When the Deep Purple falls. . .

. . .over Sleepy, Cabled Socks. . .WAIT! That doesn't rhyme!

But Deep Purple has been on my mind as I knit up this purple Knit Picks Stroll yarn(in African Violet) to go on my feet! Literally every time I take out these socks lately, I can see (and hear) Donny and Marie in my mind's eye. . .Donny and Marie in various purple layers of chiffon. . .Donny and Marie in purple jumpsuits with purple sequins all over their shoulders and belts. . .Donny in a tuxedo with a purple tie and vest, and again with the sequins. . .Donny and Marie fashion dolls in the very outfits they wore on TV for their variety show. . .Donny with his endless supply of sparkly, purple socks. . .

Of course, my socks are not sparkly. Not at all. Not even a little bit. But sparkly yarn is sometimes itchy, so I didn't even look for sparkly yarn. . .I am sure it is out there, but I didn't even look for it. Truth be told, I wasn't even planning on making socks with this yarn. . .I was thinking about a striped baby sweater with this, a lighter purple and a sage green. Then I made up my sock kits for this year, and I thought, "Why not purple socks?!?"

Trivia alert!: "Donny was known for wearing purple socks as a teen. Though most fans believed it was because he liked the color, it was actually because his mother and sister found purple socks on sale, so they bought a whole bunch."

(Disclaimer: I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this bit of trivia. I can, however, attest to the fact that it is trivial! Here is where I found it - TV Trivia)

Soooo, here I am, about seventy-five percent finished with my second pair of purple socks this summer. . .I hope that I have enough purple in my wardrobe to support that! (I think I do. . .snicker!) Of course, the socks are wool, and I am all about the sandals this summer, so I won't be wearing them for awhile. I guess I won't worry about it just yet. . .maybe I will get me some purple yarn in the same (or similar) shade, for a fall/winter sweater! Oooooh! More yarn! Oooooh! I love yarn! Squirrel!

Since I am finally distracted from the purple socks, here's a little peek at my latest, fluffy project. The yarn is Bernat Baby Boucle, and I like it pretty well, but it's a bear to rip back, so I am trying to watch really close as I go. . .more details later!

And the latest jewelry to debut in the shop! See the sweet pink and brown beads? Because variety is the spice of life!

I'm thinking that if Americans were to start eating with this tiny 3/4-inch silverware, obesity would be less of an "epidemic!" But I'd rather have them on a row counter! What would you like to see on a row counter? Leave me a comment to let me know, and. . .

Knit in Good Health!

Keep your Fork...and your Spoon...and your Knife...

So, I have been busy, but this is really what I want to share today. I heard the following story in church once, and I loved it. I hope you like it too.

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal Illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order", she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important," the woman continued. " I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. "That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked.

"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor.

The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork'. It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?'.

Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork...the best is yet to come". The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming.

I found the story online here, so I copied it to share with you. It was one of the first things I thought of when I received my tiny knife, fork and spoon charms from CatChic on Etsy, as I planned what kind of knitting jewelry they would become. How cool to always be able to have your own silverware with you...especially with the holidays looming!

And, since I nearly always debut my new designs here, I really wanted to share the new counters I made yesterday with you all first! What d'you think?

Medium 20-row counters in the photos above and below.Small 20-row counter in the photo below.

So, save your fork, y'all! And knit in good health!