Saturday, November 22, 2008

Denial Ain't Just A River In Egypt

Apparently knitters have an aptitude for denial. In my case it was the Earthly Beret I was knitting on in the last couple of days. I got about halfway along the chart and realized there was no way that thing was going to fit even my small head. Nowhere near the correct gauge. No, of course I didn’t do a gauge swatch! Why do you ask? I just rechecked the pattern notes. Hmmm…I can’t tell a 2.25 mm needle which is what I used from a 2.75 mm needle which is what it was supposed to be. 2’s look just like 7’s don’t they? Almost?

Anyhow I bit the bullet and pulled out what I had done, rewound the ball, located some 2.75 mm bamboo dpns (because I don’t have that size in Addi Lace circs and I don’t feel like walking back up to the LYS to get yet another $20 needle right this minute) and started over. For some reason things always proceed faster the second time around. I’m not back to where I left off of course but I am already up to round 17. It’s the process that counts, right? I’m getting a lot more process out of doing it all over again. And there’s still no photo. Or a tutorial on the modified magic loop because I’m not using it. Can’t until I get the right-sized needle. Oh wait - I have an ancient Aero circ that might do the trick. Will test it out.

Meanwhile I’ve been lazing around still but feeling a bit better today. I have a disaster’s worth of kitchen to clean up. Perhaps I forgot to leave out a saucer of cream for the brownie, annoyed our domovoy with a careless profanity or maybe I accidentally gave some article of clothing to my house elf. Dunno but somehow there’s a mess to clean up. And the maid took the day off too. Sigh. Better get to it before the grandkids show up. We’re supposed to be babysitting them while their parents go to a party this evening.

I’ll leave you with a photo of the Thanksgiving cactus that I adopted from Auntie90’s house:


It’s quite glorious in full flower! I know some people call these Christmas cactuses but they are somewhat different. Note the pointy edges on the leaves and the upward-facing flowers. I have the other type, the real Christmas cactus, and they have scalloped-edged leaves (not pointy) and the flowers are straight. They are later blooming and currently mine are still at the bud stage.

And here’s the lovely rainbow from Thursday afternoon:


Don’t see a pot of gold anywhere but that birch tree across the street is beautifully golden right now. Particularly in the slanting sunlight.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a CRAB Cactus which is often called an Easter Cactus. It and the Christmas Cactus will set buds whenever they have at least 12 hours of darkness in a day. Mine were still outside until yesterday! They also bloom again at Easter if you remember to put them in a closet for a couple of weeks to make sure they have a proper darkness cycle again. My Spider plants are still outside but I guess they have to come in today . . .

Anonymous said...

Just read your Friday Blog. Funny you should mention those symptoms but I recognize them too - headache, runny nose, cough, aches, sneezes - you think you're getting a cold or flu but it just never gets there & clears up. I tried Allegra 24 hour tabs the last time - expensive, but it stopped in it's tracks. I don't know what the darned allergy is but the Allegra did the trick. Another thing - Whenever you start feeling better, do you change your toothbrush?? Sometimes we re-infect ourselves with the germs from our own toothbrushes . . .