Socksual Healing

During our trip to visit Dave's grandparents, who live outside of Tampa, this weekend, I finished the clapotis. Dave refused to wear it for the blog pic, but did agree to hold it up. I hope its recipient likes it! Dave's grandmother thought it would make a lovely lap blanket but would be so much better without the holes in it. I told her those are a design feature and she just shrugged. She already thinks I'm weird for being a vegetarian, and this weeked I went ahead and revealed to her that I had kept my last name after I got married. I wasn't going to tell her, didn't want to shock her too much, but then she went and showed us this address book where she just recently re-copied all her friends' and families' addresses, date of birth and date of DEATH!!! And most of those were BLANK, but she had copied over her brother-in-law's address and phone number -- and he died in 1983. Who answers when she calls there? We made fun of her, of course, and I was relieved to see that Michelle Lipar had an entry, and since that's not me my final departure from this earth isn't a fill in the blank in her book yet. Anyway, we had a good time seeing and teasing Grandma and Grandpa, and even saw this amazingly huge lemon that their neighbor gave them.

We also went diving in the Rainbow River and at one point were surrounded by a school of 50 or 60 alligator gar -- really cool. Some were 3 ft. long. The operation we went with (S.T.A.D.T. Aquatic Adventures) was an wonderful family-run establishment, and our dive guide Dave was incredibly patient and helpful, especially for my Dave who has no ass or hips to hold up his weight belt. We should all be so lucky.

After finishing the clapotis, I started my first sock with some handpainted Shelridge Farm wool that I bought at Rhinebeck last year. It's going quite well, easier than I thought, although I have just been working on the leg (easy) so far, starting the heel this morning. I found a great easy sock pattern and tutorial at Royea.

I cannot wait until this weekend! It's the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. Hip hip, hooray! Guru, here we come! I've got to make a list of what I "need" to buy yarn for.