Ode to my Socks

Maru Mori brought me
a pair
of socks

knitted
with her own
shepherd's
hands,

two
socks soft
as
rabbits.
I
slipped
my feet
into them

as if
into
jewel
cases
woven
with
threads
of
dusk
and sheep's
wool.

Audacious
socks,
my feet
became
two
woolen
fish,
two long
sharks

of lapis
blue
shot
with a
golden thread,
two
mammoth blackbirds,
two
cannons,

thus
honored
were
my feet
by
these
celestial
socks.

They
were
so
beautiful that for
the first time
my feet
seemed
unacceptable
to me,

two
tired old
fire
fighters
not
worthy
of the
woven
fire
of those
luminous
socks.

Nonetheless,
I
resisted
the
strong temptation

to save
them
the way

schoolboys
bottle
fireflies,
the way
scholars
hoard

sacred
documents.

I
resisted
the wild
impulse
to place
them
in a cage
of gold
and
daily feed them
birdseed
and rosy
melon flesh.

Like
explorers who in the forest
surrender
a rare
green deer

to the
spit
and eat
it
with
remorse,
I stuck
out my feet
and
pulled on
the
handsome
socks,
and then
my shoes.

So this
is
the
moral of my ode:
twice
beautiful
is
beauty
and what
is good is doubly
good
when it
is a case of two
woolen
socks
in
wintertime.

                      Pablo Neruda

Sock/Visa progress

I got the second version of the petition letter today, and I already submitted it to the embassy. I'm so happy I cannot stop knitting.





Of course, this cheerful colorway helps. I don't usually use variegated yarns much but I'm loving this one. It's called "funny blue". I like the pattern too. It's very easy and in my opinion goes very well with this yarn. I'll be doing the heels soon.

Chocolate Socks

I finished the spouse's socks. I wanted him to model them but the socks are still moist.


Now that I'm done, I feel like starting another pair. Browsing around I came across an Opal sale. I like the look of Opal yarns but I've always been too cheap to try them. This time, at $11.10 per skein, I went ahead and ordered some. Of course, that means that I should at least get started with some of the sock yarn from the stash.  I chose some Regia Schachenmayr in funny blue, and Nancy Bush's Gentleman's Fancy Sock  pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks. I'm knitting backwards, from the toe.



The toe up method with a figure 8 cast on is good for lazy knitters like me: I did not knit a swatch, I just casted on 16 stitches and increased until the toe felt right on my foot. The toe is a little pointy but otherwise OK.

On the visa issue, I've no idea when I will get the second version of the letter. I need to learn to be patient and stop worrying. Marlena suggests finishing the pink thing so I can wear it in Mexico. Mexico City will not be warm enough for me to wear it, but if I have the chance to escape to the coast, then I might!

Back to the Knitting

Yeah, because this is a knitting blog. So. Here are the chocolate socks. I'm making a cuff, even if the original pattern does not call for one.



And, here's the pink thing. The back is now as long as the front. Too bad the weather does not call for sleeveless cotton tanks anymore.



As you might have guessed, classes have kept me busy. Jobwise, there's great news: They want me for the lab position! Now it all becomes a different bureaucratic matter: The petition letter they write needs to please the US embassy so I can get a new visa. The first one was returned requesting revisions. These are going to be interesting times: The semester ends in less than a month, and during that time I need to travel to Mexico and change my visa. I have no idea when, so I cannot discuss the dates my professors in advance. They know about the job situation and they have been very supportive, so I am hoping they don't mind me being away during finals or handing in final projects early... or late.

Menstrual Stem Cells

Yes, I'm going way off-topic. Also, this poor blog has had no attention for a long time. Instead of showing you pictures of my sad wips, I bring you this link for a press release.

It's cool, isn't it? Finally something good's coming from your monthly mess. If you were too lazy to click on that link, I'll summarize it for you: Your menstrual blood contains stem cells that may one day save your life or that of a close relative. And, how convenient, there is a company willing to store yor menstrual blood for a fee.

And yet, the press release contains this little statement: "The use of these unique menstrual stem cells in pre-clinical studies
for human cardiovascular, diabetes and neurodegenerative regenerative
therapies is under evaluation."

Pre-clinical? This means they have not done anything beyod the petri dish, maybe a  mouse or two. In other words, no human being has been treated with menstrual stem cells. I wish the company's website were a little more clear on that.

I'd give you that website, but you will easily find it with a google search. And I suspect it will soon pop up in many internet ads, too.