A Tale of Two Appliances

This is a bit off the topic of knitting and crafting, but I wanted to share it with you all. There'll be knitting at the end.

A couple weeks ago, the washer part of my combined washer-dryer machine died. Judging by the horrid smell of burning metal, it was the motor. Long story short, I had to replace both. I was pretty irked, but I got a set that was marked down $200 on each machine for "Black Friday."

I'll spare you the horrible details of getting it hooked up, because the state of MD insists only licensed plumbers uninstall and install gas units, and it costs $300 ($120 to "pull a license." I have never hated politicians as much as I do now. Thankfully, I have a neighbor who knows how to do these things.)

Then, long story short, the hot water heater died and had to be replaced.

This was Tuesday. It was raining, about 30 degrees, really miserable. I had to turn off the furnace while the guy was working in the utility room ... the water was off ... I was cold, cranky, hungry, wanted coffee, and had to pee. And I was feeling sorry for myself because I had to spend so much money all at once.

There's a knock on the door. It's a woman I know by sight, who lives nearby. She wants the washer-dryer unit out front; I tell her it's broken, she says she wants it for scrap. She is going all over the neighborhood looking for discarded scrap metal (gutters, appliances, etc) to recycle for cash. Because there's a leak in a pipe in her bathroom, and she is trying to raise $240 to get it fixed. She cares for her three grandchildren, and she is worried they'll have to postpone Christmas because they really have to get this leak fixed, it has damaged part of the house already, and they have to fix that before anything else. Before buying Christmas presents. Despite this, she was much more cheerful and upbeat than I was. She said the Lord was leading her and taking care of her needs. Her faith was pretty strong.

Needless to say, it put my problems in perspective. She left with the washer-dryer and the old hot water heater, and I hope that was enough to get her to her goal. 

Okay, on to the knitting!

Kilt stockings ... I've many times mentioned my problems with heels wearing through, so I'm going to have to come up with something inventive to keep that from happening with these.

Cascade Yarn striped stocking cap. I'm mostly working on the stockings, so this doesn't get much action.

In the midst of the appliance drama, Molly Cat had a dental procedure and had several teeth pulled. I guess they couldn't get a good vein on one leg, and had to try both. Doesn't she look ridiculous? I hope her little legs aren't cold. She's been very playful and affectionate since the surgery, so I guess she had been pretty uncomfortable before.

Happy post-Thanksgiving weekend, everyone!

Kilty Stockings

These just zoom along!

I'm nearly to the heel flapdoodle, but since I minused so many stitches to make it fit me, I have absolutely no clue how I'll proceed.

 Look at the very end of the stocking, to the left ... do you see something there in the last pattern repeat that isn't in the other pattern repeats? I messed something up ... either I did that one repeat wrong, or I did all the repeats wrong and that one was correct! 

I leave you with this picture of a doggie in a rufferee t-shirt. Don't forget to stop by Tamis Amis for WIPnesday!

Hold Everything!

....I gotta make some kilt stockings.

Fold-down top of Lace Me Up Kilt Hose

Ribbing for just below the cuff. 

This pattern was really big -- not just because kilt hose are for men, but apparently because the super-fine yarn I purchased (it says super-fine on the label, but I think what the pattern is using is much finer) is not really super-fine.  So I did some calculations, which was very easy for the cuff, but is a bit more challenging for the body of the sock. We'll see how it goes!

Edgar wants me to remind you to stop by Tamis Amis for WIP Wednesday. 

 

And when he looks at me that way, I pretty much do what he wants me to do.

Inside-Out Fair Isle is Just Wrong.

Remember this from last week or whenever that was? Well, I no longer think it was a mistake. I was at Road Runner's running store buying winter running tights and I saw a rack of hats just like this. I turned them inside out and there it was ... lovely Fair Isle stitch, on the inside of the hat. Just like this dress, it had big ol' ugly seams that made it impossible to wear it properly. Now I ask you, what *possible* reason did some asinine "designer" come up with to explain why you would do something like this?! Fair Isle deserves to be seen, on the correct side, not with the butt-ugly backside showing!

To quote Mr. Kurtz' dying words from Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness:"

"The horror! The horror!" 

I wish that we could all come together and mercilessly pummel this brain-dead designer with the knitting implement of our choice. My weapon ... my size 15US knitting needles. 

In other news, I have two WIPs going on, not counting the two that are in time-out.

The Raspberry Dream Stole by designer Dagmara, whom I don't know but I am SURE would NEVER design something to be inside out...

And the cowl-I-thought-was-a-hat that I first saw at babajeza's website, which is from Freshstitch.

Although I think I'm actually going to make this a stocking cap. But I will retain the color combination scheme.

Edgar, Edgar, Edgar.




In other news, I took the pup for a walk in Centennial Park on a beautiful autumn day.

Don't forget to stop by Tamis Amis for Work in Progress Wednesday!



Oh, and I had a great time at the Halloween 5k this past Friday. It was 3.3 miles, which I completed in 34 minutes (a record for me). And despite the rain, a lot of people were out there and spirits were high! I was one of three Wonder Women!