Earlier this year I received 5 balls of Lion Cashmere for which I am very grateful but I didn’t know what to make with such small amounts. Each ball contains a mere 92 yards of 100% pure cashmere.

Then it struck me as I was strolling through Target recently, saw granny square scarves for the winter season and realized that squares were the perfect solution. I found an easy granny square tutorial at this lovely website and I was off and running. I haven’t crocheted in ages and while it’s a little more labor intensive than knitting, it’s become quite addictive in just a short amount of time.

I’m in a fair amount of pain today – right neck and shoulder – caused by over-use, so I’m trying to lay low. I’m actually reclining on a pillow with a hot water bottle as I type this. The heat feels good. The point is that I may not knit or crochet or even blog until I can relieve the pain. Hopefully that won’t take too long.

It looks like my computer is going to need a new hard drive (it’s covered) and data recovery has been slow. So what’s a gal to do without her beloved MacBook? There is nothing else to do but start a new pair of socks and that is exactly what I did.

Hedera by Cookie A. had been suggested to me about a month ago at the Stash knitting group and the pattern looks fantastic in the Malabrigo sock from my personal stash, don’t you think? Although I have to say the color is so dark that I might as well be knitting in black. Using the tiny size 0 needles doesn’t help either but the pattern is knitting up quickly despite these obstacles. I’m tempted once again to make knee socks but probably don’t have enough yarn and I didn’t see this color at K2Tog when I was there last.

Note to self: Make Hedera knee socks before I die.

Besides knitting socks, I’ve been coping by taking Bella for lots of long walks in the El Cerrito hills.

The weather has been cool but dry and the views are amazing. The Golden Gate Bridge is often visible, as are downtown San Francisco and Oakland.

I never get tired of these hikes. As I’ve said before: You can take the girl out of the hills, but you can’t take the hills out of the girl.

evergreen high school, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

]]> http://www.heavydutydesign.com/alicethelma/2008/09/this-ones-for-you-max/feed/ 0 http://www.heavydutydesign.com/alicethelma/2008/09/happy-birthday-pops/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=happy-birthday-pops http://www.heavydutydesign.com/alicethelma/2008/09/happy-birthday-pops/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:52:00 +0000 admin http://www.heavydutydesign.com/alicethelma/?p=95 .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }

opa and alice 1991, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

Today is my father’s 80th birthday. As far as I know, he’s never touched a computer in his life so he probably won’t see this post.

All the same, I want to wish him a Happy Birthday.

ez sweater detail, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

In the early 90s I read Knitting Without Tears and discovered the knitting guru Elizabeth Zimmerman. I don’t think I quite got what ez was trying to impart to knitters which was this: gauge gauge, gauge, gauge. If you know your gauge, you can knit anything.

Around that time, the early 90s, knitting wasn’t as popular as it is today. We didn’t have the internet and we didn’t even get our first Mac until 1994. On Hawthorne, a knitting shop in a big purple house was going out of business. Old timers might still remember that epic sale. I picked up the brown sheep wool to make my first seamless yoke sweater for less than 20 bucks!

But I didn’t check my gauge. I simply cast on without much thought and the resulting sweater was way too big. I mean, just look at those sleeves! It’s more like a dress than a sweater!

Still I was proud of my achievement as you can see (I like my haircut too).

I ended up giving the sweater to Liz, my sister, and she still has it. And still wears it. I think.

it’s only temporary, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

No – not forever. Not yet anyway.

Today Alice left for two weeks in Germany. Hope you have a great time baby. I miss you already.

cable hat, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

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