At the Doggie Cocktail Party

We are in the last few days of a warm spell, with cold weather just around the corner. I thought it would be the perfect day to go to the dog park. Skippy was visiting us with Rita this weekend, so we put the two dogs in the car to visit what looks like a cocktail party for dogs. There was a lot of smelling, with some chasing and running away thrown in for variety. Skippy like to hang out near the entrance to greet new arrivals, while Roxy's main form of entertainment seems to be just wandering freely around without a leash. Every once in a while one or both of the dogs would come over and hang out near our bench for a little while before going back out to make the most of the park. I am always so glad that neither of them seems to want to go swimming. It doesn't entirely save me from muddy paw prints, because invariably a muddy dog does come up to visit me, but at least I don't have to put a mud ball into the car.

I frogged the Pomotamus sock after all, and cast on for another pair of Monkey Socks. This was a much better choice. Instead of the incessant counting and ripping back I am ticking right along with what will probably be a very cute pair of socks in a mostly pink and blue Cherry Tree Hill yarn. The yarn is, as always, much prettier in person than it appears here. I will try the Big P again, but not right away. It's a beautiful pattern, but I just don't have the concentration to get through the first repeat right now.

I've also got another sock on the needles. This one will be an orange Trekking XXL in an eyelet rib pattern. It's a good combination of pattern and yarn, and will make a nice looking sock, but the big news (see how starved I am for big news) is that I am making them by the Magic Loop method. Curiosity got the better of me, and I'm making this sock on a US #1 addi with a 47" cable. It's a simple stitch pattern, but even so I think that Magic Loop may be a little faster that my trusty DPN's. It's not really speed that leads me to try it, though. I am thinking about this week's airport knitting and how aggravating it is to lose a DPN in the middle of a trip. I broke down and bought the booklet, although on the first read through it did not make as much sense as I had hoped. Once underway it has proved to be fairly easy and intuitive. When I get to the gusset that will be the test of how easy it truly is. The pictures of this part of the process in the booklet are a little ambiguous. I'm hoping my firm grasp of the principle of the gusset will see me through. I'm part way down the heel already on a sock I started yesterday morning, which is what makes me think it's pretty quick. Instead of switching needles around 4 times per round I need only switch needles around twice. Of course the fact that these are the legendary Addi Turbo needles (insert speedy sound of your choice here) probably makes a little difference too. I thought that I might have more of a problem with ladders this way than my usual, but except for some struggling with the first two rows which will be tightened up when I weave in the ends, it does not look like there is any problem at all.

Here is a gratuitous baby picture, then it's back to the "salt mines" for me. Shana and I are the fortunate recipients of a house blessing to be performed on Tuesday evening. I'm happy to have it, but I don't want to think that Pastor Sharon will be exposed to the sketchier aspects of my housekeeping. So it's time to get the dusting done. One benefit will be that when we get back from Boston the house will be tidy and we can relax for a minute before swinging into the holiday frenzy.