Rite of Passage

Getting your nails done is a lot like getting your ears pierced. I remember when I was 13 that I went to the mall and sat down on the stool at the Earrings & Things store and commenced the rite of passage. I got the little diamond studs and they hurt like heck for days! It scared me when I thought of all the horror stories - girls who didn't swab with alcohol every night before bed. Their ears would rot off. It must be true! So I was a good girl and kept them pretty clean; as much as any young girl could. My mom pretty much reminded me.

So last weekend I went with my daughter for the first time to get my nails done. I'd had a friend paint them years ago, who was in beauty school. She did a great job, but this is different. It's like having a box of 64 crayons, brand new, and a giant scribble pad. I am thinking of colors to paint my nails like never before. I never cared. My husband has really encouraged me to do this, I think because he thought it would cheer me up. And my daughter couldn't believe it when I took her up on her offer to go with her to the salon. Stranger things have happened, but not many.
As rites of passage go, I'm delving into new frontiers with my knitting. I am feeling ready to dive into some serious cable knitting. I like lace, but this Leroy Brown sock (probably twice this long now; photo is a couple of days old) is a blast to knit! I love my little cable needle (my deceased mother in law's). It is smooth and vintage gun metal green.
Here is the swatch-a-week swatch, so you can see how quick a knit it must have been. Honking size 13 needles and cabled wool yarn. (6 ply).
My husband was working with a friend this week so he took a few of his stacked up vacation days and did some picking. They are a very good writing team and always produce a good end result.