Happy Valentines Day to all of you. Well, on Monday I took hubby to the doctor for him to check the progress on his foot. The progress was going the wrong direction and the foot was infected worse even with all of the antibiotics via IV. So, he is now in the hospital. The doctor did surgery on his foot but that didn't happen until 11:30 last night and by the time he got back to his room it was 1:30AM on 2-14-06. Fortunately the infection had not spread to the bones. My hubby is a really big guy so this is difficult for him. He has to learn to walk without putting any pressure on his right foot. He is 6'6" and barely fits lengthwise in the hospital bed. He has to stay there for approximately 7 to 10 days. If the infection stays away, the doctor will do another surgery on Friday and remove some of the bones so that his toes will be straightened. I guess I forgot to mention he has diabetes. This is not the way we intended on spending VDay. :-( I stayed in the hospital all night and then drove the two hours home this morning so I could be in the office. I have to admit I was a little rummy. I almost completed a sock during all of the waiting from admission to surgery to recovery. Seems I met three different nurses which means I was there for three different shifts. They have a recliner that makes into a bed and I tried to get some sleep, but you know with all of the beeping going off and noise and lights it was a little difficult. I am going to bed early tonight and then I will leave in the morning to spend the day with him. I have to be in the office on Thursday so then will go back on Friday. We might have to try to rent a place in Roseville so he is close enough. This two hour drive is fine when you are well but when you are sick it seems like it takes forever to get there. I am sure glad that I didn't do the Knitting Olympics!! The LYS called and left me a message that some of the yarn that I had ordered came in. I will have to try and get in there on Thursday and see what goodies she is talking about.

Okay, we got lucky. The picture to the right shows what Buffy has accomplished all night long. She has brought me 7 balls of her yarn and 5 mice from her toy box. You got to know that this is a kick to have her do this every night . I put the toys back in her cat tree and then she brings them back to me the next night. She is so proud of herself for supplying me with such a nice assortment of yarn. She is so cute. What a personality she has.

Okay, these are the socks that I just finished for Patty. They are really nice and hopefully she will enjoy them. I am trying to debate at this time if I should get back to work on my sweater or if I should venture forward with another pair of socks. To be quite honest, I am kind of enjoying the sock making business. You know yesterday I was at Costco and I purchased 16 pare of socks to wear with tennis shoes for something like 10.00. These socks because they have some cashmere in them cost about 25.00 to make plus the hours of time to make them. Go figure. lol They are more expensive, they are probably not made as well, but you know it is the thought of making something which is pretty nice. I am going to quit while I am ahead as far as the posting goes. Well, I might try to get Buffy and her nights work on here. If it doesn't show up, I will do it another time.

This is a scarf from Alpaca and a chemo hat which as the cable around the base, then you pick up stitches and go up. I like the way this hat fits and it is so nice and soft.

These are the felted slipper clogs that I made for Heather. The sole is two layers thick which makes it kind of nice, but I need to get a leather sole put on the bottom because her house has hardwood floors and she will be slipping and sliding if I don't to that. I have a really nice elk hide that a friend sold to me so I am thinking that I will use some of it for the soles. I also bought a premade sole, but they just don't seem to fit all that great. I am going to have our local shoe repair man do this for me. I think she will have these for a very long time.

Well, we never know how I do this, but finally the picture of the socks that I love so much. They feel so nice on my feet. I made Patty a pair that are black and they are cute. So, this is the first pair of socks that I am actually going to wear. It has taken me a very long time to achieve making socks and I finally think I have it. The heel on this one is really nice. On the heel flap you purl one side and then you k1,s1 and repeat that. At first I thought that something was wrong with the pattern but something was not wrong at all and it makes a great heel with a little more strength. I am very tired today. My husband is having some infection problems with his foot. They had to cut a bunch of meat away and now he is on IV antibiotics three times a day. I am a little nervous because today I have to change the bandage. I hope I dont' throw up when I see how much of his foot has been cut away. I have the Nurse Ratchet thing going with the IV and that is ok. His son took him to the hospital today and he will not have to go tomorrow and then I will take him on Monday. My eyes are so tired that it has cut into my knitting.

It's February 10th! Can someone please explain to me where all of the time goes between posting on my blog? Yikes, I was thinking that I had just posted. Ok, so what have I been up to in the last 10 days. I worked and worked on my sweater, made two pair of socks, and taught a Moebius Class at the LYS. There were some tense moments when I suggested to one of the ladies to go out and get some fresh air. She wasn't breathing! Too bad a massage therapist didn't walk in then. I could have drummed up some business. But it all ended well. She went outside, walked a little, came back in and away she went. So, everyone left with the ability to do a MCO (Moebius Cast On) and they all knew how to do the applied I cord bind off. One of the ladies chose Blue Herron for her Moebius and quite honestly I was a little concerned because I have not made anything using this beautiful yarn. If you haven't seen and touched that yarn you should. It is kind of expensive, but then again there are 550 yards. If feels so nice in your hands. I bought some and well this is where my sweater slowed down. I was going to try to use the Blue Herron around the neck because of the brilliant beautiful colors and it went so well with my sweater. I spent several hours on swatches, samples of how it would look yada yada yada.
Well, it didn't work so I will have to take it out. But, I was able to try the sweater on once I did the neck and you know I worked and worked to get it to be 30" long...... Yep, you guessed it, when I put it on I said to myself "What were you thinking"? Except that I had measured Lucy's and I only added a little over an inch to mine I thought. But, it is about four inches too long so that will be the last thing that I do. I have currently set it aside as my daughter in law will be here tonight and we are finally exchanging Christmas gifts. Last February she said that she wanted a pair of handmade socks for Christmas. Little did she know what she was asking. I don't really think that I totally mastered the sock until around December. So, I am almost done with her second sock, but will have to spend all of my spare time on it today in order to have it ready for her. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Many new yarns have started to arrive from the show at the LYS and it is so exciting to see them. My stash seems to be growing at a rapid rate. I have enough projects to keep me going for quite a long time.
Lucy and I are already plotting out what we are going to be knitting when we are in Costa Rica. She wrote to me the other day and said that we could be knitting on the beach and I am sure we can knit at the pool and well, sounds like this will end up being a knitting retreat with Lucy, Linda and Yirley and I all knitting. Maybe we can even recruit Patricia, Dani or Victoria to join our club. Victoria does crochet so I think that she can pick up the knitting easily.
Ok, need to run and get going. Many things to do today. I would attempt to post some pictures but I don't have time to work on it this morning.

I just finished my first pair of Valentine Socks and they are so cute. I wish I could get the picture posted but it isn't working now. Maybe at a later date. I converted the pattern to two circular needles. My SP asked me how I prevented the ladder where the two needles connect. Well Pal, what I do is when I start a row I put the needle with the stitches that I am not going to be knitting in the middle of the needle on the thinest part. Then when I start knitting the first stitch I hold it very close to the back row and pull the first stitch tighter than I would normally do. I have experienced what you are talking about, but I think if you hold them very close it will work.
Today in Paradise it is wet and cold. First thing when I got up I started the wood stove going and even at that I just had a hard time getting warm today. I worked on an audit for a non profit club that I used to belong to. Oh my gosh was that an experience. Jen and I spent several hours on it and I think I am at the point where I can outline all of the mishaps and do an overview of the entire year. I will finish that tomorrow. That was my last offer and then I am out of there. Yea....more time to knit.
Now I have to get back to my sweater. I had hoped to be finished with the body by tomorrow and I think I am close to my schedule. I am teaching a Moebius class this Saturday and as of the last count I have six ladies taking the class. Hopefully they will all enjoy learning it as much as I did.