D'vorahDavida
Yetzirah

Step AWAY From Those Needles
Sun Aug 13 2006

The patient is doing well. Though I had to literally follow him out to the garage talking a blue streak to keep him from going to the DMV to take a written test less than 24 hours after his surgery. He came back in the house finally.

The man is demented.

He does pretty well for several hours and then suddenly hits the wall and sacks out for a few more hours. Pain medication has been limited to right before bed so he can sleep more comfortably.

He is going to work tomorrow so he tells me. I don't know how he is going to work with only one arm mobile. But knowing him he'll probably pull it off.

In other news...

It's nice and cool these last few nights, making for good sleeping weather. I'm hoping we have seen the last of triple digit temperatures.

We have been picking melons like crazy in the garden. They are smaller kinds, about the size of softballs with Napolean complexes. One is like cantaloup and the other more like honeydew. I can't say I'm wild about either one. Though I have begun an experiment. I cut one up into pieces and put them in the freezer. I am going to make a slushy with lemonade in the blender using the frozen melon. If that doesn't work, I don't think I will be eating any more of them. Alas, I just don't care for melon much, even though I WANT to. Once in a blue moon, I'll come across a honeydew that hits the spot, but that's about it.

But they were fun to grow and very productive too. My neighbors will be happy.

It will be a longer wait for the winter squash I tried. Here is the variety...

Squash

If all continues to go well, I might get 6 or 8 of them by the end of the growing season.

I am trying really hard to get up my courage to knit a sweater. I have been haunting the internet for a pattern I can understand, and then went to Amazon to look at knitting books. Gave it up as a bad job and am going to go to the library tomorrow and check out what they have before I buy one. Maybe I will find just the book and be sure it's what I'm looking for.

In the meantime I thought it might be a good idea to start with something a little smaller. I found this pattern and fell in love.

Crazy Sock

Now, many years ago.... um let's see, youngest son is _ _ years old, subtract the year, carry the two, divide by mileage, subtract brain cell damage... okay. 25 years ago, I knit a pair of child's socks with the help of my mother in law. Well, to be honest, she was right there... saying things like, knit three rows, now put so many stitches on a holder, knit so many rows, now do this, now do this other thing, now knit 14 rows. Now do some ribbing. Now bind it off. And lo and behold, I had a sock. We did it all over again and I had a pair.

Do you think I have those socks today? Of course not you silly. I'm too much of a neat freak. This is the price I pay for an organized house. A price I gladly pay almost any day of the year. But today it seems a little steep.

ANYWAY, the point is, I did knit a pair once, but I really didn't know what I was doing.

It seemed like a good idea to try a small project and ease back into the 'knitting directions, which are written by sadistic insiders who speak an alien language just to make you feel stupid' maze.

But who knows, the knitters among you may be screaming.... "Don't start with a sock you dim wit! Make a boat neck sweater or something you ninny!"

If you are reading this, please leave a comment. I'm willing to be talked out of it. ;-)

11 Comments
  • From:
    Mamallama (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Aug 13 2006
    I'm not talking you out of it. I don't know anything about knitting, but I know I want a pair! How about your new friends at your knitting group. I bet someone there could help you.

    Sorry you didn't like the melons. Oh well, you tried. The squash looks nice!
  • From:
    Allimom (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Aug 13 2006
    You wrote:
    He is going to work tomorrow so he tells me. I don't know how he is going to work with only one arm mobile. But knowing him he'll probably pull it off.

    Why would Hub-Man want to pull his arm off?
    ;^P

    I can't help you on the knitting front, I'm still struggling with crocheting a blanket I started months ago for my nephew. I had to put it up because the dogs thought it was some great new game Mommy came up with just for them!

    As for the melons, what about pickling them and making something like this:
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/13/AR2006061300313.html

    --Alli
  • From:
    Parett (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Aug 13 2006
    Hi there...I'm not about to talk you out of anything having to do with knitting. But then I'm sure you weren't directing your comment to us 'knittingly challenged'.

    I just got online last evening. I had to upgrade my computer with the XP CD my son sent me, and had to hook up manually and am checking to see if I did it correctly since there were no emails when I booted up. Is DD still out of order? I guess I'll be playing around with this machine all day.

    That reminds me of your novel and prompts another request to please attempt to have it published and write a sequel and then, of course, get it on the Big Screen. Let's see now...who could play the lead?????

    I have to apologize for the last comment I made about it being a waste of time if you don't publish it. That is entirely incorrect because you gained so much from the experience...but I have a hard time picturing it on a shelf collecting dust. Not that you don't clean your house!;o]

    I really hope something comes of it. And Bogwillow, too.

    I'm going back to your previous entry to find out about Hubman. I'll have good thoughts of healing.

    Take care and God Bless. Parett
  • From:
    ImNotLisa (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Aug 13 2006
    Sorry, I'm not about to talk you out of it. One of the things I'm desperate to learn to do is to knit socks. Jump right in there and find out if it's easy or not. Do you have a pattern yet? And for general pattern searches, have you checked out knittingpatterncentral.com which is a great resource for free patterns on the internet.
  • From:
    ImNotLisa (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Aug 13 2006
    Well DUH you found a pattern, I even have the page open in another tab. I must need coffee. ;o)
  • From:
    InStitches (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Aug 13 2006
    The squash looks yummy.....I love winter squash.

    Sorry I can not talk you out of the sock project. The best way to learn is to do it. About those directions though....crochet patterns must be written by the same sadists. I know of no other reason why anyone would write that way? That may be why I prefer charts. :)
  • From:
    Dustbunny3 (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Aug 14 2006
    Knit a sock?? Dang just buy a pair much cheaper and no STRESS
  • From:
    Welshamethyst (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Aug 14 2006
    Drop the needles and back away slowly lest you knit something weird

    There. I did my good deed for the day.
  • From:
    Bookworm (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Aug 14 2006
    I'm not about to talk you out of it. I think socks are among some of the most useful knitted things ever. ;-)
  • From:
    Pragmatist (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Aug 14 2006
    You do purses so beautifully.

    I remember the first thing I knitted. A barrel sweater. It was variegated green, pretty much shapeless--like a tube--with a hole for the head and two holes for the arms. I think there may have been a rib-knit on the bottom.

    Melons? Melons? Bring 'em on. I'll take a melon over a steak any day.

    Shalom
  • From:
    Dreamerbooks2003 (Legacy)
    On:
    Tue Aug 15 2006
    what wonderful garden you have.. and such an abundant harvest..
    Bravo