Busy Day

Saturday was a busy day. Jo's dad and uncle were out deer hunting so she and her mom came to my house. I had promised Jo we would make Halloween cookies to send to her Uncle Joseph who is stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia. We had found the cute little pumpkin cookies that all you have to do is put them on the stone and bake them. Very easy. Of course there had to be enough for us to test them and make sure they were good for Uncle Joseph. There also had to be enough for her to take some home. When she cooks she has to wear the apron that her great-grandma made for her mother to use at this age. She then becomes "Chef Jo". After finishing the cookies we were going to head to The Shabby Sheep to pick up some more sock yarn. I am "into" Tofutsies right now and we were going to look for some colors to make Christmas socks. Of course we can never go that way and not stop and eat lunch at El Fenix. It is only about four blocks from the yarn shop and for me is comfort food. We had lunch and headed to the yarn shop. I had decided that I needed to get several skeins of sock yarn to add to my stash. This is to prepare for the coming ecomomic crisis. I do not want to run out of yarn and not be able to knit. I also do not want the yarn in my stash to get lonesome as the skeins disappear with use. After great restraint and plenty of time for Jo to visit with Abby the shop dog we headed back to the house. I had finished Jo's previously discussed first sock but I was still leary enough to not seam it shut before I tried it on her foot again. So now was the time to try it on. She was excited and of course loved the color since it is the color of her favorite blankie. She even was very cooperative to have a picture taken of it on her foot. I think she really wanted it right then but of course we have to whip up the second sock. So the second sock is now cast on and all I will do the rest of the day is try to get as much done as I can on that sock. After all I have to get started on her next pair.

Cooler Weather

Finally, cooler weather. It is the middle of October and time for those wonderful cool mornings. It was 60 degrees this morning. Fantastic. Of course by three in the afternoon it had reached almost 80 degrees, but hey I love those cool mornings. Time for the sock fitting. I have been working on Jo's socks and since I was just adjusting the Yarn Harlot's Basic Sock Recipe down to fit a 3 year old I had written all adjustments down. Still you just have to try on socks to make sure where those little toes hit. I did not want to be "unknitting" the toe of a sock and all those decrease stitches. We met at the mall in Lewisville. We had to go see the fountain and throw in some pennies. Of course we had to have Panda Express for lunch followed by a cookie with sprinkles from the cookie store. But before the cookie we needed to try on the sock. I did not know how this would work out because sometimes three year olds are easy and sometimes everything is well I guess a drama. I pulled out that sock and her eyes lit up. So we put it on her foot right there in the food court. "Do you like it?" I asked. "Yes." So we took a picture to record the progress. Now I have to really get knitting because she is going to want to wear those socks and she has another skein of yarn chosen and cooler weather is almost here to stay.

Socks

This last weekend we went to the Greek Festival in Euless. We go to this festival every year. We have been to several festivals in the area but the food at the St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church is absolutely the best. It is now the only one we go to. Their moussaka, dolmathes, and loukoumades are absolutely to die for. Everything is homemade. Can't wait till next year.

The Tofutsies socks for Jo are on the needles. Saturday after the Greek Festival we tried the socks on. I was worried that they were not long enough before I started the heel. I had Jo try them on. We added another inch to the leg length. These are a combination of Yarn Harlot's basic sock pattern, Nancy Bush's Classic sock and my own ideas. The color is pink, purple, and green verigated. I have made tons of booties but never socks for a three year old. Once we get the first one done I think we will be ok in making her a few more. I worked on the sock today and here is where we are at. Hopefully they will be done by the end of the week.

A Day With the Girls

Yesterday was really a lovely day. My daughter called and asked if I would make a pair of socks for my granddaughter. What a question. We decided to meet at the El Fenix Mexican restaurant in downtown Dallas. Ah, comfort food. This is my favorite restaurant and the one downtown is the best. After a wonderful lunch of enchiladas we headed to The Shabby Sheep. This is a great LYS. There is always yarn in abundance. It is so hard to choose and so easy to spend. I am a firm believer that yarn purchased while you are somewhat downcast does not count as spending money. Don't try to figure that out. We arrived at The Shabby Sheep. My grandaughter, who will be three in three weeks was excited about the fountain out back. Then we opened the door to the shop and "there were puppies". Abby the shop dog was there and one of her dog friends. Well, yarn took backseat to the dogs. I showed her several skeins of sock yarn encouraging her with "do you like this color?" Every answer was "sure." Every few minutes we heard "I want a dog like this." The reason? Abby is a small dog. Her dogs are a Mastiff and a Lab/Pointer mix. My daughter and I looked at all the yarns touching, testing for softness discussing colors. Then you would hear again, " I like this dog." She was sitting by Abby and I said let me take your picture . Here she is with Abby. She eventually chose Tofutsies. The color was a perfect match to the blanket I made for her when she was born. It is a purple, pink, green and white blend. I came home and of course immediately cast on the yarn. With cool weather hopefully arriving soon she will probably want more socks. I am sure the next time I say I need to get yarn she will be wanting to come along. Of course not to choose the yarn but to see Abby.

A Cool Breeze

Finally it is a little cooler. I do not know how long it will last. It is 76 degrees with blue skies and a wonderful breeze blowing through the trees. I love fall. Probably because living in Texas, where I have been known to turn the air conditioning on in my car on a warm day in February, it just stays hot forever. 100 degree days through the summer are nothing. Fun is in July going to the grocery store and sticking your head in the frozen food cooler. All this leads to the fact that I finished the first Online Savanne sock this morning. I really like this sock. I love the pattern the yarn makes and I adore The Yarn Harlot for her Basic Sock Recipe. Finally I can knit socks and they actually are wearable. I love 2.50mm DP needles. I love tiny sock yarn. I get like this sometimes, "into" things that are small. My sister says when you are stressed people tend to gravitate toward small. I can't remember why but she will let me know. I e-mailed this picture to my sister and my daughter proud knitter that I am. I had to laugh out loud when my daughter e-mailed me back. Does this sock look hot? Well, it is only October. She said it was nice but looked like it would make your foot sweat. I am laughing now, not at her, but I was thinking maybe wool socks do look hot especially in October. My aunt lives in Minneapolis. I wonder if it is cool enough yet to already be wearing them there? Well there is no SSS here. The second sock is already cast on. Mmm, I think I need to head to The Shabby Sheep and get more sock yarn. Besides that, we all need to help out the economy any way we can.

What a joy!

October in Texas. I am ready for some cool weather. I have one project that has had to be set aside because it is too hot and too heavy to have in my lap right now. October for the young means pumpkins and candy. I made my granddaughter a pumpkin hat. I was really surprised at her reaction when I gave it to her. She gets hats fairly often from her Aunt JE and I and she always likes them. When I handed her the pumpkin hat she actually caught her breath and said oohhh! Ok, it was only 91 degrees the day I gave it to her but it is October. Needless to say she had to wear it with her sundress. The face is Bernat's Glow in the Dark yarn. I told her if she goes in the bathroom and shuts the door it would be dark enough she could see the face in the mirror. I go on knitting jags and had already given her a hat that was made out of I Love This Yarn in Boo. It was of halloween colors of purple, orange, yellow, black and white verigated. Needless to say the pumkin hat went over big. Now, what will we do for Christmas?

October Already?

Unbelievably it is October already. The Grandboys have headed home. What a fun visit. They are growing so fast. It is hard to believe they are five months old.

The socks I have been working on are done. I love this color. It is Regia Kaffe Fassett in Landscape Fire. I got it at Shabby Sheep in Dallas. Love that store. What is it about tiny needles (2.50mm) and tiny yarn that is so soothing? I don't really know. But I am in a sock phase. Part of that could also be that I decided that there had to be a good basic pattern out there. After being unhappy with the one I had tried many years ago I found Yarn Harlot's Basic Sock Recipe. Ok, now I am hooked, or should I say needled. So this pair is finished and fit. Yea! I immediately cast on a new pair. This time it is OnLine Supersock 100. There is no color name on the label but I will take a picture. It is light blues and pinks and purples, totally different than the last pair. I wanted something that was a little brighter in color. I think things have calmed down a little now with the Christmas stockings being finished. Well that is until we know if the new grandbaby is a boy or girl. I am trying to have patience but when we find out I know that YoYo will be knitting up a storm.