Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans

As ESC will tell you, I'm old.  Well, chronologically, at least.  But lately, with my riding lessons, I'm finally getting to release my inner cowgirl - the one who at age six longed for cowboy boots, a six shooter, and most of all a horse.  I had to settle for a stick horse, sneakers, and a cap pistol, but somewhere deep inside over all these years lived the spirit of Dale Evans and her horse Buttermilk.  

  

I was all "tomboy" growing up, and loved playing marbles, climbing trees, riding my bike, and dreaming of horses.  I was angry that I wasn't allowed to play in Little League with my (boy) friends, but they let me swing the bat in our backyard games.  Dolls were for "sissies," and if I had known about the All American Girls Professional Baseball League at the time, it would have made me more crazy to play (even though I wasn't anywhere near old enough, and the League folded when I was 3 - nobody told me girls could really play ball.)  I don't know that any of this is really leading up to a specific point, other than I was thinking this morning about my younger yearning to ride, and now I'm living it.  Good things do, indeed, sometimes come to those who wait. 

Another thing I enjoyed when I was very young was knitting. When I was six or seven, my mom taught me the knit stitch.  We went to the local dime store and picked out a lovely worsted weight wool in a variegated colorway of white, black, and red.  I remember sitting on the couch, painstakingly making each stitch that finally became a Christmas gift muffler for my dad.  I still have that piece, tucked away in my mother's cedar chest.  Alongside it is a pair of mittens my mother knit when she was 16 or 17.  Green wool with sequins.  Very chic!  And one other package holds fancy bibs, knitted for the infant me by my grandma.  I cherish them all.  I wonder how many of the things I knit will end up in the future care of my son or a someday grandchild.  What items of mine will they treasure?  What do you have saved away from your or your family's past?  One of these days, I'll dig them out and take a picture to show you.

Anyway, I've been knitting, of course.  Still working away, from time to time, on the lace shawl.  But quicker projects have claimed my fancy, too.

 

 

• I call these "Chicken Tracks Socks."  I didn't make up the pattern - they are based on one designed by my friend, Dee.  She calls them "Take Five Socks," because of the simple five row repeat.  But the day I started them, I was feeling a bit adventurous, so I expanded it to ten rows, offsetting the motif every other time.  Whichever version you choose to knit (and you really should try them,) you'll find an enjoyable pattern and pretty socks.
• The yarn is Araucania Ranco in the Lime colorway.  This is my first time knitting with this yarn, and like it, even though it seems a bit stringy.  I'm thinking it will fluff up with washing, though. 

The next item was a super quick knit.  It's a gift for a friend's baby boy.

 

•  Sprout Hat.  I previously knit this for a friend's grandaughter.  The pattern usually consists of some YO motifs that look like little flowers, so I left them off and included stripes so it would be more boyish.  
• Leftovers of Spud & Chloe Fine (blue) and Knitting  Notions Sock (green) yarns.  

Next week, on the 17th, it will be my SIXTH Blogoversary!  I know many people have either abandoned their own blogs and/or stopped reading other people's, but for now, I'm still very much enjoying mine.  I also love reading the long list of blogs through the feed reader, and although I'm rotten and don't comment as much as I should, knowing you are all out there, happily (or unhappily at times) knitting, spinning, and weaving along, fills me with joy.  Will there be prizes for the big day?  You bet!  Come back and see.

 
 

 

Comments

[Robin]

Love the baby cap! Happy Trails tooo youuuu!

[Sydney]

Hey I'm glad you're still blogging too. I still enjoy blogging better than some of the other things.

My favorite Christmas gift was a Cowgirl hat and a gun an holster set. Your story reminded me that I need to dig out a photo of me on a pony with my hat, gun and holster, and a big smile.

[Rachel]

I loved reading the history of your tomboy days! I'm not sure mine ever left! But I do remember that I was mad that I was never allowed to go backpacking with my brother and dad just because I was a girl. After whining constantly about it, my dad decided to take me for a weekend trip to the Appalachian Trail in the Shenandoah National Park...~35 miles...I was 17 I think. Just me and him. I think he wanted to make the trip hard to remove that itch in me...and hard it was...but he failed miserably! It just made the itch worse and still one of my favorite things to do! :)

Those socks are beautiful...the yarn looks so delicate and soft and the stitch pattern is lovely!

[Lifesastitch]

Shortly after seeing A League of Their Own, one of my favourite movies, I found out that one of our volunteers at work, played in that league.

[Lynn]

See? You never give up on your dream. I've come to the conclusion that even though I may be a certain number chronologically, that doesnt mean I need to stop certain things or not do certain things. I do what I want to do regardless of what people think. I'm really happy that you are getting to do something that you wanted back in the day.

As far as family heirlooms, we are the keeper of them. I have far more from my side including old pics, table linens, hand crafted pillow cases, and an old Czech outfit plus a spoon that was whittled from my great grand father(?). Dh's family is not very sentimental, selling things off instead of keeping them, but we do have an old cradle from his mother's mother's grandmother. VERY cool!

[Diana T]

Great looking projects, Cowgirl!

[Trish]

Love the limey socks! Be careful with the Ranco though. At the yarn store, we'd get some labeled machine washable, and some labeled hand wash. I knit Mike's ice fishing socks from Ranco and it definitely will shrink/felt. Handle with care! And SIX years of blogging! Exciting.... I love how the blog world has brought me so many friends across the globe even though I met you on an AOL message board. Boy, that was a long time ago. I kind of miss the old AOL boards, don't you?

[margene]

I loved Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk! I also wanted to be a cowboy!! I've heard blogs are dying. We're here to keep it going, right? Congrats on blogging for so long. It's a miracle we're still here.

[evilsciencechick]

You ARE old. You like NCIS! the proof is irrefutable!

;)

[Chris]

Happy spring socks!! :)

I'm glad you're still blogging. :)

[Sandy]

Live the colors and the socks. Tickles me that you call socks a "quick" pattern. I'm such a slow sock knitter! We don't call you the Baroness Von Sockhausen for nothing!

[Dee]

Thanks for the shout out for my pattern. Your version is lovely!

I'm saddened by so many blogs not being updated anymore. I've lost so many "friends" ...I've even considered quitting mine, but then I would lose even MORE friends. So, I blog on.

Maybe when the thrill of Ravelry wears off some folks will come back to blogging.

DK

[Mouse]

Very springy colors for your latest FO's -- I guess we're all wishing for warmer weather around here! I'm glad to see that you're still blogging, it bums me out that so many people have stopped. I'm coming up on 6 years as well.. can't believe its been that long!