All Thumbs

You probably are aware, Gentle Readers, that as a cook, I make an excellent knitter.  I make it a firm policy to snivel loudly and regularly about how I hate to go into the Room Where We Keep the Beer, with any other purpose but retrieving one.  This policy, while providing me with some form of release, has not actually saved me from any cooking duty.  Not even once.

So on Saturday night, when it was time to make soup for dinner, I dutifully reported to the scullery.  Lindsay had two little girlfriends over for a slumber party.  Phillip and Campbell were watching a football game.  And I had a date with a pile of leeks.  And an 8" Chef's knife, which I'm proud to announce, I keep very, very sharp.  While I don't understand food, I do understand tools, and I've always felt that a dull knife, in addition to being miserable to operate, is actually more dangerous than a sharp one.  So I'm pretty zealous with the stone and the steel.  I've wondered if my cutlery compulsions are really some past life experience intruding upon this one; maybe I was once a fierce warrior, and the need to keep my sword sharp is some kind of holdover.  Whatever the reason, my knives hold an edge that could shave a damsel's legs.  Or make short work of a pile of leeks.

Or, as it happens, the end of my left thumb.  I have no idea how I did it.  One minute I was carefully chopping leeks, the next, I had become a super-gross human fountain.  Ever mindful of stuff I need my hands for (like making a living), I was more than a little panicky when the fountain hadn't stopped after a reasonable amount of time.  It occurred to me that this might be one of those go-to-the-doctor times, just in case a stitch or two were needed.  But I had a house full of children, some of whom were not my own, and leaving them alone (and without soup!) seemed irresponsible.  So Phillip stepped up and finished the soup, while keeping an eye on the slumber party (and the game, too, I assume), and I took myself to the ER.

As ER visits go, I really couldn't have had a better time.  It was a rare quiet night at the hospital, and I was in and out in under an hour.  A nice lady doctor did things I couldn't watch to my thumb in order to ascertain and repair the damage.  Then a lovely nurse came and put on bandages.  KNITTED bandages, as it turned out, which I noted with interest.  The action part of the dressing setup involved a KNITTED TUBE, which held all the gauze, etc. in place.  Once that was on, my clever nurse SLICED THE TUBE OPEN (sound familiar, steek-happy knitters?), in order to use its ends to secure the whole rig to my hand.  Sexy!  Knitting is everywhere, Gentle Readers, and it is always Good.

I'm all patched up, and assured the damage is not permanent.  The extreme sharpness of the blade, I'm told, will actually make for faster healing.  The downside is that I'm under orders to stay off it for three days.  So no Hitchhiking.  And no thumb-wrestling.  And no Knitting.

No Knitting.

For Three Days.

My family is twitchy about what it's going to be like for them if I can't knit.  They should be.

Here's the Thistle Stole I would like to be working on:

Paisley has appointed herself its guardian, and is watching over it very carefully:
 

I'm sure I'll be fine without knitting.  I mean, it's only for three days.  There have been plenty of times when I couldn't knit.  I'm sure there must have.  Though none are leaping to mind. 

Phillip is seriously concerned that I'll have to be tied to a chair before it's over.  He may be right.  Please submit suggestions for what I can do with myself for three days that doesn't require the use of my left thumb.

Sundays, We Go Shopping

I have finished my Desert Island sweater.  I even wore it last weekend, which surprised me a little because I'm usually out of love with my projects by the time I get them done, and I have to send them to time out for a while before I can bond with them as garments. 

And I'm also delighted to report that it's time to start the class sample for my Madrona Winter Retreat steeks class!  Which I am ready to do, having cleverly finished my periwinkle sweater (for once), right on time. 

Except the mailman still has my yarn.  So I can't start yet. 

And it would be dumb to start something else, because as soon as I do, the yarn will come, and there I'll be.  Yes, I do have the ability to put down one project and begin another, but it just seems like I should be able to control myself for like, A Day.  You know?  I've been catching up on other work instead.  I assaulted the north face of Mount Washmore.  Not that anyone could tell.  I finished the one last mitten thumb.  I hand-rolled hems onto some pretty pieces of silk I got to make scarves with.  I took stock of my dress shirt collection, re-sewed buttons and ironed them.  And when I couldn't find anything else to put it off with, I groomed the Scotties.  They were very good.  Well, 50% of them were very good.  Paisley was decidedly unhappy with the process, and Phillip had to hold her up for me to trim her feet.  But we all survived, and then endured the kitchen scouring that follows every dog-grooming (OCD + Dog hair near food prep areas = guaranteed 1/2 day scrubfest).  After that I decided we all needed a treat, so Lindsay and I loaded the pets up and we went for a doggie shopping trip:

I have it in my head that I really should knit them some sweaters.  But I've never made a dog sweater before, and the patterns I've seen don't look like they are quite right for a couple of long-backed, short-legged hooligans.  No, what's wanted here is Market Research.  We went to the pet store, and tried on sweaters.  Which turned out to be fun for 25% of us.  I did not enjoy squishing the struggling pups into ill-fitting doggy outerwear, and the pets liked it even less.  Lindsay, however, howled with laughter for the whole operation.  Just one more service I provide. 

We took home a couple of machine-sewn acrylic numbers, both for reference, and to keep the newly-shorn cozy while I work out my pattern.  A few new toys and treats may also have found their way into the cart.  Lindsay pointed out that I'm no longer trying to pretend not to be a weird Dog Lady.  "How do you know?" I asked.  "Um, your dogs have on sweaters and they're riding around in a shopping cart.  Which part has you confused, Mom?"  I'm still working on my snappy comeback.  So far, I got nothin.
 
I hope the yarn comes soon.  The Cats haven't got any sweaters either, I notice.
 

Summer's End

I've been acting as Wardrobe Mistress for my family.  It started out so subtly that I didn't even realize it:  School clothes acquisition begat closet cleaning, which begat a mountain of mending, laundry (and what the hell?) Ironing.  Lindsay decided she wanted to cultivate a new fashion image, which called for some advanced thrift-store recognizance (She is SO much cooler than I was at 13 - thank God).  Which begat more mending, hemming, and button replacement.  No less than 5 pairs of pants had to be returned/exchanged for Campbell (apparently we are all in denial as to his actual size).  And Phillip went on a vintage clothing procurement tear that can only be described as "Creative Nakedness Abatement".  Dude has got such odd style.  Fortunately the damage was minimal, as he has learned not to purchase weird old things without texting me a photo first.  The 70's zip-up ankle boots were a sobering near miss, however.  Before I knew it, I had touched every item of clothing the three of them own, at least twice. 

At some point during of all that, my pants began to disintegrate.  I think they saw all the other old clothes headed for the Elephant Graveyard and tried to make a break for it.  I grabbed both pairs of jeans and patched the holes in them where the rear pockets were starting to pull off, promising myself to embroider something clever over the mends later (short-term goal being not to have my lingerie on display).  Turning attention to my own wardrobe inspired me to finally hem the two bargain sweater dresses I picked up off season last year.  And having those ready in my travel clothes arsenal made me feel so smug that I went totally batshit and ordered some Grownup Lady trousers that I could conceivably travel with for teaching.

All of which culminated in finding out that I have forgotten how to sew.  The final wardrobe salvo was to make some cute little skirts for Lindsay.  The first one was 3 inches too big around the waist.  I tore it out and cut it down.  I put it on her and it's 2 inches too small.  Some cog has slipped.  I have to make the same dumb little cotton skirt a THIRD TIME.  No idea what's happened.  I think maybe the Sewing Gods are pissed at me for knitting too much. 

Phillip and Cam went back to school yesterday, leaving Lindsay and me alone for the day.  We went for a motorcycle ride to our favorite sandwich place to celebrate the end of summer.  Lindsay told me that she has decided she's going to ride a motorcycle too, when she grows up.  She saw some little kids watching us as we drove away from the sandwich shop and waved to them.  She said they looked like they wished their mommy had a bike.  I felt good; It's not often your kid recognizes you as the Cool Mom.

When we got home I snapped this photo of Lindsay, practicing for when she has her own ride.

Today she started the 8th grade.  After missing the bus.  Campbell went to his second day of the 5th grade.  And forgot his lunch.  Phillip began his 8th year of teaching High School English.  No idea yet what he forgot/missed, but there was certainly something; I'm waiting for the phone call.

And I'm sitting, at long last, in a Very. Quiet. House.  Welcome Autumn.  I've missed you.