Eye Candy Friday

socks, slippers and mittens needed, especially mittens

Thanks to a heads up on Kmkat's blog, I learned about a very worthy project that is in great need of hand knitted gifts for elementary school in Oklahoma. A very caring teacher, Rachel, is trying to make sure that every child recieves hand knit gifts this holiday season. There is more information (and links to patterns) at the Soaring Eagles Blog. If you can help, let Rachel know so she can keep her tally of what is still needed. The email address is on the blog.

This is a school where almost all of the students are below poverty level, and as you can imagine, many of the families are pretty messed up. Those kids need gifts, and they need to know that someone cares about them. If you can be that someone, please let Rachel know. The deadline for her to recieve items is Dec. 17.

I've just cast on for a pair of mittens.

Graphic blatently taken from Kmkat, I know she won't mind

Evaluation Time

I've finished the first incarnation of the Checkmate socks, so it's time for evaluation.






Overall I like the look, but they are just a leeetle bit loose at the top, and a leeetle bit shorter than I like for myself, at least for winter socks. If they were longer, they would fit more closely at the top, because they would hit a wider part of my calf.
I worked a bit slackly on the top checkers, out of concern that the slip stitchs might pull in too tightly. I think I overcompensated. They aren't bad, they're just not perfect.






I do like the way the toes came out.

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Hooray for friends of libraries. (and thanks to everyone who commented.) This pic was taken just outside the back door, right near the spot I park in

The Library

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work I go; in a couple of hours, anyway. Monday evenings, Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings you will find me here.




This is Command Central a/k/a the circulation desk. It's where I check in books, check out books, look up items in the inter-library catalog, add and delete items to the database/catalog for our individual location, unpack the inter-library tubs and call people to let them know their requests have arrived.... Also chat with patrons (which is one of the best parts of the job), and occasionally answer questions about knitting. (It's a small town, word gets out. If I were good at plumbing, they would be asking about that). Looking out I can see



The children's area (there are larger shelves of books to the left) and




the general collection. This is where I shelve materials, retrieve materials for local patrons, or to go out to other libraries. Sometimes I dust if things are slow, but that doesn't happen too often.




In the back is a small reading area. Behind me are a couple of large wooden tables with chairs. This area is also used for Village Board meetings, and is available to the community (I used it to teach knitting classes for a 4-H group, and on a completely different occasion got extremely testy with a couple of state legislators who were doing a presentation I thought was hogwash.)





Looking from the reading area towards the circulation desk you can see the computers (there are 4), paperback racks and magazines. (I didn't take pictures of the copy or fax machines.)


For two of my three weekly shifts I'm on my own. On Thursdays, Gretchen (the librarian) and I are there at the same time. That way we can touch base face to face, she can show me how to do new things, and I can cover the desk so she has some time to work on administrative things without interruption.


It's a pretty nice place to hang out.

Today was Last Saturday Knitting, and I was so glad to be able to go. (Missed it the last two months.) Ms Bee was there, with funny stories about Bently, and Mr Bee, and well she's just funny about almost anything.

Elizabeth wore one of her beautiful stranded sweaters, and brought along the scarf avec Drylon. Linda was working a sock with a charted pattern. I couldn't read a chart and talk at the same time to save my life, but she seemed to handle it just fine.

It was a huge treat to meet Dale-Harriet, who is every bit as nice in real life as on her blog. And she brought along her lovely friend Ginny, who is a quilter, embroiderer, beader, book illustrator....

Most memorable quote of the day: "Just because your cat had her kittens in the stove, that doesn't mean they're muffins."

I brought along version two of the checkered socks. This pair (obviously) is going to be longer than the first. Also obviously done in a very different color scheme.

I brought the camera, too, and then promptly forgot to pull it out once the talk got going. But I did stop on the way home for a picture of the moon coming up.

After I got back in the car, I though about how it was probably very stupid to go poking my head up over the edge of a cornfield during deer season. My hat was orange, but rust, not blaze.

It was dark by 5:00. About a mile from home I pulled over to try for another moon shot. Oops, no tripod. And the moon was much too bright (note to self: don't use "fireworks" setting if you aren't shooting fireworks.) So I cropped it out.

This photograpy thing is going to take some practice.

Baxter sez