Learning List

• Sunday while walking into the plaza at Snowbird I tripped and fell hard on my hands and knees, bounced onto my shoulder and landed flat on my back.  My knees were a little stiff the rest of the day but are fine now. However, I won't be kneeling to pray for awhile....just sayin'.  My shoulder is sore which makes it hard to hold a spindle up very high to spin.  I survived. I can take a licking and keep on ticking, even at my age.
  
  
• After spinning the BFL in Tuesday's post, and consulting Amy, the realization that this yarn is just too soft for socks was clear.  It's too beautiful to spin any tighter so it will be knit into something else. Time to try spinning up some super wash for socks.
  
  
• Knee highs didn't attract me the way they did Cara until I saw Lene’s.  Both the gray and red pair are exceptional.


• Sunday we could see a tinge of color change on the highest peaks in the mountains and Eileen noticed the same on her ride up Millcreek Canyon. It was very dark when the alarm went off at 6:30am on Monday.  This is the first morning it was very apparent the light is waning at both ends of the day.


• Despite that, it was just under 100 degrees the last few days...not fall temperatures, and the nights don't cool down like they should. An impressive thunderstorm, avec rain, helped some, but mostly just raised humidity.  Summer is intrepid.
  *Breaking news...the heat broke and it was cooler last night. It felt so good! But, will it last?*


• By reading Monday's newspaper I learned that Mitt the Twit R. and I share the same polygamist ancestor.  It looks like we are distant cousins. No comment.


• Norma is setting up a blog for the Red Scarf Project. You can find buttons for your blog here if you plan to join her and knit Red this year.  It's a good cause.  Last year I knit a couple of scarves, but this year I'm on a scarf moratorium...just not that fond of knitting scarves and I'm swamped with gift knitting, spinning and swap knitting, too.  A grrl needs to know when to say no.


• A good knitter listens to the voices in her head.  She realizes the process is sometimes forward and back.  She may not like it, but she accepts that this is part of the process of creation. With a good book on the ol' iPod, and a new beginning for the sock, the process continues. (One week and three days until the Trek Along ends.) Perseverance is a virtue (or so I'm told).

Comments

[Kathleen]

Somehow Margene, I see a red scarf in your future...you are terrible at saying no. Sorry to read about the spinning not being sock material--but it is goregous and will make something nice and lacey, right? Glad to read you are on the mend from your fall.

[colleen]

It's always nice to have political connections. Could you just tell Cousin Mitt to stop messin' up my state? Please?

[Lolly]

Thanks for all of the links! I specifically enjoyed seeing Lene's lovely stockings - my knee high desire is stirring anew ;) (since my previous failed attempt!)

[Ann]

Oh, the call of the kneesock! Can't get it out of my head either. Good progress on the chevron...

[Lisa]

Those kneesocks are really nice!

I'm sorry to say that I'll probably be a Trekking dropout. The Sock Hop yarn muscled that Trekking right out of my knitting bag.

[Kelly]

I find that sometimes listening to a good book makes the knitting go faster!

Those knee highs are beautiful!

[Cara]

Now that I've got the basic Knee High pattern down, I've been stalking Lene and her knee highs. They are just fantastic.

[Laura]

Margene you are SO correct about knowing when to say "No". Thankfully I've been saying "No" to my interest in participating in various things that I think I'll get to do a red scarf this year! Yay! I'm getting things lined up for your "Knit Unto Others" knitalong this fall. Gotta finish my "40 Days For Others" knitting that I started in the spring. :)

You'll get the sock finished. I finally got mine out and realized that I had underestimated how much was actually remaining on it - I still had not turned the heel! I'm 1/2 way thru the gusset decreases now. Hopefully I'll get it done in time!

[Laurie]

Hmmm soreness vs rotator cuff? Ouch. Ice. Nonsteroid antiinflammatories. Coddling. Wheel spinning. (Oops that just slipped out, sorry.)

[Susan]

Margene, I hope that you are feeling okay after your stuntwoman episode. I won't hold your relation to Mitt against you, but can't ya'll call him back to Utah for some sort of family emergency?

[amanda]

Lene's kneesocks are great -- thanks for the link! I love finding new, interesting blogs :o)

[hillary]

Ouch! Sorry to hear about your fall. I loved te links to Lene's knee socks. They're really great. Mitt the twit - I love that.

[Alison]

I hope the shoulder feels better!

[caroline]

take care of those knees and other bruised parts. we don't bounce like we used to, heh.

[Carla]

Lene's kneehighs.. lovely, but did you see those mittens? (jaw dropping beauty!)
Sorry about the fall, but let me tell you.. I had a DREAM that I fell last night, and I woke up with a sore neck. I need to find an explanation for that :)

[Liz K.]

I was just looking at my FO gallery for 2006 and realized that I have not made a single scarf this year. I don't know if that is a good or bad sign...I'm looking forward to the red scarf project this year, as I have a bunch of red alpaca in stash...

I am really going to try to finish my Trekking socks this weekend. I'll just be happy to have them out of my queue.

[Marcia]

Sorry about your tumble...glad there was no serious damage! I went back and checked my folder from the SOAR sock class with Nancy and Judith and found the following information:worsted-spun yarn is best for socks and that means fibers 2.5" long at least. Romney, Border Leicester, Lincoln and Cotswold are some that JMM mentions. Chose top rather than roving. She prefers 3-ply for socks. We used Merino for one ply, silk for another, and the third could be cashmere or mohair.

[marie in florida]

i've noticed shorter days here too, and The Red Scarf Project, eh? has it been almost a year already?

[Isela]

I am sorry that you fell down :(.

I agree with you--the knee socks are amazing--I love the gray ones.

Sending good vibes on the sock--it is looking good :)...have you re-checked the numbers? hehehe

[Kristi aka Fiber Fool]

Hmmm, I was just thinking knitting up some of my dyed and spun BFL for socks. You've got me wondering now... Though I think I spun it awfully tight so it's probably okay...

Sorry to hear about your spill. I'm glad you are mending!

[Martha]

Obviously, you got the good genes, the ones that enable you to actually create and fix things, rather than just posing for photo ops. Don't worry, Margene, every family has a black sheep!

[wool winder]

Glad to see you're back on track with the Trekking sock. I think you can finish it in time...you're a very fast knitter...just a bump in the road.

[regina]

I'm so glad to hear that your fall didn't seem to leave any lasting injuries. Ouch.

Thanks for the link to Lene's blog. What a wonderful find! I wonder if she wrote the patterns herself? Those socks are just gorgeous.

[Lucia]

Very, very distant. At least he's not your governor.

[Heather Novotny]

Well, at least you now know that your polygamous ancestors won't keep people from voting for you for President! Go, grrl!

[Lene]

I don't know anything else to say, except thank you so much!

I'm glad you did not hurt yourself too badly.

[Jennifer]

I hope you aren't too sore! Rest up and take care.

[Carole]

Knee socks, eh? Not for this girl. My calves are too, ummm, bulky.

[maryse]

considering the degree of difficulty of your fall, i'm giving you a 9.85. excellent! glad to hear there's been no permanent damage though.

[Carrie]

Sorry about the Mitt connection. Unfortunate.
Who cares if you don't finish your Trekking sock by the deadline. Isn't it all about the process?
I will be doing a red scarf this year (if I start now). I have always wanted to adopt, but it's obscenely expensive, so I think I will have to stick with helping out the grown-up orphans this year.

[Beth S.]

Can we please give Mitt back? Hell, we'll throw in Kerry Healey too, if you'll take him. (I don't believe she's a Mormon, but she will fit right in out there, I swear.)

I hope your shoulder improves quickly. Not being able to spin comfortably must be extremely vexing.

[Rachel H]

Heal quickly, dearheart. I'm starting physio for a shoulder problem today and the longer they last the less fun they get. Rest and ice. And every couple of sock rows, stretch it gently for a bit. Trust me on that one.

[lisa Co. Springs]

Sorry about the fall----ice and rest are the order of the day.

I have no doubt you'll finish the sock in time--what's on the ipod? I'm listening to "Blink"

[Scout]

I guess the knee-highs are in. I just dyed some custom yarn for a customer who's going to make them. I can't wait to see them. The colors are super pretty she chose.

[Birdsong]

Lots of info here! Sorry to hear about the fall, but glad you still bounce back. I am also glad to see you are planning another Knit Unto Others, and will plan for that... it could be a red scarf, but I share similar feelings about making more scarves.

[Sharon]

Ouch ouch and ouch! I fell a couple times this past winter, and I think that's why I ended up in physical therapy this summer. Listen to your body if pain takes up permanent residence. A grrl needs to know when she needs help.

[JessaLu]

Ouch, sorry to hear that you tripped :o(

By the way, when the hell do you Utah ppl want Mitt back? 'Cuz you can have him any time as far as I'm concerned...with tar, feathers and a rail ;o)

[christine]

You know what Bob would have said to you after your fall? (He would have helped you up, first.)
"Did you have a nice trip?"

That's my boy.

Those knee sockies are cool!

[Tan Summers]

I hope you feel better by GBFAF. You're taking the advance spindle class, aren't you?

[Jane]

I'm glad you weren't badly hurt. Hope you heal quickly and are back to your fabulous spinning soon!

Your last point is one that is close to my heard. I'm always amazed by how much MORE there is to learn with knitting- and how, many times, we all hae to learn the "hard" way. You can do it! :)

[Nonnahs]

PS: That last comment was by me. Thought my info was plugged in there, but apparently not. Just wanted to let you know it wasn't a random crazy anonymous person. ;)

[Norma]

Holy COW, you did not tell me about your fall. That could have been bad. The doctors have a fancy name for exactly that kind of fall/injury and I hear about it all the time in my depos, but I'm pretty much a vegetable at the moment and can't think straight. Work is kicking my ass so hard!

Man, thanks for the links to Lene's stockings -- I wouldn't have seen them if you did not link it. They are amazing, as her mittens.

And lastly, thanks for the links to the Red Scarf Project. You are the best friend!

[carole]

Ouch!!! Sorry to hear about your fall.

Those grey knee socks really are gorgeous!

[Lucinda (That other Cindy)]

There are worse "distant-relation" politicians out there. Thanks to a banner ad for Ancestry.com, I discovered a couple years ago that I am distantly related to both Bush & Kerry. No comment, indeed.

I hope that you are fully recovered from your fall. My husband fell last weekend, thought that he only had a sprain, & turned out to have broken a bone. I've told him that knitting is good use of your time when you are laid up with your foot propped on a pillow, but he thinks I'm just joking. ;-) I personally wouldn't be able to sit through so much daytime TV without knitting in my hands to distract me, or I'd go nuts.

[katherineofitall]

A really fun post. Thanks for the reading pleasure.

[Teyani]

I hope that your shoulder (and the rest of you) are healing by now.
Trek on - you can do it!!!