Housekeeping

I did a little tidying in & around the old blog - nothing annoys me more than dead or old links that never get updated!! And here I was with several on my very own site. It was a bit of a learning curve since I haven't done anything to the 'bones' of the blog in yonks a very long time so it took a whole evening several hours to fix but I'm glad I did. I've found a couple of better links, eliminated some dead ones & added some new ones that I enjoy.

Two new pairs of Summer Frankensocks are now in my sock bin!! I had nothing in Pink!!! Since I love Purple & Pink, I was shocked to discover I had no light weight summer socks at all in either color - the closest I could come was a pair of grey & white socks with pink spots here & there. So my mission last month was to knit two pairs of light weight Pink Frankensocks for me. Mission Accomplished.

Seems I forgot to take a picture of the second pair after I finished the toe on the second sock & BEFORE I tossed it into the sink to soak - oops. I tried to make the cuff to heel more or less similar & then went wild from the heel to the toe. I wanted them to be Fraternal not Identical socks. And I still have one more pair to make, in Pinks, for the mouthy 20-something male grill cook in my favorite cafe.

I also had a new project in mind & even went & down-loaded  the pattern for it!!!  I thought I saw heavier yarn than I actually saw & didn't double-check to see what it really called for. So here I am casting on only to find that I have DK weight yarn & not the fingering the pattern actually calls for - well dammit all anyway!! It did NOT look like it was made out of fingering. And here I sit with all this lovely, luxurious alpaca/wool in odd balls for my project which is  definitely NOT fingering .  .  .  .   I wonder what would happen if I just went up a needle size or two & used it anyway????

Out of the Blue

Funny thing happened the other day, I've been working my way through a bunch of old files in the "Someday" bin in my office when I came upon a project that needs to be finished ASAP. I hadn't forgotten about it really, it just sort of went into the 'may never get paid' pile. For whatever reason, these people can't/don't pay the whole amount or need to trade services. It would be nice if I could get car repairs or chickens or salmon but most of the time I get stuff I don't need. Quite often, I do the minimum to get them by - when I have the time. And while I would prefer to be knitting, it was time to get this one off my desk. And a couple of hours later, the owner of the paperwork called & asked me to drop by for a chat. Turned out he had a check for me that paid off his whole outstanding amount from several years back. He had had a little windfall & decided to pay off his bills. Holy Crap. Out of the Blue. His ears must've been burning .  .  .

So what will I do with MY windfall??? Well, I called up a pal who's going through the same poverty that being "too old & beat up to get a full time job but too young to get a full pension" thing that I just survived & asked him how it was going. He told me with a laugh that he was trying to figure out whether to pay the electric bill or the phone bill this month but was otherwise okay. So I took him out for coffee & paid both bills for him. After all, he brought me groceries when I had no money. And then I took my Ex out for lunch. Monday, the car will get an oil change, new belts & new filters. And I may get some new undies. Woohoo

Coffee with my Socks

I've been spending a lot of time in Whalley coffee shops lately. The funny thing is that many of them are places I normally wouldn't go. Whalley, just down the road from me, has never had a good reputation & has become a haven for thieves, beggars & homeless since rapid transit came to our part of the world. Transit is still not great unless you live close to the Train, but it has really fueled the explosive growth in Surrey. Whalley downtown has become a sea of traffic lights, construction barricades & limited or no parking zones. Access is often difficult when you have a bad knee. So what's a knitter to do??? Why, check out the Starbucks kiosk at Safeway. That's what.

I've had to meet three different people in Whalley this week & found it was really, really easy to do in the Safeway. Surprise, surprise. But Safeway has a nice little Starbucks with trays of free goodies. There was a large eating area with plenty of chairs & tables to spread out at. And lots of deli sandwiches, Sushi rolls, raw veggies & fruit trays ready made by the Deli. I sat very comfortably in a corner & worked on my Summer Socks while I met two different people in one day. Security keeps the beggars away & tries to banish the thieves so it's safer than Starbucks. And the parking lot is a whole lot easier to get in & out of, too. Woohoo - I just might make it my new office!!!  So around 4:00, I bought a cold chicken, a bag of coleslaw & took my iced coffee home. Tough day at the Office.

The Sock Days of Summer

My New Summer Sock

It was so hot yesterday that I contemplated cranking up the air-con in my car. Normally I don't bother unless stuck in a traffic jam with no hope of release. Why?? Because the damn thing makes me sneeze, wheeze & snuffle. I've had all the filters changed & the system cleaned & it still bothers me. My Mother's new car bothered me. My buddy's old crappy van bothers me. And, let's face it, it gobbles fuel like crazy!! I don't have that kind of money. So I open the windows that open - it's amazing that most of them don't!!! - and I just get on with it.
I've been running the Ex around again while his car gets some new parts. I had to pick up the parts, the Ex & drop them off at different times - BAH. Normally, I'd sit out the heat in my cold basement & covered patio. There's just something wonderful about my cave in this heat that makes me stay home & enjoy it!!! I admit I DO make little forays through Mcdonald's drive thru for iced coffee though.

I shoved the old office chair on wheels outside this year - it moves when you climb into it so a certain someone can't use it as a step-stool & unscrew my porch light when I don't turn it off when she thinks I should - & managed to get the NEW chair into my office. I can now sit outside again & enjoy my plants. Somehow some of them survived the last two years while I felt sorry for myself, so this year I thought I should top up the soil, feed them a little fertilizer & nurture them a little. I thought I might spend my time outside listening to them grow while I spin the Tour de Fleece this year too.

Since there's no rest for the wicked, I'm still in the office doing Tax Returns - yes, some people still haven't filed!! And some of them haven't filed for YEARS. There's also the usual data entry etc . Gotta pay the bills even when you're retired apparently!!!
But I've taken up the needles to knit more socks again. I'm determined to use up all the leftover yarn that's cluttering up the place before I buy any new yarn - unless it's my old love, Kroy 4 ply, of course. And just to show that I have been working on the project - here's the first pair of FrankenSocks.  And I've already cast-on for a second pair - above. These are the regular 3ply standard sock yarn which is much lighter & shorter than my favorite winter Kroy. This pair & the ones now on my needles are for me because I don't have anything PINK in my summer sock wardrobe. The next will go to the Boys at the cafe, so I'll be busy!!