Apparently, Melody sleeping on my pillow wasn’t a fleeting fad. I no sooner make the bed, than she jumps up and hogs MY PILLOW! Don’t believe me? I have evidence right here.
EXHIBIT A: This is clearly a dog without boundaries. Look a that tongue. She knows that is my side of the bed. Wanna know what lurks behind that tongue? The razor-sharp teeth of a T-Rex. Now observe what she is sleeping on. If you answered “Hello Kitty pajamas”, you would be correct. I do believe, dear readers, that I heard a collective gasp. What am I to do? What any dog lover would do…wedge myself in the last remaining inch of space left and call it a night. The things we do for love!
In direct response to my post on Melody (Shawshank’s Redemption), my son sent me his version. Somehow I can see her fondling a martini glass with ease and attitude. Just further proof she is a girl with a past.
Shaken.
3 olives, please and thank you.
Knitting Podcasts revisited.
When we spoke last, I mentioned following podcasts that are more informational/tutorial than show and tell. One I would like to share with you is @EarthtonesGirl. Denise is a sock wizard. She has a fabulous tutorial on the Shadow Wrap Short Row Heel that was a game changer for me as a sock knitter. I love a good heel/flap/gusset like the next gal, but could never move beyond the “everybody stop talking…I’m turning a heel” paralysis that came with it. Then I watched Denise’s podcast and my world changed. I found myself turning heels at the diner, or while watching football! I was incorporating contrasting heels like a bandit! (and we know bandits are all about contrasting heels!). I found new purpose for those small quantities of sock yarn from other projects. I was free, people…I was FREE! Free to knit all the socks and that is what I have been doing.
Here are a few:
Knit for my husband on 2.25mm 9″ circular needles. The yarn is Yarn to Dye For in the Serendipity Colorway. All my notes can be found here: Vanilla Hawks. The yarn was a gift from my friend Jen, who knew socks in our school colors would make this school secretary very happy!
Next up, a pair of gift socks. These will be part of a Christmas present for a special someone. Shhhh…
These were a Christmas Eve cast-on. Thanks to some time off from work and absolutely DIVINE yarn, I knit these in less than 2 weeks (a total record for this gal!). The yarn is Malabrigo Sock in the Archangel colorway.
Note to dyers: There are some knitters (me) who will buy yarn just because of the name of the colorway.
Another note: I will also buy a bottle of wine because there is a dog on the label.
…and maybe I have been known to buy diapers because Hello Kitty is on them.
Back to the socks. This yarn is so great to work with. I did not want this project to end.
The final pair I will share come with an interesting story. I received the yarn from a friend whose cat wreaked havoc on a new skein of yarn. Sound familiar? Anyone? I have that creepy gene that makes untangling yarn and things enjoyable. She gave it to me and said “If you can untangle it, you can have it!” I had it straightened out in no time. The yarn is Schoppel-wolle Jeans Ball in the color Nacht Und Nebel (Night and Fog). It’s a lovely, sturdy German sock yarn. As a way of thanking her, I made her socks with it. I get the pleasure of knitting the socks and she gets the pleasure of wearing them. Except for one small detail. I knit sock #1 on Chiaogoo 9″ Circulars which proved to be too slippery for this wool. For sock #2, I switched to bamboo dpn.
But Regina…why, oh why would you tempt the knitting gods like that. You know switching needles mid-project is baaaad juju!
It’ll be fine. I’m fine. I know what I am doing. Thankfully, I use stitch markers to mark every 10 rows so I know my socks will be identical. My friend now has one pair comprised of two completely different sized socks. Congraturitos, Regina. She wears them to bed and thankfully, in her sleep, her feet don’t know the difference.
This just in from the knitting gods…Never change needles mid project. It’s not fine. It will never be fine.
Socks for Carmela…No, I am not giving you the satisfaction of seeing both socks! Just imagine “worst-case scenario” and go from there.
See those stitch markers? They are mocking me.
Well, my friends, that is all the knitting I have for you today. I thank God the people I knit for have two feet. Double the fun! Or in Carmela’s case, a very odd pair of socks.
I hope everyone in the US is looking forward to a long relaxing Columbus Day weekend. A special “HELLO!” to all my readers in China! Wow! According to my stats, there are a lot of you. I am grateful for your time. Thank you for the visit.
In my cup: Water. Plain ‘ol water with lemon. As my husband recently mused: “Babe, this tastes really…healthy.” It’s water, babe. Water is healthy.
In my earballs: This ding-dong who is currently losing his mind because the mailman is coming.
Saint of the Day: St. John Henry Newman. John Henry Newman was born in England in 1801. He had his first real experience with God at the age of 15. He converted to evangelical Christianity and began university studies at Oxford. During his time at University, he began studying the Fathers of the Church. He found that the Fathers had a vision of the Church alive in her faith, unified and growing. “Some portions of their teaching,” Newman wrote, “came like music to my inward ear.” Isn’t that a beautiful sentiment?? In 1845 and after many years of study and struggles with prejudices against the Church of Rome, he asked a poor Italian missionary to hear his confession and he entered the Catholic Church. He went on to become a priest, then a bishop and now a saint. Here are two quotes that spoke to me:
“Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather that it shall never have a beginning.”
“A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault.”
Not to make this post any longer than it already is, but…As we strive for perfection in our culture-the perfect home, perfect hair/face/nails, perfect job, perfect children, perfect gardens, how often do we miss out on living our lives because we have bought into the LIE that we have to be perfect. Guess what? We are all flawed and no amount of AI or social media filters will ever change that. So for all of you who dream about doing something but hesitate because “you’re not any good,” STOP IT! Go! Do! Begin!
Oh, I do love chatting with you all. May God bless you and yours. I look forward to catching up in the comments.
Love, Regina Mary
Melody knows her cocktails 🙂
What a lovely read your post is – thank you.
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Thank you so much! I have never had a dog with such a saucy personality! She really is a hoot! Thank you for stopping by. xoxo Regina
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Look who’s here! Just read this delightful blog post and had a chuckle (no, I didn’t do it during working hours, no ma’am, nothing to see here) and it’s a delightful surprise to see two familiar faces in the comments section!
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I’m on a yarn diet since I haven’t knit anything (other than a sweater for my sister’s rescue dog) BUT that Malabrigo yarn in the Archangel color way just might make me go off my diet. If I do decide to get it, I must vow to actually use it. Thank you for the temptation.
We go across the state line to buy some Fine Wine & Good Spirits as some of the prices are just too good to pass up. My husband actually reads the contents on the wine bottles. I, on the other hand, look at the labels. To each his own. 😁🍷
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As a knitter you know that some yarns just feel soooo good to knit with. The Malabrigo is one of those yarns. I have to be honest. My photos are taken with my phone, in my house with NO special anything. I wish you could see the colors in this yarn. They are so beautiful. Definitely worth going off-diet for. You won’t need any discipline to knit with it either. You’ll want to cast on immediately.
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Your socks look great. I do love a short row heel instead of heel flap and gusset. It’s just easier for me. I love Denise’s suggestion to put extra short rows above the heel when knitting shorties. I still need to try that. Since I tend to knit up to my ankle, I haven’t had problems with the sock wanting to slip down my foot. But if I knit them shorter???
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I have only knit one pair of shorties but I am curious about what you said about additional short rows. I’ll have to look for her video on that. Thanks for the tip!
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My dogs love the freshly changed bed linen. They seem to eagerly wait for it to a piuntbthat I have to race them to enjoy first the crispness of new bed sheet and those few seconds while they are digs hair free😂😂😂😂
That said, your baby is a real lady who knows how to treat herself🍸😉
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Oh yes!!! I have to race to the bed as well! It’s really a thing then!
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I’m always amazed at how some people manage not to let their dogs to go on the couch or beds but then…what’s the point to have a dog ?😂
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Although this weekend, I questioned my choice. Carver peed on our bed. I have never owned a dog that peed inside. Of course I didn’t realize he did this until I slid under the covers and put my feet into a cold wet spot.
This sent me on a search for waterproof mattress covers!
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I hear you pal! When we came back from our summer holidays Ada peed out of excitement on our bed, I had to throw away the duvet, it was socked 😩
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Crushing! My husband was amazed at how quickly I stripped the bed and remade it. I told him it was from years of practice with little children!
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😂😂😂😂. If he is like mine , he would still be trying to figure it out how to insert the pillow in the case😳🤣
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Oh, you aren’t kidding!!!
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Oh the odd socks had me cackling, I know that pain 😆 But your friend still gets to use them so it’s a win in the end!
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Hannah, I was embarrassed by the size difference, but couldn’t bear to rip one out! It was a master class in tension and gauge!
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Every time I start to think that gauge doesn’t really matter, it proves me wrong!
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You are so right!
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I’ve lost my knitting mojo lately, but I do have some sock yarn floating about so I might just have a go at a pair, although I can’t see myself turning heels like a bandit.
🙂
Susan
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Oh, I don’t know Susan…I think there is a lot of bandit in you! 🙂
Besides the bee incident, how have you been?
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I’m going to have to try that short row heel after I get 2 things off my spinning wheel and a baby blanket off my needles, if I didn’t have that paralyzing anxiety over the heel, I might knit socks, I don’t mind the leg or foot, it’s just that darn heel!
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Definitely give this a shot. It really opened up a whole new world! And I loved knitting socks previously too. I just don’t get hung up on the heel now. I actually look forward to adding a contrasting heel.
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Crying laughing about the socks. I did the exact thing same once with a pair of fingerless gloves and I still don’t entirely know how it happened.
Also – Malabrigo, my beloved. You just reminded me of the skeins I have in my stash. I am already in the middle of three other projects…LOL.
Also also – what a wonderful encouragement to embrace messy life in the moment. I think social media is making it harder and harder for younger generations to do it. Grateful I was spared some of that experience, and yet need reminding nonetheless.
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Oh, those socks. I could write a book on all the lessons knitting has taught me! Can I tell you…the biggest challenge that project was giving my friend such a flawed gift. I was tempted not to. She didn’t know I was knitting them. Then I thought, no, I want to be comfortable with something so imperfect but made with 100% love and gratitude.
What is it about Malabrigo? So much color and squish! Tell me what you are working on!
I know many people who are suffering from the unattainable goal of perfection, and I am sure you do as well. Working in a school brings the matter front and center. xoxo Regina
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They all look amazing–the dog, of course, but also the socks. 🙂
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Fun pictures of Melody!
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Oh she’s a hoot!
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Before I figured out how to do 2 at a time socks, I finished one – and then it was another year before I started the second! I could come up with the right number of stitches, but I had no idea what size needles I had used! And the tension was different. After a couple of tries, I decided I really didn’t care; the fact that the second was quite a different size ended up not being a problem once they were in shoes. NO ONE ever commented, even when I wore sandals. My feet didn’t feel the difference. I wore them out, with no regrets.
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Feet don’t care!! 🤣 Hope you are well!
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Recovering well from second hip replacement, thanks. Doing my exercises, sleeping. Knitting, sleeping. Autumn weather here is spectacular, and warm enough to sit outside with knitting.
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Sorry to hear you had to have surgery, but encouraged that recovery is going according to schedule. For some reason, I thought the entire hip was replaced at once making it a “one or done” kinda thing, but now that I aired that idea it doesn’t really make sense. This is a beautiful season in the Hudson Valley as well. The evenings are getting colder, but the days can get up to 50ish.
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The entire hip is replaced it once. But both hips needed to be done, so this was the second hip.
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Ah, odd socks… This is why we should encourage our friends to grow different sized feet, symmetry is overrated! (Sorry, cold meds are making me have peculiar opinions…)
I loved learning that it’s not just cats who hog the bed and demand the best bits. There’s a certain cosy feeling in the collective suffering of us poor, pet-domesticated humans and knowing one is not alone.However… I know this isn’t a competition, but you get back to me if you ever wake up with the sound of food being transferred from a cat’s stomach, and onto the pillow you are sleeping on at that precise moment. I don’t think I’ve ever woken up and (lovingly!) hurled a feline across the bedroom that quick in my life…
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Nothing pulls me out of a deep sleep like the sound of my dogs barfing in the middle of the night. Thankfully, it has never been on my pillow!!!
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