Saturday, July 28, 2007

A Visit to Newberg

An update on Garrett. If he is stable and doesn't have a temperature, he'll be flying to the US tomorrow morning. He's had a temp of over 100 but he's being pumped full of antibiotics and he has a couple of wound vacs to keep the deep tissue of his shoulder clean. Even then he's thinking about what prostheses he'll get and has made a goal of running after 6 months.

I visited Phyllis today to pass on messages from the office and give her assurance before she takes off for the east coast to meet up with Garrett in Bethesda MD. She's exhausted from having poor sleep and the stress of waiting. She's in better shape than her husband and daughter though. I think it's the Mom maintaining the calm in the midst of the storm. I had a good chat with her and warned her that her point when she lets go will come when she least expects it. She understands and is taking things as they come. She's taking her knitting with her at my urging. She has needles she can take on the plane (I got those for her) and plenty of yarn for making squares for the baby blanket we'll make for the Aunties In Stitches.

Socks

On the GLBT-Knit List, I'm known as the Sock Mistress, but unlike some sock enthusiasts, I'm more an enabler than a knitter. I haven't really done many pairs of socks because I haven't found the perfect sock yarn yet. The self-striping yarns are fun to play with, but they don't hold my attention very well. So many sock yarns that are out there seem to be geared more for the younger set with their vibrant colors and crazy combinations.

But it's been warm. I haven't wanted to do anything with the WIPs I have because they're either too bulky to work or not that exciting to do. I've been wanting a pair of socks to go with some of the raspberry and pink summer clothes I have, so I've been hunting for yarns. I figured that I'd do a pair with two different yarns in a colorwork pattern. I found some Art Yarns in pink a few weeks ago that I figured I do up with a white background, but I was busy with the commission so couldn't work on the socks.

Then this caught my eye at Twisted. I walked away from it the first time, then when I sat down to work on the Bag O'Plenty, it called to me from the bin. I got up. I looked at it again. I looked at the price. No, I told myself. You have your sock yarn. I walked away and sat back down.

Yarn is seductive. It calls like a Siren to Odysseus. It murmured possibilities and enlisted the assistance of other yarns. A skein of black Louet Gems Opal called out that it would make a splendid background for the yarn. "And it's locally made! Support an artist!"

What can I say? I was conquered. But look what they make, kidlets.

5 comments:

M-H said...

Er, Duffy, I don't think that age has anything to do with the brightness of your socks! I wear bright coloured socks all the time, and I'm quite a bit older than you. The brightest pair I ever made (orange, red and yellow) were for a 60th birthday present.

Barbara said...

very nice pattern for the socks. I've thought about something similar for other gorgeous sock yarns.

Share the pattern?

Anonymous said...

It's beautiful, the yarn and the sock pattern. I think I have that book. Have to look for it. I have to show the color way to my daughter. Maybe she can do something similar for me. My thoughts are with the Marine, even though I've already have forgotten his name. My friend's son also was injured in Iraq; fortunately it was only his arm. They really gave him tons of heavy antibiotics because of something that is in the soil over there. Renate

Saffista said...

I love this pattern! Where might I find it? THey are looking great so far!

Anonymous said...

Definitely a "me, too" re loving your st patt for the sock!

I'm curious re your comment that Louet Gems Opal is locally made. Can you give more info on that?

Joan in Eugene