Look what I got today!

For the last year I've been thinking about learning to knit socks, since it's almost impossible for me to find kneesocks that fit. (I want some to wear to church in the winter, because stockings are just too thin to keep me warm.)

Last week I finally bit the bullet and ordered some sock yarn, along with various needles, from Knitpicks. I've eagerly awaiting my package, and it came today!

I got 4 skeins of a cotton/wool/elastic yarn called Risata in Cocoa, some double-pointed needles, and a couple circular needles in different sizes for various projects. The yarn is very soft, and is so yummy looking. I might not need all of it for my socks, but I can always make another pair. :o)

There's a method of knitting socks called the Magic Loop that I'm going to try -- it allows you to make two socks on one long circular needle. Hope I can figure it out!

The Friday 56 -- Incredible Tales

A weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends.

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence along with these instructions on your blog or (if you don't have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog. * Post a link along with your post back to this blog. * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

This week's book is Incredible Tales, a group of short stories by Saki. I'm not really sure what it's about, but it's got a really cool cover. :o)


"How you shot the goat and frightened the tiger to death," said Miss Mebbin, with her disagreeably pleasant laugh.

The Friday 56 -- Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar

A weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends.

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence along with these instructions on your blog or (if you don't have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
* Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

This is my first chance to participate, since I usually don't have a book near my computer. My first book is Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar, edited by Mercedes Lackey. It's an anthology of short stories set in Lackey's Valdemar. It's not my favorite of the anthologies, but there are some good stories in it.

"Gah!" he exclaimed, his eyes narrowed. "The stench!"

It's my birthday . . .

and I'll have diarrhea if I want to. (Or even if I don't, as the case may be.)

It didn't spoil my birthday dinner out, but it was a close-run thing.

'Nuff said.

Hip hip hooray, Halloween is finally over!

You might have noticed that I haven't posted anything for the past month. It's not because I haven't wanted to, but because I've been too tired from work.

This is my 15th Halloween at my job, and it has never been this crazy. For the last two weeks it's been an absolute madhouse. Everyone has been working all the hours they can, and it wasn't enough. The store is a near-total mess. Certain areas look like there's been an explosion or eruption because we haven't had the staff or the time to tidy them each day -- when you've got non-stop customers until closing, all you can do is put stuff back in the approximate location.

A friend of mine opined that all these people were trying to save money by making their costumes. It doesn't really work out that way, since most people spent more money on supplies than our readymade costumes cost at full price (and they've been on sale all month). Be that as it may, I think I've spent most of the last month putting fabric away. And putting more fabric away. And putting even more fabric away. Of course, that's only when I wasn't cutting fabric until my hands ached, or running the register for hours on end.

Maybe I'll take next October off.

Avoiding a Charred Sweetie and other miscellania

I just finished a reserved listing for Artikaur. Her boyfriend's birthday is coming up and she wanted to get him something for the kitchen. He likes to cook, so she decided on these because she doesn't "want my sweetie having charred hands when he's cooking for me". :O) (If her bf is reading, don't click! You'll spoil the surprise!)

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For about a week I was unable to view my blog when using Firefox. I could log in to my dashboard, and view other Blogger blogs, but not mine. I had to resort to using my old Netscape or (shudder) IE if I wanted to see my blog or a couple other sites. I finally figured out that it had something to do with my McAfee updates. They screw up my registry. After I get updated, I have to run my registry cleaner if I want to see my blog. Think I'll change security programs.

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My brother-in-law Dan and his 80+ mother Irene went to Turkey a few weeks ago. He's working on a book and wanted to see some of the places he's writing about. (My sis didn't go because any flight over 3 hours is too much for her.) Anyway, last week Irene fell down some stairs and broke her hip and ankle. Dan had some connections, due to having a Turkish intern at work whose dad is a doctor, and she got really good treatment. Yesterday the world travelers returned from their "whirlwind tour of foreign medical facilities", and Irene will see her doctor tomorrow. For the time being she'll be staying with Joy and Dan.

There is no joy in Kaufman . . . .

Well, the venue I went to yesterday was pretty much a bust. My sister and I have had booths at this parish carnival for several years, and have always done okay. Even last year, we did all right. Joy couldn't go this year, so I took some of her jewelry to sell along with my baby things and micromitts and cool ties.

This year she sold one pair of earrings. No rosaries (usually a good seller), no bracelets, no necklaces. Just one lonely pair of earrings.

I had a little better luck -- 7 cool ties, a onesie, a pair of mitts, and an apron. I made my rent twice, but that's it. I was glad to see the apron go -- we've had it for a couple years and no one wanted it, but this lady really liked it. But nobody bought any of the new mitts I spent so much time on in the last 2 weeks. :o( I happen to think they're great. Check them out on my Flickr.


It was sunny (a great relief after a week of steady rain), but so humid the sweat just rolled down my legs. All the music was in Spanish (and it all sounded the same to me), but the only decent group was the mariachis late in the afternoon. And all of it suffered from a bad sound system, which did absolutely nothing for my headache. My mother kept joking about paying some kid to unplug the amps.

I don't think I'm going back there next year.