shorty socks

And more socks.

They look more or less like the other socks that I’ve already finished. I did the longer cuffed socks first, now I’m just trying to squeeze out a few pairs of the shorties out of the skein ends.

There is something innately satisfying about looking over and seeing a flock of socks form on the corner of my desk.

I haven’t exactly been very definite lately.

Me? A sock knitter?

I seem to work best in bursts. After a stint of yarnlessness (it was really not pretty) I went through a bit of a knitting related dry spell.

Actually, if I hadn’t been for the knitting this week I would have probably gone off the deep end.

It’s been a rough week for me. Not to sound cynical, but I learned (for the umpteen-thousandth time) that people who have a track record of flaking off will not randomly metamorphose into reliable and trustworthy butterflies. It’s one of those lessons that I think I’ve fully integrated, then I relapse and start with the whole irrational belief that people are generally benevolent.

So, with this kind of frustration I figure it’s best to put yarn on my knitting needles before I succumb to the temptation to violently stab them into human flesh. Because that sort of thing is generally frowned upon in polite company.

Where it is now.

Hopefully when it’s out of the washing machine, it’ll be suitably felted and appropriately sized to my Amsterdam teapot, then I’ll slice a openings for the handle and the spout.

I cross my fingers.

I’ve finished one light blue Garden plot square and started on the second one.

The squares are coming out nicely, but I have to work considerably less on them because the cotton has no give and makes my wrists ache.

My friend Opal sent me some delicious handpainted fiber in a care package which enabled my latest knitting project.

Can you tell what it is?

It’s a spiralling scarf. Constructed like a flat doily, the only difference is that I didn’t stop making sections when it reached a circle, I just kept knitting the segments until I ran out of yarn.

The last bit of embellishment needs to wait but the plan is to put beads and coins on the outer segment corners.

And I’ve been knitting!

Possibly the ugliest socks I’ve made to date. The yarn is Lion Brand sock yarn, I forget the colorway (or I’ve successfully blocked it out of my memory because it’s so fugly.) The needles are sized 1 us (2.25 mm.) The first sock is finished except for that fussy bit of weaving in the toe and the second sock is underway.

I’m hoping that there will be just enough yarn to knit a teeny hand grenade out of it (the colors are appropriate.)

I have absolutely no clue why I would buy that yarn. None. What the heck was I thinking?

Now she’s a big girl, and at the end of this summer she’ll be a whopping 5 years old.

Now it takes a dedicated evening to come up with almost a pair of plain jane socks with short row heels and toes; almost but not quite a pair. Pictured is where last night tapered off.

For her part Lexi takes these delays for finished socks in stride. She’s very analytical about it, pointing out that it takes much longer to make Josey socks because his feet are “very very huge.” (Which indeed, Josey does have gigantic feet for an eleven year old.)

We also managed to work a new camera into the budget. R.I.P. old camera, you served us well right up unto the middle.

Buying a new camera that was within the budget was a difficult task. First I had to get the husband into the store. This might have been easier had I not divulged the fact that it was to purchase a new piece of electronics. (Note to self: next time hint that they may have a sale on Star Wars items and start a rumor that they are giving away free cookies.)

Then I had to actually get him to compare cameras, we’d chosen another camera awhile back, made comparisons on function and agreed that it was indeed the best one. So I’ll admit that choosing another model (as in a model that we could afford right at that very moment) was probably a bit of a shock to his system. He kept saying “If we wait we can get this one for only $110 more.” and I kept saying “How long will that wait be?” and he kept shrugging, so I’d answer his shrug with “We need one to get us through that wait.” and then he’d repeat “If we wait we can get this one for only $110 more.”

Lather, rinse and repeat for the next 40 minutes.

Let us not forget that while I only want a camera to document every second of my adventures in motherhood and knitterly activities, the husband actually needs a camera in the course of his professional life (as in if he doesn’t have a camera he can’t send very important photos to his clients in order to be paid.)

Eventually this all lead to buying the camera that we could afford: Canon PowerShot A470. Which, as it turns out Matt is absolutely delighted with, and I’m not going to turn my nose up at the macro setting. As my friend Opal points out “It’s all about the macro.”

That’s cool stuff right there, having a last minute knit request from a teenager. Of course we can’t do anything that isn’t video game related, he wants a hat and bag like Link’s from Legend of Zelda. I have the bag finished. The hat may have to wait until after Christmas, but I have the bag nearly finished (I just need to crochet the draw string to the appropriate length and run it through.)

I am so in love with this stitch pattern, the yarn I could live without, but the stitch pattern is yummy. Actually I shouldn’t disrespect the yarn, yes, it’s freakin’ Red Heart, but it’s not nearly as icky as I expected. And being plastic sometimes has its advantages, like the possibility probability that said teenager will probably want to throw it in the laundry every now and again.

Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, the brown yarn doesn’t lend itself to showing the stitch pattern in a photo.

I’m behind on my other holiday endeavors, usually I’d be done with cookies, but since I managed to contract the flu, I’m going to hold off on preparing baked good until I’m officially non-infectious.