It Was All Legal

My Baba (Grandmother) called me last night. This is unusual as my Baba is a very busy lady what with producing dozens of perogies each week, baking bread, playing cards and floor curling with her lady friends, she's a very busy 82 year old. So it's a treat when Baba calls. It's an even bigger treat when she tells me she has a surprise for me. I won a red ribbon and $5 at her local county fair. This is even more impressive if you consider the fact that I didn't enter anything. However, my Baba feels compelled to enter whatever she has on hand into the fair. She often does very well. She was the reining local expert on noxious weeds until they eliminated the category. No competition, I guess. See, my Baba will enter every category she can, even if she needs a little help every now and again.

A couple of years ago, my cousin went to the fair with Baba and was admiring all her entries. Red ribbon for a beautiful loaf of bread. Red ribbon for her gladiolas. Red ribbon for her plate of assorted rolled cookies including my cousin's favorite chocolate-chocolate chip cookies.

"Baba," said my honest and just cousin. "Those aren't your cookies. Those are J.'s cookies and she keeps the recipe secret so that no one else can make them and she'll continue to be invited to family functions. You didn't make those cookies."

My lovely Baba had to confess that she's run out of time to make the required 3 types of cookies and spotted some that I had given her hiding in her freezer. She added them to her plate and together, we earned a red ribbon and $5.

Now, this story got around and finally found its way to me. I called my Baba on it and she told me I could have the ribbon if I gave her my recipe. Sly woman, my Baba. She still has that ribbon.

Last Christmas, I gave my dear Baba a pair of handknit socks. They were a little lacy but nothing to lose sleep over and I thought they'd keep her feet warm. She entered them in the fair this year under my name ("It was all legal", she said on the phone) and I won a prize for a pair of socks that Baba won't wear because they're too nice. I'll be wowing her with some Cookie A socks this year and I know she'll appreciate my effort and will keep them in her drawer because they'll be too nice, too. But I'm still going to knit them because I love her.

This is my Baba and my daughter about a year ago. Aren't they cute?

Just so you don't think I'm not being productive, I've got a little pic of clue #4. I had a little trouble with the eyelet lace row and was a stitch short at the end. I set it down last night and went to sleep but tossed and turned, partly due to the huge thunderstorm and partly because of my mistake. I tinked back 3 rows and everything is right with MS3.

(Please note the new carpet in the background that we had installed this weekend. Did you know you have to turn the AC off so that the carpet won't be too stiff to lay? I don't make this stuff up.)

And I finished a Fawkes sock and cast on another. I don't love the heel on this one. Next time, I would do it in my usual way. But I'm very happy with the colorway and I think I 'll love wearing them.