Busy Busy

I forgot! My LOOT! Eleven skeins of Schaefer Anne. So, I have no socks for Jody...it's all good. It is killing me to keep out of this stuff. Eleven different pair of socks. It's like torture.
That's me all over. A busy girl. Today is a day of treadmill and knitting. Yesterday was a day of visiting the vet with Poor Boo. He's much better today, on an antibiotic, and bouncy as always though still off his food a bit. He has a skin rash that appears to be a staph infection. I wash my hands a lot now...the good news is that unlike his Akita sibling giving him pills is remarkably simple. With Kioshi it involves a lot of nonsense and she acts like she's being skinned. With Boo you merely take a slice of American cheese, wrap it around the pill, hold it on your hand long enough to melt the cheese a bit and then hand it over. He swallows without even chewing and down goes the pill.
I have been working on knitting and writing for the book, since I figure that's sort
of important. I have six samples knitted, six patterns written and awaiting knitting, and six more pattern needing to be written. Actually I feel pretty on track, but sense that soon my family will need to learn to cook. They already have laundry down pretty well. These are a cute Cherry Tree Hill ankle sock that I started to distract my mind from writing for a day or two. They're done. They would have been done yesterday morning if they dog had not been all ill. Poor guy. When Owen does not eat it's time to take drastic action. Hey, did you know that it costs $76 for a culture and sensitivity of goo from a sore on a dog's back? And $2.40 to dispose of two syringes, which is about ten times what the syringe costs. Next time I think I will offer to take them home with me and get rid of them myself, save the $2.40. I have decided that the pet vet industry is a monstrous racket. Anyway, the socks, the yarn looks like a berry mash. I love the color.
This past was a wonderful weekend. First, Number One Stepson and Number One Not-My-Daughter-In-Law-But-I-Can-Wish came to visit. We stayed up till about 2AM Saturday morning (or Friday night, depending on perspective). We had a very good time, playing games and talking. I enjoy this, and so does Mr Wonderful. The next morning we did a late breakfast/brunch thing, then shopped and got ready for Saturday night, when my best friend and her husband came for our belated Christmas gathering. You may remember that about a year ago a
small person entered my life, a sweet and tiny bundle of joy. Well, it's grown some. Quite a bit. Definately over that whole "month early" thing. And I have decided that it's the most adorable little female child I have seen in about 19 years, give or take a month. Is she not adorable?? You should have seen the matching hat, red with fur around the edge, and the tiny white patent leather shoes. Just too cute. We got her a pile of stuff, not as big as I would prefer, but Mr. Wonderful keeps me on a leash where infant shopping is concerned (or Aidan'd own his own outdoor condo in the name of a "playhouse" and probably a small car for his miniature garage...). I got her some Robeez; peas in a pod and flower garden in purple and , a promise to knit matching sweaters for the shoes after the book is done, and a bead roller coaster (which I consider an essential of child development), some books, and a bath toy holder thing. Pretty modest, I think. I got GLUTEN FREE BEER!! Is that not the coolest?? It's not a stout, but by golly it tastes like beer! I am so relieved. I am not a huge beer drinker as a rule, but I do enjoy the occasional glass on the deck with burgers and dogs on the grill in summer, and Mr. Wonderful by my side. If they're working on GF beers, then it's only a matter of time before we see GF stouts and bitter ales. And I got this, to suck my brain, a puzzle of Cinderella Castle. It's actually been good for my brain, all the sorting and organizing and assembling. Reminds me of when I spent the two weeks before my state boards playing Mine Sweeper and solitare for hours and hours at a time. I am on a schedule now - one hour of puzzle for every three of knitting or designing. It works. When I don't cheat. Which of course I rarely do, unless the dog is glued to my thigh and wants to be in constant contact, in which case it's all out the window and the puzzle rules - he can lay on the floor under my feet and be near his mommy. We stayed up late Saturday as well, about 1:30AM Saturday night/Sunday morning for a bedtime. It's a good thing Christmas comes but once a year.
Back to the grind, back to swatching and writing. If I focus I bet I can get all six remaining patterns written to day. Any takers? Anyone? I love a challenge. I have a list here, a stack of white papers with headings, sone filled in, some not, all with design plans. I'd bet I can get it done today, swatched and written in three sizes per sock. I wish someone would bet me so there'd be a thrown gauntlet. I thrive on a gauntlet. These are swatches of socks named after my two favorite babies. Not much of a swatch, but it gives me the idea of where I am going with it. One is a fingering weight solid sock with a turned cuff and fair isle band. The other is a feminine patterned stitch but in strong colors; raspberry and teal and oyster. I love them both. Actually, so far I have not designed a single sock for this book that has made me asy "uggh". I like them all. I like them so much that I am going to return to them!