New Shoes

I have lots of options when it comes to shoes. Most of the shoes that I wear are sensible and flat and comfortable. Today, I traveled to Nordstoms, the Disney World of Shoes for Women. I LOVE shopping at Nordstroms. They have so many good shoe choices. And, so many nice service-eers.

There are beautiful boots with high heels and flat heels and with realllllyyyy high heels. And, these flashy athletic-like shoes. Pumps. Pumped-up pumps. They even have a large selection of kinds and brands of flip flops (even though it snowed here today).

I bought these:













They came in this cute orange box, kindof seasonally appropriate in color.














And with a little heel. Good shoes for a witch. Or a school teacher. Or a witch-ey school teacher. Hmm.

Clothing Care

Some of you are going to jump right to "crazy" but hear me out. I am making this Knitted Babe. A Babe has to have some clothes. I am not a sewster, but thought about cloth that I might have in The Stash. I have some. And, I remembered keeping some scraps of vintage cloth just in case I would have to mend a vintage quilt (yeah, right) or something. So, I moved a chair over to the counter, climbed up and drug a vintage picnic basket down off the kitchen cupboard and whalah. I located my stash of scraps. Now thinking, I do not even remember what kind of stuff is IN this picnic basket; however, we'll see.

The first piece on top is quite large. So, I took it out to find additional pieces in the bottom. I put the whole pile of fabric into the kitchen sink, started running luke-warm water and went to find the best mild, gentle fabric soap that I have. For those of you who keep up with my underwear life, you know that I just invested in an accoutrement of uplifting bras and had to purchase special soap, too.

So, now for the crazy part. The large piece that I washed was this dress. I soooo do not know why it did not make its way directly into the trash upon acquisition.

Here's the NOT crazy part. I think I valued the care that was taken to elongate the life of this dress. I think this is the vision that made me keep the tattered piece--I can see a woman, of cookie-and-bar-baking fame, wearing it, wiping flour on the pocket areas. She rode her bike along a gravel road (cookies in a tin in the bike basket) to church to sell her cookies at the bake sale. So many of the stitches in this dress and its patches are done by hand. This woman knew how to darn a sock. She probably milked a cow in her day. If you asked her for a bobby pin, she would go upstairs to the little jar she kept them in to retrieve one. She still uses them.

So, not so crazy about the dress?

I am sure that I aquired the dress pre- digitally. I now value the ability to give this dress its due. I can take pictures, upload them, and put them up to share.

I'm still keeping the dress. Crazy.

Knit Babe

I was feeling a bit whompy today and not feeling like putting any energy or thinking into knitting. I remembered that twoyearsago I started a Knitted Babe. I retrieved The Babe from My Knit Room and was surprised to find a large dehydrated spider in the bag with her. I felt like I was not taking very good care of My Girl. All the more reason to pull out this particular project and give it some attention.

I knit two arms, a 1/2 leg and a head today.

I think that is pretty admirable.

I hope that My Girl becomes a Babe tomorrow.

Doctor Visit

Yesterday, I visited My Doctor for a "visit". I got weighed and then got a seat in Room 27 with The Nurse. I got my blood pressure taken. My weight matched my blood pressure. Yes, way!

For those of you who know little details about my personal life, you will know that I have been battling high blood pressure (HBP) for about 2 years or so. I am convinced that it is related to beginning a medication, so then I get to take ANOTHER medication to combat the HBP. I do not any other kinds of HBP habits (i.e., smoking, which I keep threatening to start just to get a little rise out of My Car Pooling Partner). So, having a lower blood pressure the past few times I have had it checked has been stellar. Way to go Nurse for giving me a good score!

When I brought this to My Doctor's attention, he checked some of those other physical number statistics. He reported that not only do I have a match on my BP and weight, my hystolic and diastolic (neologisms on my part) match. In addition, my height, he noted was 5'5.5". And, I had a magical fat to muscle ratio number that he rattled off.

With all this allignment, he told me I better go buy a lottery ticket.

Now, if your DOCTOR tells you to begin a gambling habit and start throwing money to the wind, you should definitely do so. I gotta go find a dollar and a Kwik Trip.

Fruits of my labours . . .

The fruits of my labours in the garden . . .














and the fruits of my knitting labours . . . this is the first sock of a pair of Noro Sock Yarn socks . . . I just cast on, knit, did some decreases and put up a heel, followed by a foot and toe. I do think the foot part looks quite narrow; however, fits my foot . . . the ankle is a bit whompy. I like it a bit slouchy, tho. And, maybe they will be fine boot socks. Which is what I was aiming for. Boot socks.

Noro

This is such a weird thing . . . 

In February, I went to Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat (and market).  I purchased the yarn at the top of the photo.  I stuck it in my suitcase, toted it home and stashed it in The Knit Room (unpacked) for a treat some day.  

While visiting My Mom last week, I thought I should purchase some yarn "just in case" I run out of knitting at Gold Rush (Oronocco, MN). Riiigghht.  We ran in to Kristen's Knits in Rochester, MN. Kristen's had a LOT of Noro sock yarn colorways . . . green and grey and black; purples with greys.  Too many to choose from, really.  I bought the yarn ball on the bottom.

I started knitting the sock (with the yarn on the bottom of the photo) on Thursday this week and knit more on Friday . . . 

The whole time I was knitting on this sock, I was thinking "this yarn might be the same yarn I bought at Madrona".  Hmm.  Well, the Kuriosity Kitty got me this morning and I dug in the suitcase. WhahLah.  Same yarn.  Same colorway.  Same dye lot.  Same yarn.

I have an abundance of this Noro now.  Maybe 18 socks worth of yarn. It is quite fun to knit; however, long time on one colorway.  That's a lot of blue . . . 

Gold Rush

For many years, my family has participated in Oronocco Gold Rush.  I met My Husband there and it has recently become an end-of-the-summer time for us.  When I "do" Gold Rush--shopping and selling--it means it is almost time for teachers to return to school, followed by, of course, the returning of students.

So, I do go shopping.  I bought this skirt.  I think it is possibly made 

from curtain fabric; however, it will NOT remind me of 

The Kitchen.

And, I bought this bracelet from Judy.  It felt a bit large until I wore it for approximately 48 seconds and fell in LOVE with it.

I also bought some bling-ey jewelry and a doll head to start a collection. And a long necklace with cool beads and sparkley glass.  Oh, and some plaster fruit to add to my Plaster Fruit Collection.

Many friends were absent this year, aging or getting ready to age.  A few people who were there this year willn't be there next year.  I am glad for the times that we've had together and the things that I have purchased across the years that will remind me of them for a long time.  Cherished friends.