Monday, September 15, 2008

Of Potatoes, Socks and Squirrels

I went out to the garden this morning to dig up some potoatoes for our dinner. The ground was fairly muddy and the potatoes came up covered in gooey muck. So I left them sitting on the ground to dry off in the sun while I ran up to my favourite LYS to look at some Jaquard dyes. As soon as I pulled up in front of the store I had to smack myself on the head since I always forget that they are closed on Mondays. And with gas at $1.45 a litre I was quite ticked at myself for the wasted trip. So now I have pretty much everything I need to dye some yarn except the much-needed dye.

Anyway.... I returned to the garden this afternoon to gather the potatoes. And found little tooth marks on a few of them. Too big for mice, way too small for a dog (and a dog wouldn't be stupid enough to leave any sign of evidence). The only thing I can figure out is that the neighbourhood squirrels had to sample a few to find out that they didn't like raw potatoes.
Oh well, at leasts this kept the squirrels on the ground and off the overhead power lines. It seems this summer they have been frying themselves quite regularly and I am getting tired of losing power everytime they do.

I am actually knitting a sock that isn't stockinette! I knew the time would come when stockinette would start to lose its appeal and I would become ready for more of a challange. Baby steps, though, baby steps. These Bamboo Walking Socks (although, I am doing them in Opal Smoke) fit the bill nicely. It is still a very simple pattern, but creates a nice look the with varigated yarn.
I am still a complete knitting idiot, though, and need a counter to keep track of the 3 row (2 of which are stockinette!) pattern.

I was reading She Knits Socks' blog today and when I read that she was lusting after Opal Petticoat yarn in the 1290 colourway I remembered that I had a pair! These were the second pair of socks that I ever knit. I really love this yarn also. I am a complete sucker for pastels.

5 comments:

Susan said...

Those potatoes look very much like other veggies from my garden that were enjoyed by gophers. I know that they were gophers not other critters because I caught the little buggers in the midst of one of their crime sprees.

She Knits Socks said...

Ooh, those are the ones I am lusting for. I love those pastel colors. I'm definitely going to surf the net harder looking for a skein of that!

One day while we were gone, our two dogs found the pantry door open and ate almost 5 pounds of red potatoes! There were only a few left and those had teeth marks!

Aunt Kathy said...

Oh I like those pastel colors too.

Your new socks look good too, I like how the variegated color is working up.

Cloudberry said...

Your sock looks great.
I'm a bit tired of stockinette too, but I always come back to it though... Easy to knit when watching tv ;)

I love the opal petticoat too, and have made two pairs of socks in that colorway :)

FiberJewels said...

I love those blue socks -- think my next pair (after I finish DH's) will have to be that pattern.

Our animal problem is our cute little chipmunks!