The Rest of the Girls......

........ at work chose as follows:  Dorothy, our boss - who tries to be patient with us.......

she chose .
Rusty Stripes in Patons Kroy..that slightly heavier yarn - perfect for wearing in winter boots during a particulary severe winter like the one they are having this year.  Shannon who joined us last year as my replacement while I was away and consequently moved to become our new Payroll Clerk.  She was a little shy at first, but is one of the gang now.  She chose....

... the Denim Stripe Socks also in Patons Kroy Sock Yarn.  I had some navy coloured plain yarn which I used for the cuffs.  Skeins of Kroy are a little smaller than most sock yarns, so by doing the cuffs in a contrast I could add a little length to the leg portion of the socks.  That is Shannon hiding behind antlers at the top of the picture!  Then we have....

this pretty little lady
whose name is Saori.  She is a system consultant from Japan sent to improve our new computer system so it works to is topmost ability to help us be more efficient and get our work done more expeditiously and with ease.  She chose Marble Stripe socks in Serenity Sock by Deborah Norville.  This is a finer sock yarn with a soft feel.  Saori is used to Japanese winters and I'm sure she is hating being in Canada right now.    Next up was....

... Laura.  She is lucky enough to be doing my job this year.  I didn't get a chance to meet her before I left, so I hope she likes her Lotus Stripe Socks.  I lost the label for these socks, as I was working on them in the car - and I have no idea which yarn they were made from - Oh Dear!  I just hope she likes them!

Our final participant in the Sock Giveaway of 2014 will be Keiko.  She is away right now on 2 weeks of vacation (I hope she went someplace warm!), so she will choose when she returns.  I am now working on socks for the men.  I have two pairs to be made specially - like Sue's - for taller people.  I started with Uncle Brian since he wanted some new socks last year, but I ran out of time!  I'll share with you as I get them done (of course!).

Sue & The Sox

Does anyone remember this picture????

This is the whole gang of us at work - except for Saori who was kind enough to take the picture so I could be in it.  I thought this might be a good way for you to get to know them as I show you their sock choices.  Lucy has already chosen hers - she is the cute little reindeer in the centre of the picture - just to  the left of myself.  You've met her before when she was holding the door to our new fire exit in a previous blog.  And you have seen her choice of the Water Lily Stripes Socks in a recent post.  Now - see the young lady beside me who is at least as tall as Kevin???  That is Sue.

She is a witty, intelligent and thoughtful, helpful co-worker with a great sense of humour who loves to sing along with the songs on the radio.  As you can see, she is quite tall and like a lot of taller people has proportionate feet.  Therefore, the socks I knit for most of the girls - although she can wear them - are not a comfie and nice as a pair made specially for her would be.  So....

..... just for Sue, I chose this yarn with a little of her favourite colour - purple - and some girly colours becasue she is (at heart anyway) a girly-girl.  I hope she likes them as much as I do!  Let me know Suzy!

Thanks to my friend Lucy the other girls at work have all chosen their socks.....and another blog will follow as soon as I have them all sorted out and marked accordingly.

One More Down.........

Gramma has chosen (didn't take her very long either!)  Her pair is.....

....... the soooo pretty Sugar Plum Stripes by Mary Maxim Twinkle Toes.  I have been buying yarn from Mary Maxim for years, in fact, that was the first place I ever ordered yarn from - and way back when, Granny & I made a trip to Paris, Ont. to visit their store.  We had such a fun trip, we were on a budget in those days, and covered a lot of miles in a short time so we wouldn't have to spend money for hotels.  Good times!  Anyway, I'm sure Gramma will feel good when she puts on these pretty socks - I wonder if she has a shirt to match?????  The pics are now going back to Lucy, so she can let all the other girls choose.  I don't have e-mail addresses for all of them - so she will be my remote administrator for the remaining five pairs from the Giveaway.  I have Sue's ready for photographing - so I'll post them tomorrow.

Aunt Lynda..........

............ took a little longer to get back to me.  I sent the pics to her computer at home - and she works on a computer all day - and doesn't check her e-mail at home!  Imagine that!  Yes - I gave her a short lecture about it, after I e-mailed her at work and she got back to me.  She chose....

............ these Violet Stripes in Regia 4-Ply sock yarn.  A beautiful combination of shades of purple - don't you think????  And, once again - that nice soft Regia yarn - I love knitting with it.  It has recently become available at my local yarn shop, and I love it!  Anyway, I got Aunt Lynda's e-mail at 4:59pm, so before I made supper I sent the pictures (after removing Aunt Lynda's choice) to Mommy.  Now we all know that Mommy loves her hand-knit socks - and I have already received her e-mail.  She decided that since she already had one pink pair, that this time she would choose.............

.......... Mosaic - in - yep, you guessed it, that nice Regia yarn!  It comes in lovely colours which make it even more fun to knit into socks!  And these were one of my favourite pairs - which may explain why my daughter liked them too!  Hee!  So now I have sent the pictures on to Gramma - we'll see how long it takes her to choose a pair!

Lucy...........

............. has chosen.............

............ these!  They are made from Knit Picks Handpainted Stroll sock yarn.  I called them Water Lily Stripes because of a comment made by Poppa...... that's what he thought of when he looked at the colours.  But I'm thinking that Lucy looked at them and saw exotic frogs on lily pads - she is mad about frogs and collects all kinds and shapes of the little critters, a little bit like me and teddy bears.  Stroll is one of my favourite sock yarns -nice and soft to the touch - and machine washable and dryable.  In other words a great choice!  Thanks for taking part in the giveaway Lucy!  The next person on our list is Sue - but she will have to wait a bit for reasons I will explain later.  So the file of photos is going to Aunt Lynda now - so much fun!  Is everyone enjoying the giveaway????

Auntie Denise..........

............. sure didn't think about it too long!  She chose............

......... these brightly striped socks made in Patons Kroy... in colorway Sporty Stripes.......... the same yarn as the socks Aunt Grumpy picked, but a different colour combination!  This was the pair I thought Auntie Denise would like - she liked those bright yellow stripes!  I know a few years ago, she also chose a pair with bright yellow stripes.  I rather like these myself - or at least I would if I ever wore hand-knitted socks.  Truth be told I try to wear socks as little as possible - much prefer my bare feet in sandals or Crocs.  Cheers Aunt Denise - I hope you have fun with them!  Now I'm sending the file of socks to Lucy.  Lucy is the lady who took over my original job when I retired.  She's like a little sister to me and she's a gem!  We'll see what she chooses!

Aunt Grumpy......

............ has chosen her socks!  She picked............

............ this pair.  They are made from Patons Kroy Socks in Sweet Stripes colourway.  Kroy is a medium-weight sock yarn which wears well - I know Aunt Grumpy will like that.  Unlike Auntie Colleen who surprised me with her choice - I had two pairs picked that I thought Aunt Grumpy would choose, and she did choose one of them.  Thanks for participating Aunt Grumpy!!!  Now the photos are flying through the internet to Auntie Denise!  I wonder if I've guessed which pair she will pick?????

Another Chore..........

.......for Poppa.  Most pools down here use a solar blanket during their winter, when temperatures fall into the thirties for a short while.  These blankets are like a layer of insulation and help maintain the water temperature in the pool so the pool heater doesn't have to work so hard.  Unfortunately, due to the intense sun and the water below, the blankets don't last very long and are subject to wear and tear.  This year....

...... our pool cover had quite a tear!  Usually we would leave this for David (the owner), but since the tear was quite extensive, and since this caused us to have to be very careful when we were taking it off and putting in on - so that it wouldn't get any worse - with David's permission, we went and got a new solar blanket.  The blanket arrives as a rectangle folded into a box and when it comes out of the box it has many fold lines.  Then it has to be cut to the shape of our pool before it can replace the old one.  Poppa, with his usual brilliance, decided to lay it out on the paving bricks in the driveway while the sun was out so the folds would lay flatter.  So he put it out as soon as the sun came up.  Then we pulled the old blanket off the pool and left it flat on the floor of the screen room (where the pool is) to dry.  Later that day, when the old blanket was fairly dry we carried it around to the front and .....

.......... carefully placed it on top of the new one, so Poppa could use it as a pattern to cut the new one.  You can see the old one - it is a lighter blue from the sunlight.  Once it was spread to Poppa's satisfaction.....

.......... he started carefully cutting his way around and.....

.......... and around, until he had the perfect shape.  He inspected all the edges carefully, and finally.....

.............. we put the new blanket on the pool, where it floated nicely and looks like a great fit!  Shortly afterward, I found............

............ a rather adorable pool creature in the pool enjoying the beautiful, hot, sunny Florida weather.  Then, since I had recently got..............

...... a brand new, easy-to-care-for hair cut, I joined him!  And, we continue to wait for Aunt Grumpy to choose her socks.  Since it is the weekend it may not be until tomorrow when we hear from her.  Meanwhile, I will start working on socks for the men.  It seems I need five pairs for men: Taz ( a co-worker from Japan who is super nice), Ali (another Japanese guy who always makes me think of pictures of little Japanese boys - too cute), Mr. Yamamoto ( the Vice-President of Finance - important man!), Frank (our new cost accountant - comes from Hungary, smart guy), and finally (of course) Kev-Inn!  I think Taffy is working on one of those right now - I'd better go help her!

Auntie Colleen.....

.......... has chosen these............

............. which I called Quartz Stripe.  This is Deborah Norville Serenity Sock Yarn.  It is a fairly fine yarn which is machine washable and dryable.  I hope she likes them as much as she usually does.  Thanks Auntie Colleen.  I have now forwarded the file of photos on to Aunt Grumpy for her choice!  I'll keep you informed as soon as I hear from her.

What is Poppa doing now???

We're off!

The Sock Giveaway for 2014 is under way!  I have sent the file containing all the photos to Auntie Colleen so she can choose.  Just to keep you interested.....

......... this is the pair I gave to Liz.  I was working on them when she left for Canada and really liked the colours.  And..........

.............Daddy, Mommy, Munchie and Curtie sent this little wooden box, chock full several types of nuts to Poppa for his birthday.  As you can see - I was a little bit late getting the picture - he has already taken one variety out for snacking!  Thank you to our little family!  And....

.... I found Squeegie poring over a magazine full of classic cars!  There was an auction recently in Kissimme - but Squeegie & Poppa missed it!  I think they would have liked to go as spectators only as some of the cars sold for amounts in excess of $500,000!  Wow!

Sock Giveaway 2014

Remember this???

Yep...... that's my sock stash, taken on January 3rd of this year.  Here is the latest shot.....

......... taken on February 11th.  As you can see - there are quite a few skeins of yarn that have disappeared.  And since that date, there are a few more missing!  After sending out the "giveaway" e-mail to anyone I thought might be interested.... I got an amazing response.  Here (in the order that sox will be chosen) is the list of ladies requesting socks this year:  Auntie Collen, Aunt Grumpy, Auntie Denise, Lucy (my friend at work), Sue (another pal from work), Aunt Lynda, Mommy, Gramma, Shannon (the "new" payroll administrator at work), Laura (the young lady who is doing the work I usually do when I am there), Saori ( a lovely young lady - here from Japan to solve some system problems), Keiko (the girl with the beautiful smile at work), Dorothy (my boss when I am at work) and last but not least Mildred (Kev-Inn's Mom).  In all fairness I must tell you - Mildred picked out the yarn she liked best before I left home - she came to our house with Kev-Inn when he visited for his list of chores to do while we were away.  So..........as you can guess, I have been extremely busy making socks since I arrived!

  While I was working on this pair (which is finished now), Squeegie was very kind and.....

.... helped me carry the first 11 pairs outside so I could get some good pictures in the beautiful Florida sunshine (translated - natural light which best displays the colours).  I sent those off to Auntie Colleen, so she could start considering.  As soon as I have sent her the final 4 pictures and she has chosen I will send the pictures to the next participant and post the picture of those chosen by Auntie Colleen and so on......... I have one sock to knit for the last pair and then the choosing can begin!  While all this choosing is going on, I'll start another six pairs for the men who are wanting new socks!

Here's a photo of my two favourite boys getting ready to do some cleaning............

A Few Other...........

.......... chores that Poppa has gotten done.  He did a few little things for Denis & Liz that I would like to show you.....

....... he planted a few impatience plants in the front flowerbed..........

............ he cleaned the grout in the master suite bathroom.........

........ he installed some baseboard in a couple of places where it was missing....

,,,,, he put a new curtain on the door leading to the pool area.....

............ this is the outside picture - you can see the nice new paint colour - Denis & Poppa did that before Denis and Liz went back to Canada.

He trimmed up all the plants surrounding the pool area....

.......... so that they will thicken up and grow new foliage....and he planted a couple of new plants in there to add some colour.........

..........as well as replacing the hibiscus bush which didn't survive the cold temperatures last year, with a little baby hydrangea tree which should grow to about 5 feet and is a little hardier for that particular spot.  Now all we have to do is wait for it to grow!

A New Nose...........

............. looks like this!  Here is Squeegie with his new nose!  He also has new eyes.  He looks so handsome and his sense of smell has returned!  I'm not sure if this is good or bad, since the smell of food makes him hungry even quicker!  Taffy...........

.......... looks just the same - except her head no longer falls forward all the time!  She sits up nice and straight - and she got a new outfit before she came home!  She is happy to be home and wore this outfit to church on Saturday evening!  Poppa and I missed them a lot while they were gone and were more than happy to bring them home again!  While they were gone, Poppa was doing things to fill in the time.  He....

........... fixed the kitchen tap .......... I have no idea what he did, but it works like a charm now.  He also....

...... cleaned the brand new vacuum cleaner and did all the carpets.  He was quite impressed with the new vacuum and seemed to take a long time to do everything thoroughly!  Then....

......... he cleaned the garbage bucket - but I was a little late getting the camera ready and just caught him after he put it back in its space - oops!  Following that....

........ he took a look at this folding door (which hides the laundry equipment) and decided he just couldn't leave it like that!  So...

...... he took the doors off, then carefully removed the track they fold on and.......

.......... took it outside to do some work on it.  Once he had it straightened to his satisfaction, he......

.......... re-hung it, did some adjustments to make it hang perfectly and ...........

......... ta-da!  It's perfect now!  He did a few other chores as well, and then.............

........... once we had retrieved the bears...............

.......... he took a day off to relax and enjoy his birthday!