01.08.08
Posted in Knitting.... at 5:43 pm by smarriott
Recently, I started a new knitting project. Jane is always knitting socks and after seeing her progress over the holiday, I thought I would give it another go. I attempted knitting socks one other time, but quit discouraged after the project took on gargantuan proportions. That is, the sock, rather than fitting my dainty feet, looked to fit the pig-toes of a much, much larger fella. Maybe even the giant at the top of Jack’s bean-stock.
This time, however, instead of making the sock too big, I made it just slightly too small, noticed mostly in the heel. The error occurred while watching the final few season three episodes of Deadwood. I completely missed the directions to decrease every other row. Lucky for me, I have one foot that is freakishly a whole shoe-size smaller than the other. Knitting disaster averted! I just love the pattern. So much green.
Before I end this much shorter post (courtesy of grumpy you-know-who, that insultingly stated he skimmed (!) my entries), I thought I would leave you with Sigma’s commonplace, but always perfect moment. Enjoy!
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01.03.08
Posted in Knitting.... at 2:30 pm by smarriott
The holiday season is coming to a close and the new year blooms, while I sit and ponder if I have lost my following entirely. Now I recognize condom cozies are not kid-friendly nor are they family-oriented topics of conversation, but alas, I made no promises about either at the onset of this site. That said, I will abandon the topic of cozies completely for the time being and pray that at least a handful of you have remained with me. If you didn’t abandon “Purls” while in its three month hiatus, I cannot imagine that a mere condom cozy could run you off. I have, however, been wrong on many an occasion.
In previous posts, many of you will remember I have started a new job. Last night marked a very momentous occasion…I am now on my own delivering primary care on a post-surgical floor. What does this jargon mean? Well, namely, that I will be taking vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respirations) every four hours on a number of patients (ranging from one to, HOPEFULLY, no more than twelve), walking people to the bathroom, giving bed baths, doing finger sticks on people with diabetes, etc., etc. This might be considered the grunt work of nursing and, well, it certainly isn’t always pleasant or aromatic, but it is desperately needed and, not to brag or anything, but I am sure I do it with a certain flair (like the flair of a sinking ship). But seriously, I am enjoying my job and getting pretty good at it, a side from the unfortunate incidence of causing a fellow co-worker to suffer a urine-soaked backside and waking up every few hours because I could not remember if I included the finger sticks on a patient in report the night before. These are mere peanuts in my quest for patient care excellence, however.
Along with the positives of a new career, namely financial stability and general life purpose, of course, comes some major downfalls, particularly around the holiday time. My vacationing was unfortunately cut short a week early. This sadly, is what I have to look forward to for a while, or possibly the rest of my life. On the upside, however, is holiday pay and shift differential. Oh, sweet holiday pay. Oh, glorious shift differential. May you both be destined to relieve my constantly accruing education debt. Outlook looks good for a debt-free me.
Although I speak with self-indulging pity about my reduced lounging and knitting time, I have been quite busy. Prior to now my holiday creations could not be revealed for the sake of bringing cheer and the element of surprise to all gifts. As the gift-giving is winding down I present to you two of my outstanding creations: “le bibi rouge” and “feuilleton a domicile” (pardon the french, but I am trying impress you. If, however, you speak french fluently, I am sure I have failed in that endeavor.) Moving on, here is one of the fabulous items modeled by its recipient courtesy of her parents (who, hopefully, will not kill me for this public display of their daughter). These items are certainly not 100% original, but I did add my own sense of style and gourmet talent to each and every item.
A final piece of interest is updates on the bedroom construction. The closet has been built and the first coat of ceiling paint has been applied. I tell you, wonders never cease. It may just be ready by 2009! But seriously folks, while these pictures may not look like much they are a major improvement to the room’s original condition. I cringe at the thought of those frilly curtains, bright blue paint, and claustrophobia-inducing ceilings! Our engineer in this picture seems to be cringing for other reasons, or rather, rueing the day I got a new camera.
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Recently, I started a new knitting project. Jane is always knitting socks and after seeing her progress over the holiday, I thought I would give it another go. I attempted knitting socks one other time, but quit discouraged after the project took on gargantuan proportions. That is, the sock, rather than fitting my dainty feet, looked to fit the pig-toes of a much, much larger fella. Maybe even the giant at the top of Jack’s bean-stock. 
This time, however, instead of making the sock too big, I made it just slightly too small, noticed mostly in the heel. The error occurred while watching the final few season three episodes of Deadwood. I completely missed the directions to decrease every other row. Lucky for me, I have one foot that is freakishly a whole shoe-size smaller than the other. Knitting disaster averted! I just love the pattern. So much green. 
