Thanks for your good wishes. I am feeling a bit better, but I came home from work early all the same. Definitely not 100% yet.

Several of you asked about Lucy’s new toy — the KOARC left info in the comments on what it is — and here it is again:

The toy is readily available at most drug stores. It’s a Hartz “Birds of a Teather” toy. Here is the product detail.

Lucy actually had one of these toys before, which she enjoyed thoroughly. She either wore it out or it broke — I can’t remember which.

Pensguys asked:

What kind of spinning wheel do you have? (The one you can see in the video). You have another one too, right? I think I’ve seen/heard you mention it before.

I actually only have one wheel — I sold my others. My wheel is a Lendrum double treadle upright. And I haven’t spun in ages.

I am still working on the Garden Party shawl. In fact, I’ve rounded the center point on the edging.

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I hope to finish it this weekend.

And here’s another look at my sock-in-progress — a heel close-up.

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I did the increases on the bottom of the foot, as I mentioned yesterday. Here’s a bottom-of-the-foot shot.

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Okay, time to get back to my furry little nurse.

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I called in sick to work today, with sinus issues — bleah. While I am busy shoving salt water up my nose, Lucy offered to entertain you.
Here’s a video her daddy made of her, playing with the new toy he gave her for her birthday.

(There’s a video embedded there, Bloglines readers.)Thanks for all the nice comments on the photo of my pile of paper and CDs yesterday. I won’t say anything else about it for the present, except that it won’t come to fruition for about a year, I think. These things take time. Oh, and it is not a monograph on tool use among Sumatran apes. A million years ago when I worked for this organization (long before it was computerized) we abstracted an article on tool use among Sumatran apes. Some science team received a grant to research that topic. During the time period of the study, they observed one instance of tool use: an ape broke a branch off a tree and used it to scratch his butt.That was a article that got passed around the office, lemmee tell you. Along with “The Ergonomics of Toilet Seat Sitting.”Yeah, good times.Where was I?

Here is the slightly different sock heel I was working on. It fits the foot very nicely. The increases are on the bottom of the foot instead of on the sides.

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The Numma Numma Toasty sock yarn I’m using is very aptly named. Boy, is it ever numma numma! Very soft and lovely to knit up. Almost makes me forget that my face hurts.

Pass the salt water, please.

Lucy sez:

“When Momma doesn’t feel well, I lie on the dining room table. She is powerless to stop me!”

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Or, in this case, 28,979 words.

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Excuse me, I need to lie down.

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Today is a federal holiday in the U.S., and Lucy and I celebrated by going to the veterinarian for Lucy’s annual check-up. We girls really know how to party, eh?

Here is Lucy before her appointment, never suspecting what she was in for.

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Lucy got a clean bill of health, and was very happy to return home, where she is spending the rest of the day relaxing.

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I cast on a sock.

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This is Numma Numma Toasty sock yarn in the Georgia Peach colorway. Just looking at it makes me go all J. Alfred Prufrock-y. But in a good way.

I’m just doing a plain toe-up sock, as you can see. But I plan to try something slightly different with the heel. We’ll see how that works out.

And I’ve just started the edging on the Garden Party shawl.

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This is a very deep edging, so I still have a long way to go on this shawl!

Lucy says thank you for all the birthday wishes! She had a wonderful day — she got a new toy and had poached chicken for dinner.

After dinner she arranged some of her old toys in a formation that no doubt means something to her.

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And then she had a nice nap in her Daddy’s lap.

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I spent most of the weekend working on a stealth project, but I did do a little work on the Garden Party shawl.

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And I think I’ll start a pair of socks as well. Remember the story about the shoemaker’s children  who had to go barefoot?

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