My new Nano Novel

Joined Nanowrimo

For next year anyhoo...I have several ideas beyond the book I am working on at the moment and wanted to commit myself to one of them. The forums section is a must have in any writer's reference. Heck, just join (you know you wanna!) I'm sure by next November you'll have a good idea for a book just waiting to be written.

Pirate Stuff

We know one of these guys in person!

Talk Like a Pirate
--Don't forget the Pirate Fun and Games section and get your official Pirate Name

Yay Oregon!

A couple of after-elecion Oregon small-town surprises.

Only in Oregon.

Silverton, Oregon elects a transgender mayor--this is making the news all over the country.

Less known is Sodaville elects ex-felon for mayor I think it's great! (And I'm not writing this tongue-in-cheek.) We live right down the mountain from beautiful downtown Sodaville and know some folk on the board. --Please don't pass up the vote of confidence Harrington gets from the present mayor of Sodaville, Ronda Bennett, in the comments. Like McCain's concession speech--it is classy.

Only in Oregon.

Was Freezing and Wet Today

So I thought I would upload some images of the ranch from springtime--makes me feel a bit warmer and fuzzier just looking at them.
Some apple blossoms--we're making some apple pies from the Granny Smiths from these trees for Thanksgiving.


Some wildflowers (Dutchman's Breeches?) down by the stream.

Not much to write today, tending the fire and trying to stay warm.

Enjoy!

Promised Sock Picature and Mystery Image

Still in utero...

Each section (toes and heels, foots, cuffs) are obviously in different yarns and colors. They look large around the fore-ankle but the nice thing about this pattern is it is very adaptable. After knitting a couple pairs, I've found the right formula that fits me beautifully. I could just stick with this basic pattern with different cuff stitches to keep it interesting for all my future socks.

Okay, mystery picture:

What is this?

Another hint:

It's a Gearhart Sock Making Machine. I bought one several years ago and made great items. The hand and arm warmers were a big hit...they all sold out and I could be making more but the machine looks like this at the moment:

:-(

I borrowed this image from Goodness Gracious WV’s Weblog
since my own Gearhart is in a box in storage. Hope to get mine up and running real soon. Thanks to WV. Good luck with your Gearhart, it looks like you've got a great little machine there. And yes, the learning curve is steep, especially toes and heels. I would start out with making hand and arm warmers--they are really big hits.

Some Sock-Knitting Stuff

®me!

The knitted and crocheted items I sell or donate come with the above cute logo which I made myself! I've yet to sell my socks, though, because they take just too darn long to knit.

So if knitting socks takes so long and you've got to make two! of them, why am I addicted? One reason is my wool yarn stash--I really hate to share this tidbit, but in the spirit of goodwill:

Recycling Wool Sweaters for all that yummy yarn.

Now, it's true that wool yarn that is marketed as sock yarn is usually machine washable but if it's the difference between some cheap (but good) yarn and something more spendy--well, given the economic times it might make more sense to hie one's self to one's local thrift shop and garage sales and poke around amongst the knitted stuff.

I've been meaning to do some dyeing experiments with some of my recycled wool yarns (ie. let the kids go at some skeins with Kool-Aid) but I haven't gotten

I have bins and bins of small or leftover balls of yarn; knitting socks also does not need gobs of yarn of the same color or size (read: lot #) of yarn.

I have a favorite pattern now that I call Iron Heels. It is a Toe-Up Pattern (no Kitchener Stitch YAY!!!--I HATE! Kitchener Stitch!! HateIt--HateIt--HateIt!). There's lots of patterns on the web for Toe-Up using different methods: My fave is the figure-eight cast-on.

I use circular needles ala Magic Loop.

Ahhhh...but it's the heel that makes these spectacular! It's the Gussetted Dutch Heel. Here's another 'splaination.

Stretchy bind-off after your favorite cuff stitch and it's done (except for the second one). I have to take some pics and upload. Warning though, these socks went straight from the needles onto my feet and I need to do a general sock-wash by hand which actually makes them softer, pull in a bit (ie. felt just the tiniest smidgin), and have them all nice and bright and ready to photograph.

In checking out personal fave sites under Sock Knitting on the left of my page, I wanted to defend-justify explain why this obsession hobby is so, hmmmm, compulsive--in a good way of course. But others have been there before me:

SOCKS: A LOVE STORY

Here's a good start for collecting patterns (akin, I suppose, to collecting recipes).

KNITTING PATTERN CENTRAL: SOCKS

A couple of our llamas

Good News

Bear is keeping her food down. Granted she gets just a few wet kibbles (increased by a couple niblets every hour), but she's keeping it inside her tummy--that and very diluted KMR and anti-emetic medicine seems to be doing the trick. She is ultra-feisty and probably really hungry but it's far better than throwing everything up.

Had a friend drive me yesterday for the biopsy of a suspicious little mass in my left breast. It appears that the mass had disappeared between last week and this--nice! So I was sent home sans biopsy since there was nothing to biopsy--yay!

In the spirit of Breast Cancer Awareness I was going to insert an image of a pink ribbon here, but this beautiful pair of Pink Ribbon Socks are more my style. Now to find some pink wool yarn.

Click on the image for a pdf download of the instructions. Or click here.

I've also added a new link section on the left column of this page for all my favorite sock knitting sites and blogs.

I am NOT a Catlady!

But...

Aren't Bear's siblings too cute?

In fact they are all so cute it makes my head want to explode...

No matter how cute they are, we cannot be distracted from the realities of life:

Busy Day Ahead and Good Thoughts/Prayers Request

Gotta leave the farmstead and go to the big city :-P for a breast biopsy today--Oh joy! Not too flustered except the day is cold and rainy and I would rather just crawl back under my electric blanket and think on my storyline (did I say I am writing a novel?)

Also have the care of three feral kittens that the kids found in the chicken coop--unfortunately we had to move them out when the rooster took exception to their presence. More unfortunate (even though we left a can of cat food out) mom-cat didn't return. So we have been feeding them and scouring the internet for 'how to take care of tiny little feral kittens' these last few weeks. They are about six weeks now and a real cutesome explosion (I'll upload more picatures when I transfer them to my thumbdrive).

One of the kittens is giving concern--our Bear-girl (image above). She was named before we knew her gender--but don't she look just like a little bear cub? Even so, poor Bear can't keep anything down since yesterday. We've been lucky that our vets are also our friends and neighbors. The kittens have already been wormed, but will probably need another worming--and Bear is on an anti-emetic and still she, well, pukes :-(

I think I've hit on something for the short run, I am hoping that it will work until this afternoon and next vet home-visit; some water with just a tad of KMR powder mixed in. She seems to be tolerating it and at least it will keep her hydrated. Otherwise, she is still active, wants to play and be cuddled just like her sibs. Sigh...

Would welcome any and all prayers and good wishes for Bear.

Thanks,

LM

Stuff that happened on my birthday

This is really interesting (especially for a writer): In 1703, a masked man held prisoner in the Bastille in Paris died. His true identity was the cause of much intrigue, and his story became the basis of literary works by Voltaire and Alexandre Dumas. (from InfoPlease)

In 1794 John Jay and Lord Grenville signed the Jay Treaty.

Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in 1863 on November 19.

Oh, and of course, I was born! --Not saying what year though--

Which Austen Heroine Am I?

--Yessss!

--Honestly, I didn't cheat...