Secret Sock Knitting

On Monday I was at the hospital for blood work, etc. and the receptionist was apologetic that the wait would be long. First, you must stick around in the waiting room until your name is called for bloodwork. After your blood is drawn you can leave for an hour while the lab does their work. And then you need to come back and wait to see the DR.  I just plan for 3 hours and if I get out earlier it is a bonus.

The receptionist smiled when I smiled, said I did not mind...I had some new sock yarn with me and would knit! A little smile can go a long way. Certainly not her fault the wait was longer than usual. Who knows...maybe someone was sick who works in the lab. So...I cast on and knit away. After the blood draw, I moved out to the lobby, which is quite pleasant and got a cappuccino from the coffee machine. I also wandered around the little garden a bit and took in the fall landscape.

Lots of knitting this week because DR orders for lots of rest. My blood is still not all that great. I am good, energy wise for about 4 hours and then I need a big rest before my 2nd wind comes around. I really can NOT get sick and admitted to the hospital these next 2 weeks because my husband had his knee replaced on Thursday and will be in the hospital for about 10 days total.  Only 1 adult at a time can be down for the count around here! I have to go back on Monday and hopefully things will be a bit improved.

Anyway, I almost always cast on 60 because I have a narrow leg. Size 2.75mm needles...I can not find my favorite 2.25mm needles. Will have to order a pair, or 2 or 3! The mm sizes are a bit more finely tuned than US sizes because a US 2 seems to span 2.25mm-2.75mm. This is Regia Pair perfect yarn and as you can see...you get plenty of yarn! I knit an 8" cuff and knit 7.5" before starting a rounded toe. The "starter" yarn is yellow...you pull that until the color starts. Knit until the 2 narrow stripes and divide for heel.  Normally I knit a 6" cuff, but waiting for the color stripe it worked up to 8". When your sock is finished - keep pulling the yarn until you get to the next yellow starter. Then you get 2 socks that match perfectly.

Why do I say secret sock knitting? Because my son was appalled when I was sitting on the couch knitting away on a new sock, when I have my Drachenfels scarf coming along so nicely! So, I was "secretly " working on this sock when he was at school this week! 

Looking like this last time I took a photo. I did need both balls of all colors, but just a small bit of gray and not all that much of black. I know I will have blue left over too. All probably destined to become baby booties.

Podcast news! My son and I have been very silly playing around with the new tripod and video camera on my phone. We make ourselves laugh! I love taking photos, but I have never really been a video person. I always think videos take up too much space, I guess.  Last Sunday I did manage to get the ball rolling, out on my lovely, albeit  small balcony.

Except there is a bit of traffic noise that drowns me out. I thought maybe I did not need a little microphone, but maybe I do. There are good parts though, so either today or tomorrow or maybe even Tuesday since I need to be at the hospital on Monday and then I will be too tired to do anything else - I will re-record some of it, delete the poor sound quality bits and join it all together.  I may well be the only Podcaster who takes over 2 weeks to put together a simple video, but as my Mom used to say, " slow and steady wins the race".

On a final note...my Dad turned 89 this week. Here is a photo of us together when I was 16. I am a bit homesick because I never made it home this summer so it has been over a year. Although my sister Irene was here in February, which was nice.  My sister Sarah was planning on coming over these weeks, but she is sick and had to cancel her flights. Then there was talk if I should try making the trip these September days before my school starts, but I am still not well enough for international travel and it was a small window of time because of my husband's surgery. Maybe after Christmas day when my son and I both have vacation and he can come with me to help. So, we will see.

OK!  So, that all was a bit more than just my "secret" socks, but now that if is all typed...with 1 finger on my phone, I am NOT deleting it!

To see what everyone else has been knitting this week, click on THIS LINK    to go to Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.