Socks, and puppies, and bears... oh my!

Happy toes, happy heels, happy feet! Do a little dance...

Yes! The second pair of socks from Stariel arrived! They're knit with her handspun (beautimus!) and white sock yarn (which feels quite nice on the toes, actually). She sent her socks with perfect timing. For the past week and a half the weather has been awfully hot, but the during the last two days it took a turn for the worse. It's been cold and rainy - so cold, in fact, that I'm sitting here in jeans, a sweater, and Stariel's socks eating some of the hottest curry I've ever made trying to warm up. Whereas last week I was slouching around in boxers and a tank top trying to convince myself that I really could go out and about without a bra. Now I'm wondering if maybe I should put another one on. Anyway, when I first opened these socks I whooped with joy and then set to examining them (they're flawless, of course). I did notice one strange thing though: the toes and gussets looked a little odd and, come to think of it, the heel looked weird, too. Then I took a closer look. They're knit toe-up! My first pair of toe-up socks! Neato! I feel kind of bad that the kilt hose I'm knitting for Stariel are taking so long. They're not even halfway done; I'm only to the heel of the first one. I've been working on them like mad and will continue to do so until both of them are finito.

Meanwhile... Throw my ball, vile minion. I'll bite your legs off!

Kami is really jealous. I haven't been playing ball with her as much as I usually do or lavishing her with all my love and attention mainly because...

Toby is here!There's scurs, and geese, and bears to chase!

I'm watching him while my sister and her new hubby are away on their honeymoon. As of yesterday they're back, but I've already arranged to drive down there this friday so they'll just have to wait. While he's up here he's being spoiled rotten. Two walks a day, a run in the field (usually chasing the Canadian geese), lots of new things to smell and pee on, and a comfy bed to sleep on. Anyhoo, I have a great story to tell you. It's probably the story of my year and I hope nothing like it ever happens ever ever again (I could've died!). Imagine it like Hansel and Gretel minus the cottage and oven and breadcrumbs (although I'm sure that Hansel has never before been portrayed as a dog and never in a million years could I play an innocent and slightly dopey young German girl, just imagine it, just this once). Onto the story.

...Yesterday evening Toby and I went for a walk. Now, normally I would go up to the falls because we both like to run up the steps to the top (about 50 steps or so, get the cardio in there) and I love to watch the water cutting through the rock, but today I decided to let Toby see sniff a different part of Newhalem. We headed off our beaten path to the Cedar Trails er... trail. It's all woodsy and green ...ferns, mahonia, solomon's seal, salal, etc. Sometimes I walk through there just to see how many native plants I recognize. It's a North (no, further north than that, keep going) West tourist attraction, but today it was empty. Toby and I were walking along, nice as you please, admiring the flora (in our own ways, of course) when, not ten feet away, something that I thought was a shadow lifted up it's head, looked right at us, and roared. My heart jumped out of my throat and ran down the trail leaving me frozen in my footsteps. It was a BEAR!! A rather large black bear. We don't get grizzlies here, thank god, but still, a bear is a bear. Toby's hackles raised, he bared his teeth, and let loose with some of the most ferocious noises I've ever heard him make. I wasn't sure which one I was more afraid of right then, my little Toady or the not-so-little bear. The bear (who I guess has more common sense than I do) took one look at Toby, turned around and hightailed it out of there. After a couple of seconds my conscience kicked back in and screamed "What are you doing just standing there, you stupid f-ing idiot!?" and Toby and I turned and ran back the way we came, across the bridge, and all the way home (wee, wee, wee...). We went inside, I locked the door, leaned on it, and screamed bloody murder. Toby looked at me like I was nuts and wagged his tail as if to say "Gosh, that was fun. I never get to do that at home." For the Harry Potter fans: a real live Howler.

Now that my heart rate has gone back to normal (my heart came back and apologized for running off like that) I only wish that I'd had my camera with me. Heh. What an idiot.

Onto knitting news: another new-ish pattern. The Super Simple Wristers I made early this year. I made a green pair for myself and a pink pair for mom. Aside from being super simple, they're also super quick and super comfy and super adaptable. You can use any DK or light worsted for the pattern. The green ones were knit with Fancy Image Yarn DK Superwash Merino and the pink ones I knit for my mom were knit with BMFA STR Heavyweight in Apple Valley Road. Enjoy (even though it's the wrong season for them). Knit 'em now, enjoy 'em later.

Next post: The Cast On Diet and why it might not work...