The Newest Sock

Here you go. Note the demon cat trying to take possession of the needles for his own nefarious purposes.

I love these colors. It's the Turquoise colorway. I love the almost wave-like ways some of the colors shift. I am doing an entirely stockinette foot. I think I'll do some sort of pattern on the cuff...perhaps just ribbing...perhaps something a little fancier.

Preparing For A Trip

So, I've been pondering for a while what knitting project(s) to take with me on this trip North. And the night before last I pulled out some of that Regia sock yarn designed by Kaffe Fasset. Such pretty colors. And last night I started a pair of socks out of it. (I read on Ravelry that the TSA is much more likely to let your knitting needles on the plane if there is knitting on them already. Though there really shouldn't be any problem -- the TSA pages say knitting needles are allowed. But I'm taking a self-addressed, stamped envelope with me, you betcha.)

I do love this toe-up sock pattern. You do this fun sort of cast on and increase-increase-increase for a little bit and, shazam, before you know it you have a hat for a hamster! Or a nose-cozy! Or, you know, the toe of a sock.

So that's one project. And really? We're only going to be away for a couple of days. I'm sure that one project would be enough. Especially considering that we'll possibly be visiting Webs. But I bet I take something else.

I could take the never-ending orange scarf. (I'm a little sick of orange now. But a woman in the office says that her mom loves orange. So I may be giving this to her and she can gift her mom with it.) I did see a nice hat pattern but I don't have the right sized needles for it. (Gasp. Amazement.)

I could take the pink heart socks that I've sort of put aside for some time but then I'd have to schlep along the book they're out of. (Sorry, ML. I will get back to them, I promise.)

I printed off a couple nice sock patterns from Ravelry...maybe I'll take one of them and some more sock yarn. But I only have one set of size 1 Addis, so until I finish the sock I just started...I couldn't start another one.

I could take along the yarn that I've been using to play around with the linen stitch. I have a rough idea for a cowl thumping around in my head...I could play with that some more.

Ah, decisions, decisions.

And I haven't even begun thinking about what books to take!!

Perhaps this evening I'll get a picture of the new sock on here. Perhaps. More likely I'll be blithering about what to take with me.

Ooooh, I'm A Weiner!

Some time ago I was the winner on Spare Room Knits' blog. The prize was a gift certificate to KnitPicks. It took me a while but I finally decided what to order and the other day it arrived.


I treated myself to two skeins of Essential in Hand-dyed Bordeaux and two skeins of Felici in Alexandrite. And two new Harmony needles, sized 7 and 8. I do so love getting packages in the mail and even more when they are (almost) free.

And I discovered that Hampshire, the college that Rachel wants to visit is just a hop-skip-and-jump from Webs. Webs!!! This could be an expensive yarn-shop tour. Uh, I mean, college tour.

It's Been A Quiet Weekend...

We didn't have a lot to do this weekend, so it's mostly been spent reading and knitting and napping. I did get a Loopy Ewe order on Friday. I've taken a group portrait this time...I'm feeling lazy.


From left to right...

Perchance to Knit in Almost Spring, Bellamoden in Falling Leaves, a Noro sock yarn (S226), and Shibui Knits in Finch. I particularly love this last one.

Current Reading

I realized last night that I hadn't updated my book list, or talked about anything I've been reading for some time. So...my actual current reading...the book I'm in the middle of right now is The Seance by John Harwood. I loved his first book -- The Ghost Writer -- and this one is shaping up to be just as spooky.

I'm also in the middle of Delilo's The Falling Man, which I'm not loving...just sort of plodding through...but also not giving up on.

And finally, I'm (again) in the middle of K.J. Parker's Devices and Desires, which is a dense and interesting science-fiction novel that I started ages ago. I still carry it back and forth to work with me...and maybe that's one problem. I have no time to read at work anymore...my lunchtimes are shorter and I tend to spend them knitting...and I don't think of taking it out of my bag when I get home.

But I've read some other good'uns since I last updated my list there on the right. Some of the more notable ones:

Chalice - Robin McKinley
She writes lovely fantasy novels. Not a lot happens in this...or at least, not a lot of what one thinks of as fantasy novel tropes...but it is intensely romantic. Lovely.

Sing Them Home - Stephanie Kallos
A story of three grown siblings whose mother disappeared during a tornado. An immensely satisying read.

100 Cupboards - N.D. Wilson
Children's fantasy novel...very good. I'm looking forward to the second in the series.

Little Bee - Chris Cleave
Little Bee is young Nigerian illegal alien in Britain who has affected, and becomes part of, the lives of a British family who met her in Nigeria years some earlier. Beautifully written and heart-breaking.

Starcross - Philip Reeve
Mothstorm - Philip Reeve
Two more books in the Larklight series. Very amusing. Victorians in space with lots of tongue in cheek humor and great footnotes.

Black Flies - Shannon Burke
A novel about a paramedic's year in Harlem. Grimly fascinating. I started this last night and stayed up until 1:15 to finish it -- helped by the fact that there are no chapter breaks.

Off to update my list, now. Happy reading!

No More Little Mister Second Sock!

It was hard to get this picture, what with Gizmo screaming "Get them off! Get them off! They're disturbing my nap!!"