445x2 + 44x2

I normally limit my blog to my knitting, but I have to share this with the word wide web. I’ve just come back from the mailbox. No mail, but I walked 445x2 + 44x2 steps (yup I counted everyone of them) without pain for the first time in at least a year and a half, and all because I was forced to change doctors. My “old” doctor fired me. I wasn’t a good patient, kept canceling appointments and not showing up. One of the reasons was that I have suffered from a severe depressive episode for at least a year with lots of panic attacks due to concomitant PTSD. I’ve also been experiencing a tremendous amount of pain from osteoarthritis (it sucks getting old). Chronic severe pain doesn’t help the other two conditions either. I decided my best bet was to go to a walk-in clinic in the next “city”. The clinic is run by two nurse practitioners with a supervising physician. I figured that this would serve my needs of not always being able to make it for a scheduled appointment. For that convenience, I will, of course, have to pay with waiting time, but I always have my knitting. The nurse practitioners came highly recommended by friends who have been going there for years. Another benefit is that the two NPs are partners in real life and are lesbians. Hurray! Well, to make a long story short, my previous doctor had prescribed a pain medication, Ultram, which only partially eased the pain as long as I didn’t move around. The new NP suggested a try of a medication called Relafen which is a cox inhibitor and is used for osteo and rheumatoid arthritis. Wellllll, I am on my second day of the meds and I made it to the mailbox and back, fed and watered the chickens and turkeys and tucked them in, all without pain.

No city sounds on the way to the mail box; the birds were still chirping since it wasn’t dark as yet, but otherwise it was very quiet and peaceful. I saw a lot of deer tracks, both big ones and smaller ones, turkey tracks, and every two or three steps a few small ant hills. There were even two mole holes in the middle of the driveway. The tree leaves are finally fully developed, the ferns are unfolding, and the milkweed is growing. I saw no blooms on the blueberries. Everything is late this spring due to the cold weather. I even got to squash a couple of tent worms, one of my favorite pastimes in the spring.

The photos are of things that catch my eye around the property.

Do you think, maybe in a few days, I will be able to block the shawls I’ve knitted? I hope so, but as of tonight things are looking up.

Knit on!

And here are the turkeys with the alpha Tom standing right in the food. I've noticed that too with the chickens. As soon as I finish filling up their food dish, the rooster will immediately step into the food, stir the food around with his feet and then, and only then, will he let the hens eat. The Tom is already prancing around with his tail feathers in a half circle and his chest puffed out. But will he do it for the camera? Oh no! One of these days before he becomes Thanksgiving dinner, I will get a picture of him strutting before the hens.


What is it with Michigan? Two days ago the sun was shining, we had a beautiful day, and today it's as cold as if it were March. I am ready to turn the wood stove on again, but for crying out loud it's June. However, while the sun was shining, I was able to take a pic of the Bearded Irises that were blooming. Living in the woods as we do, cultivated flowers are a rarity. If the deer don't get them, the bunnies will; and if the bunnies don't get them, then the chickens for sure will finish the job.



Look, you can even see the sun in the photograph. Ah, glorious sun, please come back soon.

Knitting-wise, I have just finished two pairs of socks, but cannot show them until the designer releases the pattern. So, my friends, knit on. Since my computer is still on dial up instead of DSL, I hope to get a few things finished around here.

I have run into a wee snag

My fast connection to my laptop broke. I had a wee accident with the computer, and the lid broke off in one place which affected the DSL connection. So now I am on dial up till I can get it fixed or buy a new one. What a joy! Therefore, pictures will be delayed for a brief period of time; at least till I figure out what to do next.

Socks Landshut

Moni Eckert has outdone herself once again with the design of these socks. They are named after the city of Landshut in Bavaria, Germany.

The city of Landshut is located on Isar River in Bavaria in southeastern Germany. It was founded in 1204 as a fortress for dukes of Bavaria, and was chartered in 1279. It was badly damaged in the Thirty Years' War between 1618 and 1648. Since it was a major rail junction, the city received over 12,000 refugees after World War II. The city has retained much of its medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture, notably the ducal castle of Trausnitz built between the 13th and the 16th century, and the Gothic St. Martin's Church with one of the world's highest brick steeples at 436 feet. Industries include electronics and machinery manufacture as well as chocolate making, brewing, and tobacco processing. The 2004 estimated population was 60,500.

When I was young I was unable to see these treasures of Germany and now that I am old, I don't have the get up and go to travel extensively. And, of course, I never did become independently wealthy either.

The socks are knit with Opal Uni. The color is almost cinnamon. There is one noticeable error in the leg of the sock, but I was too far along to rip back when I noticed it, and the pattern is such that it would be quite difficult to undo only those stitches and correct the error. So, I am going to live with it. Can you see the error? Let me know.

The pattern is a challenge for me since I have done very few pieces with traveling stitches, but I must say it's getting easier the longer I am knitting it. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks, after all.

In addition to the photo of the sock, I have also included some photos of Landshut. I love architecture, and the architecture of Bavaria is quite different than that of the Northern Black Forest.

Spring has finally arrived in Michigan...

...and look what I found in one of the gooseberry bushes: a very neatly built nest with four small eggs. The eggs are spotted and since we seem to have hundreds of Goldfinches on the property, I surmise that these are finch eggs. Angie found the nest while inspecting the gooseberries. She is hoping that she will finally get some gooseberries this year. Two years ago, they were heavy with berries, but the deer got them before we could, and last year they did not produce very well. We hope that this will be the year where we can outsmart the wildlife and get to eat the gooseberries without having to share. I know, hope springs eternal.

Socks, socks, socks, socks...........

Another four pairs of socks are completed and are resting in the sock drawer. The first pair was from the Ravelry Group Sock Knitters Anonymous. The pattern is called Sliding Leaves by Jeannie Cartmel of http://jeanniefanihi.blogspot.com/ . The sock has a lovely pattern; unfortunately it is knit from the toe up. I have yet to knit a sock from the toe up that fits me; therefore, I have finally sworn off that method of knitting a pair of socks, and they will go into the "gifting" box. The socks were knit with Crystal Palace Panda Wool, a mixture of 51% Bamboo, wool and nylon.

The second pair of socks is called Mainau, after an Island in Lake Constance in Southern Germany. The design is by Monika Eckert of http://www.klabauterwolle.de/ and will eventually be available for sale on her website. At the moment it is part of a subscription series that runs for three months before one must order the next three-month series. For overseas customers, Monika sells the patterns without the yarn. For European countries each pattern has a recommended yarn which can only be ordered from Monika's shop. As with her lace shawls, Monika's patterns are always error-free, well written (in both German and English), and a delight to knit. These were also knit with Panda Wool.

No this is not my leg. I could only wish.

For anyone interested in seeing what Mainau looks like, here are a few pics from the area. Isn't it absolutely beautiful?

These socks are knit with Sockotta and are really anklets. I found the pattern somewhere on the Internet with the title "Citron-Lemon-Orange Socks - English Pattern" which would suggest that it originally came in another language, most likely German. The pattern has no identifying information as to the source, and, of course, when I saved the pattern I forgot to write down the source from hence it came. If anyone recognizes the pattern and it's source, please let me know. The pattern on each side of the sock is simply, p1, y/o, sskp2 (slip 2, k1, pass over slip 2) y/o, p2, y/o, sskp2, y/o, p1.

Finally, these are really plain stinos (stinking normal socks), but knit with a hand-dyed sock blank. The artist as with all my hand-dyed projects, is my daughter known on the Internet as Valley. I absolutely love the vibrant colors and the color combination. The leg and top of socks is simply k2, p2.

Knit On!

Start..itis

I've been suffering from start...itis since last Fall which in the past has been somewhat true, but I would also finish the things started. I've been flitting about from socks to Summer Tees to more socks to shawls. Nothing seems to consume my full attention lately, except for Moni Eckert of Klabauter Wolle's new KAL. She has designed a triangular shawl, the patterns of which can also be adopted to a stole. She publishes each day a few rows in her blog www.klabauterwolle.de/blog . This is much more manageable right now and so far is holding my interest. I had a skein of Cherry Tree Hill lace yarn languishing in a corner. The colors are perfect for Spring knitting, and the yarn's multi-colors do not take away from Moni's patterns.

This photo shows the colors fairly well. I think I need to put a white cloth over the foam mat the next time I take a pic.

I still happen to like my handmade stitch markers the best. No fuss, no muss and free and the lace does not get caught on them. What else could one want.

The other shawl is being knit from hand-dyed roving, spun by my in-house spinner, my daughter. The pattern is called "Waves of Leaves Shawl" and the designer is Ijeoma Oluo. The pattern can be found for free on Ravelry.

The pattern is quite easy to knit. I think this shawl would also look stunning in either Kauni or JoJo Land.

And a more detailed shot of the pattern.

Well folks, I have some socks to get back to so I can show them off.

Knit on!