Well, the great holiday was here and we had a nice one. Just us 6 to feast on the turkey. This year I put a turkey breast in the crock pot, so technically, I cooked “all day long”. Had the usual sides. I know… my life is pathetically boring.
Note to self: What is the purpose of this ramble? Hmmmm…..
KNITTING SOCKS The Boston Transcript reprinted the following poem in 1917, just as it appeared in that paper November 27, 1861.
CLICK, click! how the needles go
Through the busy fingers, to and fro–
With no bright colors of berlin wool,
Delicate hands today are full:
Only a yarn of deep, dull blue,
Socks for the feet of the brave and true.
Yet click, click, how the needles go,
‘Tis a power within that nerves them so.
In the sunny hours of the bright spring day,
And still in the night time far away.
Maiden, mother, grandame sit
Earnest and thoughtful while they knit.
Many the silent prayers they pray,
Many the tear drops brushed away.
While busy on the needles go,
Widen and narrow, heel and toe.
The grandame thinks with a thrill of pride
How her mother knit and spun beside
For that patriot band in olden days
Who died the Stars and Stripes to raise–
Now she in turn knits for the brave
Who’d die that glorious flag to save.
She is glad, she says, ”the boys” have gone,
‘Tis just as their grandfathers would have done.
But she heaves a sigh and the tears will start,
For “the boys” were the pride of grandame’s heart.
The mother’s look is calm and high,
God only hears her soul’s deep cry–
In Freedom’s name, at Freedom’s call,
She gave her sons–in them her all.
The maiden’s cheek wears a paler shade.
But the light in her eyes is undismayed.
Faith and hope give strength to her sight,
She sees a red dawn after the night.
Oh, soldiers brave, will it brighten the day,
And shorten the march on the weary way,
To know that at home the loving and true
Are knitting and hoping and praying for your
Soft are the voices when speaking your name,
Proud are their glories when hearing your fame.
And the gladdest hour in their lives will be
When they greet you after the victory.
—————————————————————————————————————
Missing Socks
I used to have socks but alas they’re no more
though I peered in the cupboards and I searched on the floor
I looked in the freezer and under the stairs
in the end I presumed they’d been taken by Bears
I phoned London Zoo and demanded they see
that my socks weren’t being worn by a chimp or a bee
They checked all their charges and said there’s no truth
in the thought of my socks being on claw or on hoof
I called the Police in to ransack my house
but their search unearthed nothing not even a mouse
I gave them permission to question my clothes
but the answers they got were that “nobody knows”
And lo as I type this I’ve learned nothing new
my socks are still missing and my toes have turned blue
My ankles are chilled and my knees miss the heat
so tonight spare a thought for my poor little feet.
—————————————————————————————————————
Ode to a Second Sock (beware – bad poetry ahead)
Oh second sock I do despise
Your each and every stitch.
Your never-ending progress
Is giving me a twitch.
Why can’t you be exciting,
Like your brother was before?
Instead you lie and mock me
In a heap upon the floor.
One lone sock is worthless
And it would never do
To let one foot get blue with cold
Inside a cruel shoe.
Evil mate of footware fine
I’m sure you’ve made me ill!
I wish this syndrome could be cured
With lotion, shot or pill.
I hear this sickness also comes
When knitters make a mitt
I guess to treat it I should stop
Composing poems and KNIT!
My thanks to Renee in Ontario, Canada for posting these poems on the Socks For Soldiers group.
Well, the people have spoken loud and clear and the Dems get the majority. Wonder if they’ll do anything with their new found power or will it be a series of Senate hearings for the next two years over the Iraq War? Only time will tell. On other political news, my DM got re-elected as Justice of the Peace for Esmeralda County, NV once more, YIPEE!! Go Mom! I’m so very proud of her!
As for knitting news, here’s my latest pair of socks I made for my nephew in the Marines. I sure hope they fit! It felt really good to get them done and send them off to him finally. I told him that I’d make him a pair about two months ago
Tonight my church is getting together to wrap the shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. We’ve got about 50 boxes to wrap and Lord willing, we’ll get them all done tonight.
This book is about the hard, cold, fierceness of the Yukon and the life of a special dog as his life is one day turned upside down and he is changed from sweet country hunting dog into the fiercest sled dog Alaska had ever seen.
October 31, 1517 marked the beginning of the Reformation or Protestantism as Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of Wittenberg Church.
Summoned to stand trial before the 21 yr old Emperor Charles V, he was declared an outlaw.
Frederick of Saxony hid him in the Wartburg castle where he translated the New Testament into German.
Mr. Luther later wrote:
“I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explalining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth.”
I taught the heel making process in my class on Saturday.
When I arrived I was sad to hear that the lady who owns the store had a death in the family and she could not be there 
I think it went okay even though I was by myself ; ) I taught them how to make the heel flap and they were able to pick up the gusset just fine, and we just got started on the heel decreases when we found that nearly 3 hrs had gone by and the class was originally scheduled for 2 hrs only! They had to leave at that point, but I gave them diagrams to help them remember which decrease to do on each needle. I really hope they were able to continue alright. I think we’ll have three classes instead of two because it would be good to teach them the toe decreases and kitchener stitch in the third week.
Still working on the baby sleeper, but at least I’m on the second sleeve. I started my nephew’s socks and have the toe completed on one and need to start the other right away so I keep the knitting on both pretty even.
I can’t believe that October is almost over! Where does the time go?!
Did you know that October 31st is Reformation Day? We’re going to a presentation given at our church about the history of the Protestant church and about Martin Luther and his 95 these he nailed on the cathedral doors in the 16th century. My oldest DD will be in the skit the kids are putting on to help show what happened then. Looking forward to it.
I really look forward to teaching more classes and hope that I can. I think it’s a lot of fun teaching knitting.
I will teach my students how to make a heel for the first time. Last week went so great that I’m sure everything will go great. I also hope Carol and I can make arrangements for me to do more knitting classes, maybe socks with the “magic loop” method (one circular needle). With winter coming on, I’m also hoping more folks will want to knit since they can’t get to their gardens anymore this year. I’ll post more later.
The soft, grey sky, the gentle staccato of rain on the roof makes for the kind of day you just want to snuggle deeper in the covers and not peep your nose out.
I started one of the sleeves yesterday for the baby sleeper and it’s so little around that I’m nearly done already and will most likely start the other later today. Then, I just knit them to the body and bada-bing-bada-boom-it’s done!
