This past week, I got back in touch with my dear, long-lost Pipe Major, Lars Sloan. 
[Yes, "my" Pipe Major: I played in his band in my mid-/late-twenties. This is me, circa 1987-88, enjoying the Texas Renaissance Festival from a different perspective.] 
Lars is an incredibly skillful piper, and I was not that good a drummer, but what does all this have to do with knitting?
– It reminds me that a knitting deadline is coming up! I have been hoping that by July I would have made significant progress on my kilt hose knitting. Several bagpipe teachers will be coming to Flagstaff in mid-July, followed by the Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Festival on July 19-20, and then the Highland Ball/Football in Kilts in August. [NB: I'm the 3rd adult from the left in the "Clan Flagstaff" photo on that page, along with DS, DH, and one little DD all to my right.] I’ve promised Lord Scott a pair of customized kilt hose, and I want to have them ready enough to show other kilted gents at the piping school and festival.
That’s a while off yet, but I have alot of work to do! I need to:
(1)finish knee socks,
(2)compare socks-that-fit to leg-measurements to see about ease,
(3)construct a cuff sampler to show Lord Scott for his perusal,
(4)knit the actual hose for him, & that by July so that I can…
(5)show hose to other pipers and see if they want some too!
Here’s the current state of the prototype socks: 
I have finished the Spectrum Square-topped hat, but that will have to wait for a later post — I’ve gotta get back to “work”! TTFN.
Oh, P.S. Check out the new link in the sidebar Blogroll: “Live Webcam”. That links to the camera on top of my next-door-neighbor’s roof and gives you a live picture of the San Francisco Peaks (if it’s daylight).
Those hose are great. Bright and cheerful too.
Now I must ask Angela about this cryptic uncles thing when I see her tomorrow at knit night…
How wonderful that you are still involved at least peripherally with the pipes. I do remember the piper at your wedding. Was that Lars?
BTW, in your further down posts, it looks like Chloe is quite the little personality. Looks like you got a good one.
Oh, yes. That was he. Remember how everybody jumped when he started playing?! Here’s a link to a photo (of a photo) of him piping us out of the chapel.
Oh, and bea. I edited the post after your comment was written so the “uncles” reference is no longer visible to more recent readers.
Oh, I do remember well the moment when everyone jumped. And I remember Lars’s unusually blue kilt. And I remember when Uncle Warren (may he rest in peace) whipped his harmonica out of his pocket and joined in and your Mother wanted to KILL him.
LOL! I can imagine!