The Sixth Fence

"I see dread, people". 

Or as Split Enz (almost) sang: I see dread, I see dread, I see dre-ead.

Yes, there was dread in our hearts, we were afraid that the fence would fall over and/or The Labradors would escape. So Operation Fence commenced last Thursday with a kind next door neighbour. There was a lot of aerial whipper snippering. I am not sure of the names of pruning tools.

And then some sawing and a lot of bags of vegetation to be taken to the tip. And help from The Labradors who were banished inside when the electric tools were operating and then had to sniff double time to make up for it.

After a couple of hours the fence looked like this:

A  trip to the hardware shop and there is now lattice ready to be attached to make the fence more stable and escape-proof. The top of the old trellis has to be chainsawed off before we can proceed.

After that effort I have had to have quite a big rest over the weekend and, ergo, there has been a sock knitting fest.

I started a new pair of 8ply socks (Sake to Me) in Teal Patonyle. The wool is just so soft and snuggly. The second pair is in some hand-dyed 4ply and my own pattern to fit my foot: The Green Style socks.

All my Library book Holds are taking forever and so while I was idly browsing the shelves I found and borrowed The Knitter's Book of Socks.

I am quite taken with most of the sock patterns and so I have decided I will knit my way through all the socks without fair-isle or intarsia. I am trying new things and so I learned Judy's Modified Magic Cast On, and I am knitting toe up. The gusset increases are made in the sole, so is very interesting.

On Saturday I helped the Wool Shop lady with a double stitch heel. For me, this is much easier than a wrap and turn and now I am up to the heel turn before the flap I am using the double stitch instead of W&T because there are no holes!!!

I am going to knit the 8ply Stepping Stone socks next. This pattern is free and there's a link on the Ravelry page.

MrsDrwho and I have completed August's Craftsy Block of the Month block #2. Of course, even though I sew a very scant 1/4 inch my block is still too small. When all the blocks are completed we are going to sew a plain background border around all the squares and then cut them to the 12 1/2 inch size. I am beastly careless because when my quilt is finished it will be lain on by Labradors in a trice. And grubby ones at that!!

My mini garden has moved to a new higher Labrador-proof table and when I came out the back door this morning there was Miss Peri Pumpkin, sunbathing on the warm foam squares atop the little table. She was all warm and snuggly and had a lovely nap. I think she looks a little worried that she is being naughty by lying up there.

Miss Lorelai Gilmore, who does not have her Naughty Ears on, is standing near the other new lattice that contains The Forbidden Zone.

I am very unhappy with The Typepad at the moment. For perhaps a month I haven't been able to add any books to my side bar. The linky thing to Amazon is broken and all they can say is that it is a priority and that we should all become Amazon affiliates or something and use a widget. The very reason I pay for my blog to be hosted is that I am not computery enough to add widgets and be affiliated. I am reduced to scrabbling for my Library print outs and taking photos of my book covers. Now the Spell Check is broken. I thought I was doing something wrong for weeks as when I click the Spell Check button the incorrect words are highlighted momentarily and then the Spell Check turns itself off. Many people have complained about both these issues and the Typepad Satisfaction Staff ( and believe me I do think this could an oxymoron) ever so nicely say it is a priority and they are working on it, but nothing has happened. Typepad users are trapped because if they are sad un-computery people like me their blogs are pretty much held hostage because we don't have the skills to take our blogs somewhere else. One Satisfaction person offered me some free months of blogging, but I don't want money back or compensation. Shall I tell you what I want what I really, really want? I just want my blog, and all it's bits and bobs, to work the way it used to. I do not understand how things can just stop working all of a sudden when they have been working for years.

I have no recourse. Consumer Affairs would find it too difficult, or get no response from an overseas company. So I shall just keep replying to the Tickets I have opened, stating my case, albeit more crossly as time goes by, and hope that it might be fixed sometime soon.  I cannot recommend The Typepad to you right now. I am very disappointed, which is worse than being cross really.

Aung San Suu Chi visited the US last week and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. She was given 2 minutes 9 seconds on the ABC News. A young footballer on an end of season trip to Las Vegas who was extremely inebriated and died while trying to jump from a hotel roof to a palm tree rated 2 minutes 5 seconds.  In fact his funeral was given greater coverage than that of an Armed Forces member who was killed in Afghanistan. It is very sad for his family, but I ask you what is the world coming to??

And now, here is The Magic Path. Gilly believes that when she walks back along the track to the gate Sandy the Labrador will appear. It is variable reinforcement, because sometimes she comes out the gate and he is there, and sometimes he isn't. She's positive that Sandy will be there and surges ahead, making Peri and I walk faster. Sandy wasn't there today. She saw some people getting into their car by the Look Out and after they went she ran like the wind just to see if Sandy was there. He wasn't.

Ahh, true love!!!

Comments

[Megan]

Thank goodness for helpful neighbours! Gilly and Peri would have thought they were in a whole new backyard after all that work. You have been having a big sockathon!

[Monika]

A good fence is important for our peace of mind. I'm checking ours periodically, because the bunny's dig holes to escape if they need, and Denny is a digger, can make them bigger quite easily.
I love Judy's Magic Cast On! Have used it for years now whenever I do toe up socks. I like that sock book too. Really have to knit a pair or two from it soon. I always forget to look. The girls are so lovely as always. I know how they can be, expecting a good thing once they experienced it. :o)

[deb]

those socks look very warm and cosy...lots of exciting things happening for those interested noses, I do love those 'naughty ears' ! do agree re the tv coverage of certain events - gets way out of proportion a lot of the time !

[monica]

Sorry about your Typepad issues. I don't know why things break often and they don't fix it quickly!

Peri and Gilly are so cute. As always. :)

[sue]

I bet you are a lot happier with the new fence. I love your socks, the colors both look very nice. I havent seen that book at my library but then again they get new ones in but nothing I want to knit out of them. I have knit 2 pairs in the last month but nothing fancy and I will definately need to learn the magic cast on and do toe up socks one day.

[Jan]

My guess is that the girls have been giving that fence a secret nudge or two and now their plans have been thwarted.

Lovely to have good neighbours. Life is so much more pleasant than with poor neighbours.

The patterns on the cover of that book look great. Do you think they could be adapted to short row heels, NOT heel flap. Heels like commercial socks. I have extremely flat feet and a fallen arch on left foot and heel flap socks twist and pull on me. But those patterns are lovely. I checked prices and currently the book is about $21 from Book Depository and dearer elsewhere.

I suppose I could knit for presents and do flaps but the patterns are very definitely attractive.

[Jan]

Just a thought Cindy, if you play around with options and settings you should find option for spell check on anything you write on computer, not just one with Typepad on your blog. Along with a choice of English eg American or the proper stuff! LOL.

I have used a Mac for years but I had it on Windows PC too.

[Kristen]

The old fence did look deadly dangerous!
I've checked the sock book out of the library a few times, just to enjoy the pics, as right now I'm sticking with plain vanilla socks. But sometime I'll try the new tricks that you are learning.
Other bloggers have mentioned Typepad problems recently. I don't do anything fancy with mine- just type the blog and add photos- but would be frustrated as you are if what I wanted to do wasn't working right.
Poor Gilly and her unrequited love!

[Melissa]

Wow! You did a ton of work! Hope it was neither too hot nor too cool for comfort!

[RoseRed]

I have two balls of the 8ply Patonyle, is that enough for a pair of socks? For husby maybe (his feet only slightly bigger than mine!).

The gusset on the sole is intriguing! Will be interested to hear how they feel on your foot!

I agree about the coverage of the footballer - yes, very sad, but so much coverage! Really! And his club have "retired" his number, as if he were some type of hero. I'm sure he was well liked and all, but I thought that was a bit much.

[Ann]

Pretty socks & I love the colors. I love sock knitting & always have a pair on the needles. Anyway, I need to keep up the sock inventory for the whole family. Happy sock knitting.

[Annie]

nice cosy looking socks, and it is always good to see what those two beautiful ones are up to.

[mrspao]

Lovely fence. I definitely would have had to have a rest after all that work. Your socks look fabulous. I've not gotten on too well with toe up socks but yours look great.

[Lois]

The dogs are so inquisitive aren't they! LOL It's good to see they have great supervisory skills.

I love the colours in your new socks :)

Good luck with Typepad. I have no patience with technology these days, so understand it would be very frustrating.