Monday, November 28, 2005

Good news of various kinds

I'm a Nano winner! Made 50,000 words yesterday, just as I finished the story. I felt as though I was a marathon runner, something I'm never likely to be. Now to detach my mind from the story and put it away for a bit until I decide whether it's worth editing, but at the moment I'm still too close.
And today the doctor pulled the pin out of my toe, and while I'm still not able to put any weight on the front of my foot, tomorrow, ta DA I get to take a shower. To the relief of all around me.
And I finished the final slipper.
Life is good.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Not a knitting picture


This is what else I do with my time -- Nano. Half way through the month, half way through the novel. The only knitting that has happened so far in the novel is that a secondary character knitted a purple acrylic poncho which the protagonist was wearing as a skirt when the scumbag made a pass at her while holding a cigarette. The poncho started to turn into a big hot blob of plastic, and the heroine barely escaped with her life. Exciting times in fantasyland.
The weird shoe, by the way, has been replaced by a walking cast which goes up to my knee. It's actually more comfortable than the weird shoe, and I make all kinds of new friends. A cast is almost as good as a large puppy as a conversation starter.
Knitting? One more clog and then I'm done with them. I'm not even going to felt anyone's except my husbands. I'll give the rest with directions and leave it at that.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Just to keep up to date

No pictures, because I'm working on the sixth slipper and am getting really, really bored with knitting with thick wool on enormous needles. One more pair to go, for my son-in-law, and that is it. The other craft stuff I'm doing is the fabric-covered foam blocks for my grandson. They're going fast and mindlessly. I make one whenever I have a few minutes. With my limited mobility, most of my Christmas presents are going to be either crafty or bought online. In a way it's simpler.
Nano continues. I'm now past the introductory part, which was pretty well planned, and not up to the climax, which was pretty well planned, and am stuck in the middle, where I have to pick up stitches and weave in ends, so to speak. I know what I want to do, and Nano is forcing me to do it. I was the kid in elementary school who would do anything for a star on the chart.
Veteran's Day, and American Patrol is on the radio. We play a band version of it some summers; though of course we play it simpler and slower. It's still cool to hear it. Funny, I am a pacifist, am completely out of sympathy with the govt and everything it's doing -- I can't think of one thing I agree with. But I enjoy playing marches. Go figure.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

My daughter's helpful suggestions

Here's what she suggested for entertainment for me while I recover

movie suggestions:
my left foot
footloose
six feet under
the man with one red shoe
"cast" away
in her shoes

book suggestion:
the lovely bones

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Post surgery -- I hate my feet


Foot surgery on Friday. Don't ask, but believe me my foot problems aren't because of too many years of wearing high heels. Just bad genetics.
So I've had plenty of time to sit and knit. Not, alas, the gorgeous "swansdown", which I've promised as a post-Christmas project for myself. I have some white baby soft acrylic that is exactly the same white as the swansdown, so I'm thinking of a big, soft shawl, with the swansdown in bands across it. Only trouble is that the small town I live in has no place for the kind of dramatic statement that this would make. I need more scope.
In the mean time I'm making slippers to be felted for Christmas presents -- husband's are done (obviously won't be a surprise), and my brother's. Sister-in-law's are planned, and now my daughter says her husband would love some, and if I was wondering what to make her.... I'm only really committed to the sister-in-law ones (don't have the yarn yet for any others, so I'll see how I feel).
But my wonderful chocolate and great new cd have made the past few days much less painful!