Week-End - The Wonders of Wool and a Great Fruit Fly Trap

This week I have been on the sofa or recliner with a fever and congested head. UGH! Not fun, as you all well know. It started out as a sore throat so I began using Echinacea tea and also making tea with Defend and Resist tablets by Shaklee. But, alas and alack, the bug got the better of me. I ended up with a fever for a couple of days. And you know how a fever can make you so cold that it feels like you will never be warm again? And how it feels like it is coming from inside of you all the way to every limb you have? Well, after I had felt like that for a couple of hours I got the brainy idea to don one of my wool hats and a pair of wool socks.

Ahhh, right away, the chills began to subside and I laid the rest of the evening(s) all cozy and snug, with fingers and toes tingling in delight at the warmth.

Wool is so wonderful. Have I ever mentioned how wonderful wool is? Oh, wait, I think I did here. tee-hee. But I'm going to do it again, only better. When I give spinning demonstrations to a group of adults, I usually touch on a few benefits of wool, such as:
1) it is a great insulator, even in the summer. That's why even in the desert, wool is often used for garments (at least in former days - not sure about now);
2) wool absorbs a lot of moisture before it starts to feel gross and clammy;
3) when wool gets wet it releases a bit of heat so it continues to keep you warm;
4) wool is a flame retardant and has been used for a long time in race car drivers' suits;
5) it's totally natural and, in fact, does sheep good to be sheared
6) etc., etc....
For more information on wool Google it or go to Amazing Benefits of Wool and Facts About Wool - Devold. But there are many more sites on the web touting wool.

But, back to ME and my hats! During the two evenings when I felt the worst I wore a Faire Isle hat I had made and kept. It is the same color chart I gave in Baby Love, #2 but I used #6 and #8 sized circular needles, 16 inches long and cast on 108 stitches. I got this particular design motif, the primary motif with the diamonds, from a great book called 200 Fair Isle Motifs  by Mary Jane Mucklestone. (The link takes you to KnitPicks but I think I got it from Amazon.com.)

The other hat I wore has a fold-up ribbed brim and that gave me two layers of wool on my cold ears. I wore that during the day when I sat and stared, napped, or knitted (when I felt better). I made this hat in a cable knit class. I just took that class last fall, shortly after the Faire Isle hat class because I had always wanted to learn cable knitting. Once I did, I discovered that I don't love it! Too putsy. But I'm very happy to know how.






And speaking of how wonderful wool is, which I was doing above, I love, love, love my Acorn Felted Wool Slippers. I especially appreciated them this week, and extra 'specially with wool socks.









And one last point to this winding trail. I saw the first sign of fruit flies this week. And determined not to let this bug get the better of me, I put out my wonderfully ingenious fruit fly trap. It is a tiny little ramekin with water, a dollop of apple cider vinegar (to smell like aging fruit) and a drop of dish soap (to break the surface tension). It is amazing. Without the soap, they would be able to sit on the surface and drink the cider. But they fall in and drown!! I've been wondering why the little buggers were so late this year - I've been waiting with my secret weapon. For the record, I did NOT invent this wonder but last year bought traps. Then reading the ingredients and searching on-line, I found this homemade version and it is exactly like the traps I bought!

And look well it works! And that's in about 2 hours.

Because I rested so much this week and when my head was clear enough, I did finish another Faraway, So Near shawl - #3 that I will show in my next post. Love that pattern.

Have a great weekend.