quick trip out

 I decided I needed some things that only Kroger has, and then I thought "I might also like to go to Michael's and JoAnn's"

So I ran out this morning. 

On the way down there, the traffic on 69/75 was REALLY heavy. And at one point, surrounded by trucks, there was a vehicle hauling some kind of agricultural stuff was on my left hand side.. 

And then I heard a loud BANG

My first thought was tire blowout. (But I didn't lose control, I would have). Fortunately along that stretch there are a few businesses and some pulloffs and so I was able to pull into the gravel drive of a dispensary (most of the businesses along there). I jumped out and walked all around the car. I couldn't see anything wrong with the car - certainly no tire damage - and so I cautiously proceeded. (By then the traffic had thinned a little, too). 

I finally decided that maybe the trailer hauling the equipment hit a bump in the road and the equipment shifted, and I interpreted that as damage to my car. 

But I was shaken, and instead of continuing on all the way to Sherman, I pulled off at the first exit - the one leading to Denison.

I had not planned on going to the yarn shop, but you know? It's RIGHT THERE. And so I did

I had found a pattern for a pair of fingerless mitts knit side-to-side in garter stitch, out of double knitting weight yarn. DK weight is much less common in the US so I don't have a lot of it on hand, and I knew they carried it.

So I decided to buy a skein

It's called Desert City Wattage - a Dream in Color yarn from their Cosette line

I went to wind it off tonight and, as is sometimes the case of these kind of skeined yarns, one of the strands got wrapped funny and it wouldn't wind smoothly into a cake. So I had to take a lot of time to hand wind it into a ball instead

And dig out a pair of 4 mm needles, because of the way it's knit, straight needles seem like they'd work better.

I did get the cast on done (cable cast on, a less-familiar one for me) but that's all the farther I got. 

I did also go to JoAnn's (but skipped Michael's; my knee was starting to hurt and I had to do the grocery shopping)

Hallowe'en's already out

They had a tiny bit of fourth of July stuff out. I didn't notice if the Pride stuff was still out (which was a small endcap towards the back a few weeks back; perhaps that was done "defensively" as this is in Texas - though I will say in the town where I live I have seen a number of Pride flags - and they don't want people getting angry about it?)

but all the anatomically-incorrect skeletons, and also some kinda-witchy stuff (which....huh, they're worried about people being upset about Pride, but not about stuff that's witchcraft-adjacent or could be seen by some as invoking it? I don't know)

I did get to the grocery and get my stuff. My knee was hurting a lot by then. I don't know. I have good days with it and bad ones and I don't know why this one was bad - too much walking on hard surfaces? Having worn very flat and not-supportive sandals the two days before? 

I did manage to do some of a workout when I got home (the movement is a little different from walking on a hard surface) and did PT stretches in the hope it helps. 

I suppose it's also possible that I've got a LOT of inflammation going on from those stupid chigger bites (seriously: I have like 100 of them) and maybe that's adding inflammation to the knee. It did get a lot better after icing it. (I can't take NSAIDS so ice is about all I have)

I also struggled a bit this evening with my internet connection (though mainly it may have been that Bluesky was glitching out?) Anyway, I had to shut everything off and power-cycle the modem and router - though it may be getting close to time for a new router? I know I've run through a couple and they see to wear out. (Hopefully THIS will post - hopefully I resolved the problem)