It's not my fault

It's not my fault that my new super-duper anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-phishing, security software worked so darn well that I couldn't get my email and could barely surf the net for days. Its handy anti-popup feature was so efficient that no popup could get through, even the ones that allow me to upload pictures to my blog. And the one little installation error that two techs couldn't help me with (although they thought for sure there was a fix for it somewhere) prevented me from adjusting my popup settings to anything less than bulletproof.

So I ditched the software (twice, actually) and went back to my old free program that came with my high-speed internet access. That wasn't working last week, which is why I got the new one. But it's working now. How ironic, then, that when I sat down to finally update my blog yesterday morning, Typepad bailed on me halfway through and I lost my entire post. I don't know if it was my computer or Typepad, but I couldn't access the blog until this morning. I tried, believe me I tried.

I believe everything's a go this time, after a week of silence. I've been busy. I dyed up three skeins of Real Vermonter "worsted" yarn. Here's one:

I have several skeins of this weight yarn. It was from a fleece that was accidentally excluded from my recent sock-yarn order at the fiber mill. It was labeled "worsted," but it's running at 250 yards for well over five ounces, so I'm thinking bulky is a better description.

I love the yarn, which is nice and fluffy and very soft. (It wasn't labeled so I don't know if it's Corriedale or Romney, but it's nice and cushy.) So after dyeing this test skein, I decided Thursday to knit up some mittens for my husband, hopefully in time for the big football game Saturday (more on that below). He declined the offer, not being a mitten-wearer, but I figured I'd win him over. I took a two-needle pattern and decided not only to convert it to a four-needle pattern, but also convert the thumb from the given method to the better one in the Fetching pattern.

Note to self: Never try to adapt a pattern, even an easy one, just because other people can.

I got this far, working two mittens at the same time, but separately:

Loved the color. But I messed up the first thumb and then my husband explained once again that he doesn't wear mittens. I wasn't in love with the process, partly because I was using the least pointy dpn's ever created (gray needle for comparison):

So I dropped the mitten project and finished drop-spindling and plying another skein for the  Twisted Sisters dye-spin-knit along. No photo, though. I also received my prize for Trek's limerick contest, a beautiful skein of handspun mohairy yarn. But alas, I didn't get a picture of that either.

Unfortunately, there was some sadness this week. Our dear turkey Phyllis is gone. On Halloween evening, the turkey-house door blew shut, accidentally locking the turkeys out. An enterprising fox came into their yard and left with Phyllis, minus a lot of feathers. My hobby-farming skin is getting a little thicker with each loss, so I'm not totally devastated. But I'm starting not to like foxes.

As for Halloween, well, it's different these days. When my stepsons were little, we did the whole thing: made handmade costumes (my husband even used to sew them), decorated the house, carved pumpkins, all that. But we're older and more tired and lazy than we used to be, so we didn't even remember until the 30th to do this:

We even BOUGHT my daughter's costume this year. A first, in my 14 years of kids and Halloween.

And our little princess, the non-sleeping girl with more energy than an entire squad of cheerleaders, once again faltered during trick-or-treating. She started off raring to go:

But it was only a matter of time....

...before the combination of the time change, the walking, and the candy overload...

....took their toll.

Happy Halloween....yeah, whatever.

The big event around here was Saturday's football game. My stepson's team went undefeated this season (Go, Tigers!) and Saturday was their semifinal game. We totally froze (too bad my husband didn't have some nice warm mittens) but it was worth it. The Tigers were up until the last two minutes of the game, when the other team scored and went ahead by one point. With 58 seconds left to go, our team managed to get down the field, and we ended up kicking a field goal in the final seconds to win 16-14. It would have been a real nail-biter if I had been able to feel my fingers.

The boy and his sweetheart.

Football has been fun (and the championship is next weekend), but we are more excited for wrestling season. If you weren't reading this blog last year, you might not know that my stepson had a great junior year. He is currently being wooed by several college coaches and he's gained so much physical strength, experience, and confidence since last year that we're really looking forward to seeing what this year brings. Not looking forward to 8-hour Saturdays in loud, smelly gymnasiums just to watch him wrestle for a combined total of 10 minutes over the course of an entire tournament.

But at least we'll be warm.

And yarn, there's yarn. As soon as possible, I will be updating the shop with 5 skeins of Real Vermonter sock yarn, 2 skeins of Real Vermonter bulky, and several skeins of the usual sock yarn. After that will be some 5-ounce skeins of light worsted mohair blend and light-worsted superwash for heavy socks. Superwash was the winner in the poll I took last time, and unfortunately I only have 3 skeins of it, but I can get more in a day if it sells. I also have an 8-ounce skein of laceweight alpaca (that's a LOT of yards), which I bought on a whim. We'll see....

Comments

[beth]

I was wondering where you went. You sound like you were very busy even without blogging. Sorry about the turkey. Foxes make nice coats by the way.

[Lindy]

Everything is OK,
when Dad is there to carry
a tired princess home.

[pippi]

glad to see you back!!
~ & what beautiful pretties you have!

and you need to hollah next time you are at harwood. i'm like a 2 minute drive from there!

XO!

[Paul]

Love the pics of the little princess. Trick-or-Treating is HARD WORK!!!

[Carole]

So sorry to hear about Phyllis. But yay for the football team and your stepson!

[Sherri]

I feel your typepad pain. I've lost more than one post. I've moved over to my own domain (stashaholic.com) and am hosting at godaddy.com...for a whole $3 a month. 80% of the features for 80% of what I was paying!

My sympathies over Phyllis.

[Cynthia]

I am so sorry about Phyllis, I really liked her. Foxes are wonderful little creatures until they eat someone you love.

[Dorothy B]

Check out www.grisoft.com and look for AVG Free. It's the best non-interfering anti-virus, anti-phishing program ever. Also look for ewido anti-spyware (free) and Spybot Search and Destroy anti-spyware (also free). It's always a good idea to run more than one anti-spyware since one can catch something the other may not.

My sympathies on losing Phyllis. Have you considered getting a shepherd type dog? Many are just as good with birds and as with sheep and will make short work of dispatching a fox.

[Carol]

Wow there's lots going on up there!
Poor Phyllis :( I had problems leaving comments on Typepad accts yesterday. It does wear one out, all the family stuff. I don't know how I did all the stuff I use to and I don't even want to. Good luck with all the events coming up & I look forward to the yarn. I'm saving my pennies for enough to make a sweater :) Have a great week!

[Maia]

So sorry about Phyllis. I hope it was quick for her.

I have a habit of saving my posts as drafts while I am writing them. I do tend to labor (more than I should) over them, so I consider it insurance.

Congrats to the step-son. I wish him luck for next week.

[lynne s of ozl]

Oh dear - poor Phyllis.
Your stepson looks like an all-American boy. :-)

[Libby]

I want to come and sit on your porch in a rocking chair and watch your turkeys and your peacocks and have you give me advice on how to be a good stepmom.

Because you rock.

[yvette]

Oh poor Phyllis, trick or treating is really hard work, it just all get too much. Nice pics of both kids.

[JessaLu]

suuuure it wasn't your fault ;o) (kidding!)

Great photos - you guys have been busy!