The Sock Saga Continues

The best part of Second Sock Syndrome is that when you finally finish that second sock, sometimes years later, people think you really knock out a lot of socks.

I'm a very slow knitter. Not that I knit slowly, but I complete slowly. First off, I have very little time to knit unless my commute includes things like overturned motor homes on the highway in my path. (It did on Friday--someone else's misfortune was my gain.)

Second, I have a bad case of startitis, meaning I always have lots of projects on the needles (just ask the folks who have to keep bringing me new needles! Thanks, Jane!) so it takes awhile to finish one thing.

Anyway, it's a huge victory dance in the Pug household when something actually comes OFF the needles.

The pink and purple babies above were started at least a year ago and have survived the Huge Noro Bag &*(%-up which resulted in many tiny balls of pink and purple yarn and lots of curses. Of course they did survive better than the Rats-a-frackin' Noro that caused the problem, which went straight to the trashcan. The yarn is J.Knits North Carolina, size 0 needle.

Next, behold the Gorgonzola Opal Big Feet. Yes, Ellen, you're right. I did knit the foot about half an inch too long, and thanks so much for bringing it up. If you think I'm going back to unknit a pair of toe-up socks that took FOREVER to knit, you can forget it. I'll pull that gorgeous short-row heel back a scootch and no one will ever know. Size 1 for the foot, 2 for the cuff.

Did I show you these before? I don't care--they're so bee-yoo-ti-ful you get to see them again. They're toe-up from Storm Moon Knits and I bought the yarn last year at the Celtic Knot Shop in Ellicott City, MD when we went to Maryland Sheep & Wool (the store has recently opened up again under new management and I don't know the new name). Unfortunately Storm Moon is not dyeing at the moment, but if she starts again, I'll be there. (I have one more skein of this yarn stashed away, in the Crocodile Rock colorway--it's the same color Joyce is using in her shawl and I think I bought the last skein available on the Storm Moon Etsy shop.) 56 stitches (this is a beefy little yarn!), size 1.

So, are you dying to know what's taken these guys' place on the needles? Well, I'm dying to tell you. First, Pomatomus, an incredible Cookie A sock and something of a cult sock (but since it's me we're talking about, a three-year-past viral).

This shows the sock in its current state, coming into the home stretch before the toe decreases. Here's an older picture that shows a little more detail of the pattern:

I'm SO in love with these socks!

And the latest car socks. What? You don't have car knitting? Oh, well, that's probably because you don't commute 43 miles each way in Atlanta's rush hour traffic. And when we say "rush," we mean, "crawl."

Now here's the thing about car knitting: By definition, it has to be pretty brainless. You really don't want to be tracking a traveling stitch or trying to find a dropped yarnover in traffic. And don't ask how I know.

This is lovely Lion Brand Sock-Ease which was sent to me in a swap. I've never used it before and I'm quite pleasantly surprised. I thought it might be rougher than some of the sock yarn I've been using (Opal, for instance, which also feels a little scratchy at first), but it's got great stitch definition and I think it'll soften up a little when it's washed. The needles are size 0.

Don't you just love it when you have a day that feels like you accomplished something?