Happy Halloween!

My
pumpkin
didn't
win
the
grand
prize,
but
I
think
it
was
the
best.










In knitting news, I've made Halloweenie Socks from Trekking 81. Siri made some too, and called them Starfish Socks, because they reminded her of the purple and orange starfish along the Oregon Coast. I made them 2x2 rib, all the way down on 68 stitches, and then gave them to DD because they fit her better. She loves them, and I'll be making another pair for myself, because I really love this colourway. I also made a pair in Trekking 155 for the VIP, but they have been lost by the USPS. So that means I get to re-purchase this yarn and re-knit this pair.



These are made from the sock yarn I bought at Woolbearers when I went to visit the VIP last month. I really love this yarn so much. It has some nylon in it, but it's not superwash, so they have felted just the tiniest bit, and this makes them so incredibly soft and lovely. I have two more colourways of this, and I cannot wait to knit them into socks.

And that's about it. Don't eat too much candy!

~~ETA~~
Big thanks to the VIP who spent three hours on the phone with me, getting my wireless router and laptop all hooked up. He has the patience of an almost-saint!

I Cannot Even Believe This

If rappers, gangsters, and prisoners want to off each other, I say fine. Less tax-payer money being directed that way if there are fewer of them. But now, Lucky Dube's luck has run out. I am so sad.

I first heard Lucky when I was in college at BYUH, from 1990 to 1993. He had an inimitable voice and style. You could always tell a Lucky Dube song from the first few notes, just like you can tell a U2 song. It's just his "sound". His voice was sweet and unique, like Jon Anderson's. He wrote and sang about social problems in both his native South Africa and around the world.

Rest well, Lucky. God bless your family.

He's There!

After wasting ten minutes goofing around on Google Maps and getting him lost, I called the Borders store and got better directions. In case anyone wants to know, the Borders in Marlton NJ is just south of Brick Road on Route 73. He walked in, told me there were at least 150 people there, and then the call dropped. Poor Steph is unfortunately not feeling well, so hopefully she doesn't overdo it. More updates as the evening progresses.

~~Later~~

Here is her blog report. And here is the photo that is on his camera.

Why Yes, It Is Slow at Work

Because Tina asked if it was.

Big huge thanks to Kim, who found me a ball of Trekking 126 on Ravelry. Since I haven't joined (although Tina, Kim and Val are threatening to sign me up under dark of night) I asked her to please scout out and see if anyone had a ball they no longer wanted, and someone did! I'm so grateful, because I've been wanting this yarn for quite awhile now.

Today at work, we were greeted with the dismal news that Comcast is cracking down on us, and no longer will any non-Comcast material be allowed on the call floor. This means no more knitting. A moment of stunned silence while we mourn. I have so much nervous energy that I must do something with my hands while I am waiting the seven and a half hours to go by. I took eleven calls today. Four of them already had the Comcast Digital Voice (which we are not only required to actively sell, but will be terminated if we don't sell enough), one of them had had it, but had cancelled his account a month ago. The remaining callers were not interested in any way, shape, or form in giving even more of their money to Comcast. I don't blame them at all.

So I couldn't knit. Although I did hold the WIP in my lap for part of the day, I only actually knit on it while I was on my break. I wasn't supposed to surf the blogs or news sites, although I did. I tried to read some Conference talks, but I just couldn't concentrate. After the people that I talk to left, I listened to podcasts on my pink iPod. I've now finished the second season of Cast On and I'm almost caught up with Lime and Violet.

Ms Knitingale got our blanket squares. Scroll down past the spider story to see. And I made a KnitPicks order, but I ordered DK weight Bare yarn, not sock weight. Anyone want it? Six bucks (plus two if I have to mail it) and it's yours. Or I'll trade for bags of Razzberry M&Ms. I'm not interested in DK weight, and it's not really worth the trouble to send it back. I'll just be more careful to order the right stuff next time!

No photos right now, for two reasons. One, the camera is never upstairs when I am blogging, and yes, I am too lazy to go and get it. Two, most of what is on the needles right now (or recently off the needles) is SSK and hasn't reached its new home yet. Although, I couldn't stand it a minute longer and cast on Trekking 108 for a pair of socks for me. I got through the ribbing and 5 rows into the leg while listening to Whistler's show last night. Whistler is a dear friend of mine. I think we've known each other about five years. He invited me to the Jethro Tull concert last Tuesday in Salt Lake City, and it was awesome! I wished that DD had been able to come, because she plays flute in her school band, and I think she would have liked to hear Ian Anderson do his thing.

So that's it for now. Need to start going to bed at a more reasonable hour because these nightmares are affecting my sleep.

How to Learn the Names of the States and their Capitals

Sing to "Turkey in the Straw".

Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Indianapolis, Indiana
and Columbus is the capital of Ohio
There's Montgomery, Alabama south of Helena, Montana
Then there's Denver, Colorado under Boise, Idaho
Texas has Austin, then we go north
To Massachusetts, Boston and Albany, New York
Tallahassee, Florida and Washington D.C.
Santa Fe, New Mexico and Nashville, Tennessee

(Elvis used to hang out there a lot, ya know)

Trenton's in New Jersey north of Jefferson, Missouri
You've got Richmond in Virginia; South Dakota has Pierre
Harrisburg's in Pennsylvania and Augusta's up in Maine
And here is Providence, Rhode Island next to Dover, Delaware
Concord, New Hampshire, just a quick jaunt
To Montpelier which is up in Vermont
Hartford's in Connecticut, so pretty in the fall
And Kansas has Topeka; Minnesota has St. Paul

Juneau's in Alaska and there's Lincoln in Nebraska
And it's Raleigh out in North Carolina and then
There's Madison, Wisconsin and Olympia in Washington
Phoenix, Arizona and Lansing, Michigan
Here's Honolulu; Hawaii's a joy
Jackson, Mississippi and Springfield, Illinois
South Carolina with Columbia down the way
And Annapolis in Maryland on Chesapeake Bay

(They have wonderful clam chowder)

Cheyenne is in Wyomin' and perhaps you make your home in
Salt Lake City out in Utah where the buffalo roam
Atlanta's down in Georgia and there's Bismarck, North Dakota
And you can live in Frankfort in your old Kentucky home
Salem's in Oregon, from there we join
Little Rock in Arkansas; Iowa's got Des Moines
Sacramento, California; Oklahoma and its city
Charleston, West Virginia and Nevada, Carson City!

That's all the capitals there are!

Song courtesy of Wakko Warner

Harlotty News

The Harlot is coming!!! The VIP has graciously agreed to go and see her and get a book signed for me. I informed him of the Really Good Idea to bring her beer, so he entreated me to quickly knit her a beer bottle cozy. He is planning on wearing his Opal Tiger socks pinned to a headband to look like ears, so that hopefully he will get enough notice that she will photograph and blog him.

He is a very good VIP, so good in fact that it is hardly necessary for me to print out and distribute Ms Harlot's Helpful Holiday Hints Post. So I am going to go home and grab the scraps of Opal Tiger and hurryknit a beer bottle cozy, then shove it in a box along with my copies of Knitting Rules and At Knit's End so that hopefully it will reach him before Oct 19.

Mr Rogers

I found this nice piece about Mr Rogers today while wilfing. Take a moment and read why we all miss our best neighbour.

'Pider

So we have a cute little boy who lives next-door to us. I think he is 3, his name is E, and he is very very cute. But we have to keep our door locked because if we don't all of a sudden he is inside, trying to let our bird out of his cage. Well yesterday, we neglected to lock the door after taking some trash out. Since we were expecting our home-teachers, we didn't think this was a big deal. The door opened, and E walked in.

"Wanna see my daddy-long-legs?"

Have I mentioned this kid loves bugs?

"Oh E, take your friend outside. Hurry!"
"Okay. Oh, where did he go? Bye!"

Since my vacuum broke two months ago, you can just imagine what my brown carpet looks like. There is no way on earth we are going to find a stray spider. Happy October!