Thursday, June 28, 2007

Houston, we have re-entry



The last three weeks of school were just ridiculous. There are so many events to be crammed in, so many last things to attend to, so many concerts, performances, etc. Thank heavens for socks, otherwise there would have been no knitting.



These are for my friend Donna. Donna makes me laugh all the time. I have another friend named Donna who makes me laugh all the time, too, but I already made her socks. (Great Adirondack Sock Company in Peacock; Susan Bates dp needles size 1.)



This sock was supposed to be for me. I must have picked up the same size needles that I used for Donna's sock, because this baby just don't fit! I haven't decided if I'll rip this and re-knit, or whether I'll give her another pair of socks. My friend saw me knitting this and declared it the "Dunkin Donut" sock. (Brown Sheep Company Wildfoote in Sonatina; apparently the same damn needles.) I really like this yarn!!



I think it likes me, too.



My Rockin' Sock socks. Sorry Kate but I just couldn't have done the cabling. With my sexy plentiful ankles, there's no way those puppies would have sat on my legs without cutting off the blood to my heart. That's okay, I like the ribbing. What twitch over my left eye?



I absolutely l-u-r-v-e these socks! These are so soft and knit up so darn fast! I started them on a Thursday and left on a flight for Texas the next day; I finished the second one on the following Monday. What a delightful knit and thank heaven I used the correct sized needles! (Sweet Sheep yarn in Shark; size two Knit Picks needles.)



And after TootsieDoodle said "Do you ever knit anything besides socks?" I renewed my search on-line and in books. I had bought this yarn from Fricknits and every pattern I found using alpaca was chunky and bulky. I finally decided to hell with the yarn "recipe" and just found a pattern I liked. It's in Wendy's book and I know I've already made a mistake in the lace:



Can you see it? If you can, let me know where it is! I came out with the wrong count on two rows but I am so inexperienced with lace (like I've never done it before) that I don't know what I did.

So that's where I'm at. 'Sup with you?

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Father's Day

Dear Dad,

You gave me so much in my lifetime. I am sure that all my volunteer work, donations, and "How can I help?" attitude came from your altruistic genes. Sometimes I think you went out of your way to find ways to help, and yet nobody ever thought anything of it. You never looked for thanks, even waved away all signs of gratitude with a snort and a "what would you like to drink?"

*******

Dear Dad,

How lucky am I that I got your sense of humor? It's twisted, it's quick, sometimes it's downright snarky, but I always make people smile and I'm always thinking what a great gift I got from my dad! The folks I work with and my best buds always say they see you in me, and that it's a good thing.


********

Dear Dad,

Did I ever tell you just how beautiful Snickerdoodle looks in her pearl earrings that you bought for her? She wears them with her black concert dress and she looks so elegant! You always had a good eye for jewelry. You bought Mom the classiest, loveliest pieces and loved to surprise her with them. Luckily I married a man who believes in that too!


********

Dear Dad,

Someone mentioned Captain Kangaroo the other day, and I trotted out my trusty "Hey, my dad went to high school with Captain Kangaroo!" These days, I'm just grateful when I find someone who knows who the Captain is.


*********

Dear Dad,

There's a hundred more "Dear Dad" thoughts I have bottled up inside. I can't quite believe it's exactly one year ago today that I lost you. You were the person on earth that understood me the most, and our connection was so close. I feel such a sense of loss that I can't share those moments with you any longer, and that your love of learning has come to an end.

To quote from my favorite show, "Wicked,"

"So much of me
Is made of what I've learned from you.
You'll be with me,
Like a hand-print on my heart."

I miss you.

Love,
Liz