Computer Crashes, Birthday presents and Socks

Shortly after my last blog entry, I turned on my computer. I soon got an ominous screen saying “Operating System not found”. My frustration and anger started a slow boil. “Oh no, what happened?” I tried re-booting…..Same error. Now panic was starting to set in. “Did I back up enough, if I can’t recover this?” I had backed up all my pictures and purchased knitting patterns but had not finished copying other important things. I turned it off.

The next morning I tried again to no avail. It was Tuesday. I asked my husband to help me but I thought that perhaps we should wait for the weekend when our minds were rested and thinking clearly. I just could not afford a wipe out of my harddrive at this point, even by mistake. I grieved and prayed the remainder of the week,
hoping to recover at the very least the data on my hard drive.

Saturday was a busy day, so we could not get to the task of fixing my computer until the next day. So on Sunday, my husband sat down and turns my computer on and…….it boots up Windows like nothing happened! I tell my husband, “You’re a genius!!! You have the magic touch!”. I don’t know what it was, perhaps the prayer helped too. Thank you, Lord, for the miracle!.

During the week, I comforted myself doing….what else,….knitting! I worked on the Monkey socks and was finished with the heel flap, ready to work on the gusset, when I discovered the wrong count of stitches. I discovered my mistake and had to rip back to the start of the heel. Today I’ve finished the gusset and am starting on the rest of the foot. The sock is not just a sock, but a “work of art”! Cookie A. made a very inspiring and simple pattern. I’m not sure I like the thickness of the sock, but it is very interesting to make. I prefer to wear thin socks but they are so boring to make and do not wear well through washings.

I also started the Bears and Babies Sweater. It’s June and I thought I might as well start that sweater before my grandson is born in August. The first sleeve portion is done.

June is a very busy month in my family for birthdays. My birthday is this month. I thought I would give myself a birthday present by ordering some books and other knitting things. My husband got home and I said “ I picked out and ordered my birthday present from you this year! He said, “ Well, wasn’t that ingenious of me?!” When the order arrived by mail this week, I gave him a Big Hug and shouted “You are so good. It’s just what I wanted!!!” This is what I got: Books: “No Idle Hands: the Social History of American Knitting by Anne Macdonald, Knitting from the Top, by Barbara G. Walker, Knitting in the Old Way, by Pricilla Gibson Roberts. Enjoying making the Monkey Socks has inspired me to make more socks so I ordered 3 colors of Felici Sock yarn from Knit Picks, the set of metal double points needles, Size 1 and Size 2 wooden double point needles and some Harmony Cable needles.

Another reason I chose the above because of “Sock Wars”. Have you heard about it? What an intriguing idea? To fake assassinate people by knitting and sending them a pair of handknit socks. This week, the video podcast, Let’s Knit Together, shows the process Cat went to make and send her socks in the War. I can’t wait for Part II. It amazes me that people actually are loosing sleep to dedicate themselves to make socks as fast as they can in order to assassinate before they get assassinated!