap plastic leis that made your skin itch and sweat. At 11:58pm, we lay down our cards; at 11:59pm, we turned on the TV; at 12:00am, we toasted one another, hugged, air-kissed, and tooted horns; at 12:01am we consoled Little A who had been startled awake by the horns; at 12:02am all of our guests were in their cars on headed home. Hey, we’re lucky they stayed up that long.
The rest of the weekend I spent trying to wrassle my ailment to the ground without much success. Fortunately for TMK, this meant I also spent considerable time working on her Lorna’s Laces rainbow sock. Here, the almost finished sock, which proves, yet again, that something about the way I knit forces variegated yarns to swirl around in a "candy cane" fashion:
Here, the fun eye-of-partridge heel:
And lastly, for Big Sister, a picture of the two things that helped keep my spirits up this weekend, the cheerful, flowered mug she sent me for Christmas (which says, “You are my sister…I am so lucky”—made me well up a bit on Christmas morn, that did) and a strong cuppa. Thank you, Big Sister! Bet you didn’t know the mug would come in so handy so soon!
Wow, I'm first!
The sock looks great and you've succeeded in photographing it whereas I have not yet. When it turns into a hat I'll try again.
Feel better!
Sorry you're not feeling well. The flu has hit our home several times in the last month. My youngest son is down with it for the second time.
That is one majorly funky sock you're working on. I like the flashing.
Posted by: Jessica on January 3, 2005 11:34 AMi'm sorry to hear
you were felled by a 'bug'
so i send you from texas
a big 'get well' hug
and a 'wow' for the socks
and an 'aw' for the mug-
feel better and stay happy-
I recommend Zycam. It really works to cut down the sneezing part of the flu/cold. The socks are terrific - so bright and cheery. The cup seems to match it too.
Hope you feel better soon. Thanks of the fun in 2004 and I am looking forward to a year of great stuff from you.
Posted by: Susan on January 3, 2005 11:55 AMI'm sorry to hear that you're not feeling well, but I do like the LL swirl you've got going. I'm in the pro-pooling camp on variegated yarns. I don't like the muddy mish-mash of every row being a different color. But hey, that's just me!
Posted by: Samina on January 3, 2005 12:31 PMPoor you! I raise my own rainbow yarn in a northerly direction in a toast to your health. (Who says I can't toast with yarn? I can, I tell you, I can!)
Posted by: Rachael on January 3, 2005 01:31 PMIs there a special place in the yarn where you start? I cannot get the stripes. They are really neat and bright. Love your picture.
Get better, soon.
Posted by: Chery on January 3, 2005 02:10 PMChery, I think it's really just a coincidence that I get stripes all the time--although when I and some other knitters used the same yarn, same size needle and same pattern, I get circling stripes and they got pooling. It's probably just a function of the fact that I am a very tight knitter along with external factors such as the length of the color segments in the yarn. Everybody will get different results, I think.
Thank you everyone for the good wishes for my health. Methinks it's just a cold, nothing major.
Posted by: Ryan on January 3, 2005 02:36 PMGet well soon, dear Ryan.
Posted by: Nathania on January 3, 2005 02:39 PMThis is NOT the way to start the new year...I'm sorry you're feeling under the weather. I love the mug!!!
You know I admire your sock-ability tremendously, Ryan. The sock looks great as always. I have to say tho, I don't know what I expected from the rainbow LL, but I'm sort of disappointed in it now that I see it knit up. I mean, the swirls are cool and all, but...well...I think I can actually (gasp!) pass on that one now that I've seen it knit.
That is, I believe, the first time that has ever happened to me with LL!! I didn't think it possible, really.
Am I banned from MCK??
Posted by: Lisa in Oregon on January 3, 2005 03:54 PMThree things.
1. Texas hold'em is POKER? Thanks for that. It's been driving me wild since I first started getting blog comment spam invites to play.
2. I hear entrelac deals with the swirling Lorna's Laces well. Snort.
3. Feel better.
Lisa, you're not alone. I hate it when you fall in love with a beautiful skein of variegated yarn knowing all the while that once it gets rewound into a ball and then tortured with some needles, it's just not going to look like what you thought. Happens to me all the time. In fact, over time, it's making me like variegated yarns less and less since they invariably get muddy. The one saving grace with this yarn is that the colors are fantastic: Beautiful, bright, joyful, true--makes it all worth it. That, and how TMK is drooling over every new row that I knit. She can't wait! (Oh, and you are certainly NOT banned from MCK. Perish the thought! You are one of our oldest and dearest Dear Readers!)
Stephanie, you, too, are not alone. If, a year ago, you had asked the average Joe American (myself included) what Texas Hold 'Em was, he wouldn't have had a clue. But now, since televising and watching poker tournaments is all the rage, and the pros in the tournaments play Texas Hold 'Em, Texas Hold 'Em is all the rage. (And "entrelac?" Har, har. One of these years maybe, since it's the only thing I haven't tried yet but, for now, I'm stickin' to my stockinette, baybee!)
Posted by: Ryan on January 3, 2005 04:22 PMI love your rainbows! That swirling is so cool. And how lucjy for you to have a sister who loves you - sisters are just the best! Feel better soon.
Posted by: Jackie on January 3, 2005 04:41 PMHope you get to feeling better soon Blog Mistress! What an icky way to start the year. I've been sneezing like an idiot the last couple of days but mine is all allergies. Ugh.
Hubby and I had played poker with his folks for New Years as well. But we play it where dealer chooses the game, so it's always different.
Loved the mug! Your sis is a sweetheart for sending that. And the socks are adorable. Nice and cheerful for cold, bleak winter days.
Hope everyone has a great day!
Posted by: Stalker Angie on January 3, 2005 06:13 PMThe socks are fabu!! I love the "candy cane" action in that bright, sunny colorway. I hope working on them will shine help drive out the virus and you will feel better soon.
feel better soon! :)
Posted by: maeve on January 3, 2005 08:34 PMGet well soon!
I can't believe a woman who was horrified by sparkly blue nails is going to wear THOSE socks! ;)
Posted by: Kristen on January 3, 2005 08:53 PMKristen: I'm a graphic designer by trade and I love bright colors. The pair of socks Ryan is making from the LL Rainbow is not for public wearing. I have an office in my house I work from and they are for wearing with my "work" slippers. ;-) TMK
Posted by: The Mysterious K on January 4, 2005 08:19 AMYeah, TMK, but I'm still with Kristen. She has a point. Wink back atcha'.
P.S. I made TMK *promise* not to wear these socks in public. They really are eye-searing.
Posted by: Ryan on January 4, 2005 08:50 AMI think TMK is lucky enough to have someone make her eye-searing socks. I also think TMK already knows this and is probably being supersweet about them and all (not to mention being plain super sweet about Ryan being a sicko.) I am all for enabling partners. Mine is pretty good at this herself. :)
Hope you feel better dear Ryan. I've got the bug too, but I am kicking it with some Advild cold.
Posted by: anj on January 4, 2005 10:46 AMTMK IS being super-sweet about the socks, if "super-sweet" includes noticing when I'm NOT knitting on them, and shoving the yarn and needles into my hands and arching an eyebrow to get her point across. Better than someone who rolls her eyes every time I knit or buy new yarn, I suppose!
I'm on the mend, everyone. Thank you for your kind thoughts! TMK and I have decide I'm having a "progressive cold"-one symptom every day. The first day: Watery eyes. The next day: Headache. The next day: The sneezes. Today: The sore throat. We predict that tomorrow will be Coughing Day.
Posted by: Ryan on January 4, 2005 11:21 AMOh, man! And I was already having visions of you out in public together--one with eye-searing nails and one with eye-searing socks--dazzling all of Washington state! Phooey.
Well, I suppose private consumption is a significant step, especially if they are worn while doing something so mundane and respectable as working. ;)
Posted by: Kristen on January 4, 2005 12:25 PMHope you are soon restored to vibrant health! I LOVE the swirls of the Rainbow sock - very jazzy.
Posted by: Jane on January 4, 2005 03:32 PMLove the poem. These low ebbs in health do wonders for your creativity. And a graphic designer, for pete's sake, can wear those socks wherever she pleases.
Posted by: Elizabeth on January 4, 2005 03:55 PMHappy New Year Ryan and TMK.
Hope to be in your neck of the woods soon, but best wishes until I get a Ryan-Hug in person.
Angela
I love your Lornas Laces socks. Flaunt them with clogs TMK!
Ryan, I'm sending you some virtual soup. It's raining, sleeting and snowing here, so I'm making duck soup, saved from Christams dinner.
I always get the cool spirals when I knit with Lorna Laces too. I love them and I wear my all-weather clogs so I can show off the bright stuff. I have been looking longingly at those clear rubber rain boots though so I can really sport the bright socks.
I think TMK should wear them out in public proudly. Those pretty socks are a most welcome sight during our grey PNW winters.
Posted by: Laurie on January 5, 2005 09:23 AMLaurie, my curiousity was piqued by the clear boots, too, until someone told me they mist up with foot sweat. Yuck!
Posted by: Ryan on January 5, 2005 10:01 AMExactly which yarn did you say those are? I know a number of happy queer folk who could use them at Pride this year, as it is *once again* expected to rain throughout the parade. And wet feet in leather boots get really cold and icky.
Glad to have found your blog, and love reading it daily! The vision quest socks strike a particular chord in me ...
Posted by: Sara* on January 6, 2005 08:35 AMLove the mug. The socks? ROCK! I had the ick I think you have right now, and boy was it heinous. I hope you're feeling much, much better.
I finished my first pair of socks last night. Note the "finished" part...I think it was the third pair I cast on. They're sort of like your vision quest socks, only in Cascade Superwash, as they're going to my brother. He doesn't know the meaning of "handwash". :D
Take care, and one day I hope to get to the Saturday meeting in the coffeehouse!
Posted by: perclexed on January 6, 2005 03:05 PM