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April 09, 2007

The Oddest Things Come in Handy

What comes after a big Easter dinner (mini-crabcakes with cilantro pesto, lamb stew with sherry vinegar and garlic served over mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus), and before the pound cake and Irish tea are served?

This, of course:

Sock_measuring_device

Like any good hostess, I had to take a few moments to measure my guests’s feet.  One’s birthday present is quite late and another’s birthday is coming up this summer, so out came my tape measure.  Realizing that you get a better foot length measurement when the person being measured is standing up, I remembered my handy dandy shoe sizing gadget, purchased at some flea market a few years ago.

I wasn’t measuring for shoe size, but there’s a reason shoe stores use these things.  They create a hard, even surface for the foot so you get accurate numbers.  I marked the size of each foot...

Measuring_foot

...then used a tape measure to find out how long that was in inches.

Measuring_measurement

Everyone’s sock measurements are now a part of his or her permanent record, taken down on this little card courtesy of The Loopy Ewe

Loopy_sock_measure_card

Since it’s on a fancy card like this and not some random scrap of paper, there’s at least some chance I won’t lose my notes before I get around to making socks.

Best of all, I now feel entirely justified for having bought my shoe size contraption.  At the time, it was one of those things which prompted the Master Engineer to say, “What are you going to do with that and where will you put it?”  I don’t always have an answer for that question immediately but most times, the answer does arrive eventually.  I now know exactly what to do with it.  Where to put it?  Still working on that...

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Comments

That is so cool!

Genius! That is so glorious. Whether I've got that contraption or not, it's a great idea to measure everyone at once. Good one!

That does it. I want a foot measurer, too!

Thank goddess I don't have one of those - my boys would be measuring Frankie the pot-bellied pig's hooves, the dog's paws, the birds' claws, the lizards' grippers, not to mention the assorted dirty toosties of all the neighbor kids. Come to think of it, I'd probably be doing those things too, ha ha ha!

What a cool party idea, though, I bet everyone you measured was impressed and not just a little excited.

I think that every house should have one-especially with how fast kid's feet grow!

Can I just tell you how jealous I am of your foot measuring device?!!

That is so cool! I know I'd probably see it and go, "Oh, I'd never need something like that." But now I'm green with envy that I don't have one :-)

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On the Needles

  • Net Bag of Justice, in Ty Dy cotton, Painted Desert
  • Secret project, in Sugar N Cream cotton
  • Seraphim, in Colourmart cashmere/merino, camel
  • Secret Project, in Nashua Sitar, Gypsy Wagon
  • The Big Lace Shawl in black Peruvian Alpaca by an unknown maker
  • Honeybee Stole, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Laci in Oregon Red Clover Honey
  • Secret Project in Malabrigo, Azul Bolita
  • The Eternal Cardigan, aka The Station at Alnmouth cardigan, in dark brown Classic Elite Montera
  • The M.E.'s Cannon Beach Socks, Yarn Pirate in Cannon Beach

Having a Little Rest

  • The Snuck-in Scarf, Malabrigo worsted in Red Mahogany
  • Islamorada Scarf, Skacel Meditation in blue
  • Second Yellow Torture Sock, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock
  • Mother Bear 3
  • Mother Bear 2

I've Seen the Saucers...My UFO's

  • Basic Hound Hoodie, in navy blue Reynolds Kitten
  • Table runner I've started over three times, Crystal Palace Party
  • Blue pullover, Phildar Phi'Lin
  • Patchwork cardigan in Lamb's Pride, from VKN Fall 1990
  • Wide ribbed turtleneck pullover for which, I regret, I do not have enough yarn, from VKN Holiday 1986
  • Frisby Lace edging for a pillowcase, in DMC crochet cotton
  • Scarf for Warming Families, in gray & white Cascade 220.

Cast of Characters

  • The Master Engineer
    Best husband ever. In the whole universe. Really.
  • Dr. Evil
    No, that's not his real name. But as the resident trickster in the Mystery House, he earns his title every day. Cutest small criminal in America.

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