Socks

I like to have something to do with my hands while watching TV or listening to NPR. I also tend to take up a hobby or craft for a while, enjoy it, then move on to something new. In the past I've done counted cross stitch, crocheting, origami, and fabric origami boxes. This is in addition to crossword, sudoku and KenKen puzzles. (What is KenKen? Sudoku on steroids. GREAT math and logic. Try it!)



So, right now knitting is my craft of choice. This fall I made hoodie sweaters for the daughter of a friend, Mya, who is almost 1 1/2 and Wren, my great niece, who will turn 1 in a week! They were lots of fun but almost too quick. So, I decided to try my hand at socks. For sure, socks are not quick projects. First, the needles used are really small, so those stitches are really small too. One reason I moved on from counted cross stitch was the difficulty seeing the small stitches. Well, knitting socks means I sometimes still use a magnifying glass or take off my glasses!



They really are a challenge but that is part of the fun. Also, for the first time I can remember, I have a pair of socks that FIT my little feet. I didn't realize one could actually have socks that didn't have at least a half inch extra fabric at the ends of the toes!



Here are my first two successes.

This is the pair I made for myself. They actually fit! However, even though the stitches are small, they are not smooth underfoot. I'm getting used to that. The yarn is washable wool and nylon so I throw them in the washer but like all my wool sock, they air dry.

This is the pair I made for Wren's first birthday. They were fun because they are so small. Little socks are really cute, too. The yarn is 50% washable wool, 25% bamboo, and 25% nylon. I am afraid that one sock is larger than the other just because of tighter tension on the first one knitted as I was working REALLY hard to figure out the instructions.

Happy Valentine's Day - a bit early!

Gromit, Hutch, and Denali are admiring the new Kindle! John is setting the bar high for Valentine's Day gifts. Last year he surprised me with a deep pink Asus eee PC that he found on eBay. This year it was a Kindle. What a guy!


I've debated whether or not to get a Kindle. Would I like to read on an electronic device? Will I be willing to pay for books when I am so accustomed to utilizing our excellent public library as well as the college library? For a long time the decision has been to wait until the e-book war between the Sony Reader, the Nook, the iPad, and the Kindle is won - and includes the ability to access library books.


In the last two months it seemed like everyone around me was getting Kindles. Hmm. Temptation!


then one night this week I had trouble reading my book in bed. My eyes were tired, the font was small, and I just couldn't find the 'sweet spot' in my no-line bifocals. If I had a Kindle, I could just increase the size of the font and continue reading. I must have said that out loud! Then Amazon had a free two-day shipping promotion and John acted, unbeknownst to me!


When we got home Wednesday, there was a small package at the door. He said it was bike parts, which is a common reason for a box at the door. I DID notice that he quickly put it under his coat but then forgot about it as I fixed dinner and headed to bell choir practice. When I walked in the door, Gromit, Hutch, and friends were all guarding a box on my chair. The Kindle had arrived!


The rest of the evening was spent trying to deregister (that's the term on the Kindle's setting page!) the Kindle from John's Amazon account and register it on mine. Maybe that wasn't so smart because now I have to pay for my own books. :-) Anyway, it didn't work the way the Help menu said it should, so I spent some time talking with Customer Service, apparently in India. All is well now but I am still trying to decide on which book should be my first purchase.



The biggest problem? Finishing my current library book!