Sock Show Thursday: Green and Purple...

In the fantasy world in my head, I have huge swaths of knitting time on public transit, at home in the evenings while catching up on my Netflix, and at cocktail parties where I'm well dressed and carrying beaded and funky project bags. Keep in mind that somehow at these parties I'm also imagining that I've had time to get my hair done.  Nowhere in this fantasy do I have an apartment that needs deep cleaning, a pile of articles to read, friends who are more of the beer than cocktail persuasion who I see over jeans rather than stilettos (that's perfectly fine btw), and trains that are often very crowded so I'm holding onto a railing and squished in rather than trying to wield pointy sticks.  

There were at least a couple of non-notetaking meetings this week and one day that I got a seat on the train for the ride home.  I should have knit at the annual doctor appointment (I'm fine) but hadn't expected to be kept waiting for 45 minutes and was reading a book instead.  I know. The horror. 

I have churned a bit more out on the green sock 1. I think I've got about 2 more inches before I turn the heel, though of course that's subject to the Philosopher's boots. He needs at least a six inch cuff, preferably a little longer. 

Ravelry Link: Green Ray
Pattern: My Vanilla 2x2 Rib sock
Yarn: Ewetopia Fiber Arts Merino Sockweight
Needles: 1.5 (2.5 mm)

I've made better progress on the purple socks. I'm done with Sock 1--hooray!

Ravelry Link: Royal Toes
Pattern: My Vanilla 2x2 Rib Sock
Yarn: Ewetopia Fiber Arts Merino Sockweight
Needles: 2 (2.75 mm)

I finished it during the Superbowl last weekend, when I wasn't chowing down on food. I made hummus for the first time, using my shiny new food processor. I also used the mandolin (vegetable slicer, not musical instrument)--well, the Philosopher used it and there were vegetables and pita to go with the hummus. Surprisingly, the veggies went first! I had cooked up a pound of chickpeas, we left hummus with our hosts and I still have hummus in the fridge. It's good but does take a little while to eat up.  

I did start into the next sock, as you can see, and that's been my meeting knitting. I was asked yesterday what I *do* with all of these socks. Do I wear them? Are they gifts? Wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy some? I said yes to all three questions and talked about my need for something to do with my hands, handed over the skein so the asker could feel the squish of the wool and we talked about being more able to repair the socks I made than the really expensive wool socks they've purchased that wear out almost equally fast. 

I did not mention to the person asking that she's on my list of people to surprise with socks, mostly because I'd rather it be a pleasant surprise than an expectation. Known obligation knitting I have plenty of already.  

A Slew of Sock Knitting

When I am avoiding other projects, I tend to sneak back to my sock knitting. While this doesn't get a whole lot of bigger knitting done, it does mean that I eventually end up with some socks that will go in the gift box for Christmas.

The Rainbow Stripes look done--but they're not.  I have cast off two toes of socks and for all intents and purposes I have two socks.  However, take a slightly closer look when I lay Sock 1 on top of Sock 2.

Yup--it's about an inch shorter.  I'm not sure how I thought that it would fit the size person it's supposed to be fitting, but it's obviously too small. So I finished the second sock, I'll rip out the toe, and I'll round up a test foot in the right size before these go to their new owner.  New thing with these socks--I've discovered I really like a quick 3 needle bind off for the toe. I decreased down to 8 stitches, whipped through the bind off and tada! I will also be getting feedback about the toe, if the ridge is uncomfortable.  

And then there's Pair Number 13--the Basic Black Socks that will go to an incredibly patient mother who has been waiting a long time for black socks.  While I won't call these unlucky socks, I will just mention that I have been known to wear the knitting bag attached to my belt loop and when one runs for a bus, dashes on last second, and slams bodily into a seat--the very sharp needles tend to poke through the fabric of the bag and into one's clothing and skin in the rump area. There was some yelping. No worries, my tetanus shots are current, cleaning was promptly administered, as was Neosporin. I'm still wearing a large bandaid but that's more obliviousness about taking it off than anything else. 

Another inch and a half and I can start the toe of Sock 2.  I'm really hoping to have these done before she comes to visit next week. I'd love to send her home with a fresh pair of wool socks. :)  These are being knit out of the Cascade Heritage and I really think I should get some more once I've used up a few of the skeins cluttering up Chez Hedgehog. It makes very warm and squishy but wearable feeling socks. I'm not worried that these will develop holes their first time out.

That's all on the sock front right now but don't worry...here's what's coming once these are done:

Wherein I Do Not Actually Slack....

Occasionally I feel like I'm not accomplishing very much on the knitting front.  I don't churn out lace like my sister, designs like several good friends, or various other large quantities of projects like some of the bloggers and pod/videocasters that I follow. However, I do have my little triumphs.

I realized the other day that the two pairs of socks that are currently on the needles are pair 11 and 12--for 2011.  Someone asked and I counted in Ravelry.  Since the beginning of the year I've knit

New Green Socks
Languishing Socks
Corn for Cristy
Indulgent Green Socks
What New Socks
Ugly Work Socks
Subtle Stripe Sunday
Purple Pond Socks
Footsies
Summer Sky Socks

Now, granted, I had been working on the Languishing Socks for a while and there is one pair of footies in there--but none of those are infant sized. 3 pair are for a size 9 shoe, the other 7 pair are for a size 7 shoe. Considering we're only in July (granted, August is soon upon us), I think it's fairly safe to say that I'll have finished at least a dozen pair of socks in 2011.  Quite possibly that number will be on the far side of 15.  Considering I've knit a few other things and I do work, that's quite a hefty amount of knitting I think.

So, those 11th and 12th pair

Rainbow Stripes is being knit out of the KPPPM in what I'm calling Easter Basket.  I finished the first sock a week or so ago, haven't cast on the second sock yet. I've been having some soreness in my hands, leftover from blowing them out in Michigan (knitting nonstop for about 36 hours) and size 0 needles really seem to exacerbate that.


The pictures are a little fuzzy---the colors are really painfully obnoxious with the flash so I went with fuzz over obnoxious bright.

And then there are the Do You Feel Lucky Socks.  *pause to praise, yet again, BMFA Medium weight for all it's squishiness* These are less than 10 rows from done.  I'm working on the toe of sock 2 and then they just need a quick wash/block.  So close....

And of course, because 12 pair can't possibly be enough, I now have a pair of basic black 2x2 vanilla rib socks that are intended for the Incredibly Patient Mother. No picture at the moment but imagine about two and a half inches of cuff on my size 1.5 needles. 

I'm hosting/attending a two day conference this Thursday and Friday, so hopefully in between taking lots and lots of notes and presentation summaries, I'll have some extra knitting time. Maybe. 

It's Too Darn Hot...

I'd like to say I've been working on my heavy purple wool shawl and that it's all done.  I have actually knit on it! AudioGirl and I had a Knit Night recently and I took it along. But it's a garter triangle and a picture wouldn't really show you much.  So we'll just stick to the socks, shall we?

No More Blue Songs:



The Summer Sky socks are done! I've finished with the Yarn Love Juliet Yarn. These were drug up to a cabin in Michigan, where I did a marathon day of knitting. They're on size one needles and are sized to fit my own feet. Last count of socks that will be gracing my drawer this winter puts me at about 10 pair!  I'm very excited to see how all of that turns out once colder weather arrives.

Putt Putt Putt:



Hey, these socks look like they belong on a putting green, now don't they? The Lucky Socks are, in theory, in the rotation, but they haven't seen much love since I got back from Michigan. That's right, I finished the blue and moved right onto the green.  All it took was a small change of project bag.

The strip is a little more subtle on these than the last couple of pair of BMFA socks that I've knit. That's perfectly okay with me. And since I already finished one with a foot my size, apparently these are staying at Chez Hedgehog too.  At least I know I'll wear them and love them, right?  Selfish knitting is no bad thing.

But I couldn't let the Lucky Socks get cocky.  They might truly take their name seriously.  And besides, I'm nearing the heel turn, which really makes them not all that great for meeting knitting. You know where this is going right?

Tada, more new socks!!

These are KPPPM, from the oops-I-fell-down-at-the-Loopy-sale-bin moment, and I originally called the colorway Easter Basket. Once I started on the socks though, the name was only too apparent.

Meet Rainbow Stripes


(Yes, I used flash, sorry--couldn't get a non-fuzzy picture otherwise)

This is 68 stitches on size 0 (2mm) needles. I cast them on Sunday evening and got a couple inches into the cuff while avoiding things I was supposed to be doing on Monday evening. And they are seriously spiraling. I expect horrendous pooling around the ankle.

And of course, I'm making these as gift socks.  Ah well, there are too few pair of handknit socks on people's feet. Hopefully they will appreciate and wear them.

I also have a skein of black sock yarn wound and ready to go. That's going to work as emergency knitting for the days I forget my project bag as I did Monday. My mum has requested black socks a couple of times, I need to get around to a pair or two for her.

Oh, and in case you were curious as to why there are no tails, ears, or whiskers in these pictures, never fear, I was being supervised:

Wade Amongst the Water Lillies

These socks were a bit of demonstration, a bit of test run, and ultimately, a bit of a path down a slippery slope.

It all started so innocently. Having had my size 1 9" circulars disappear in some parking lot or other (what I get for keeping my knitting in my purse), I grabbed a set of size 2 9" circulars the next time I was down at Ewetopia Fibers, whilst AudioGirl was visiting.

When we got back to Chez Hedgehog, I grabbed the Water Lilies yarn that I'd purchased at the same shop on another trip to demonstrate the efficacy of 9" circulars for knitting socks. AudioGirl tried but ultimately decided DPNs were more her style, though we agreed that for the first couple of rows, it's much easier with a circular.

These socks became a coping project. Supposed to be packing? Lets knit a row on the socks. Supposed to be having meetings and getting things cleaned up? Lost in the sock. So on and so forth.  There are many times in life where I feel very unsuccessful at many things. Despite much experience, I'm not the best mover. Transitioning jobs is inevitably stressful.

But through it all and even through avoiding all of my other works in progress...there was a brightly colored sock following me about. The sock didn't judge. The sock didn't nag. The sock didn't care that I was abandoning extensive to do lists to sit and watch an episode of Castle because I was completely overloaded.

Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures until I was nearly done with Sock 2...but still

Here's sock 1



Sock 2 on top of Sock 1--by the time I dug out the camera and had the energy to take pictures, I was nearly to the toe of sock 2.



Sock 2 alone...



The socks are both done now, but for weaving in the ends and a trip through the wool wash. They're wonderfully squishy and warm. I really should have bought another half dozen skeins of Kathryn's Merino sport weight before I moved.

Oh well, it means I use up some of the other gorgeous stash that I already have, right?

Another Week in Which I Barely Knit

Hi all--did you survive tax season? Are your papers and money sent in? I did mine once I got correct documents from one of my freelance clients (insert grrr here) and had that all off by the end of February/first of March? But I just sent in first quarter check for estimated. The joys of working for yourself--not only do you get to lose time in the evenings but you get to send in huge amounts of that money to the government! Yay.

It paid for my braces though, so I'm trying not to be bitter. And it looks like I'll have another/more opportunity(ies) for medical editing coming very soon, which is excellent. 

Knitting content?  Oh right..knitting blog. Hmmm

There hasn't been much knitting at Chez Hedgehog of late and I can't really explain why. I've been home in the evenings.  Some of it has been reading time--paperbacks and pointy sticks don't quite work. Yes, I know, i could invest in a very expensive e-book reader and then buy masses of books to read on it while it's on a kickstand of sorts--I'm a public librarian. I get most of my books from work. (Not counting the half dozen or so that have come this past month new/used from online sources....)

I did finally get the pictures up from the Knitting in Public Day at work--about which I'll actually be blogging over at Hedgehog Librarian because it was a library event. But the work pictures, taken by me and valiant assistant Laura, are here. I'm the one in the b/w dotted swiss blouse with a red tank underneath. Because both of the socks I had with me that day were at points that required more thought than I could devote to knitting, I cast on yet another sock that day, which I've since ripped out. Plain vanilla socks for me are 2x2 rib....I'm having some kind of issue with stockinette socks. 

More from the mailbag soon--because the postman has been buy with pretty things. I was leaving for work on Tuesday and passed him coming into the building. He knows I'm home Tuesdays to let him in for me or other tenants--other days he knows to try and get someone else to buzz him in to leave my boxes for me. He's really nice and doesn't seem to mind just how much I prefer to have shipped here rather than going to the mall.

In the interim, Gypsy's meerkat impression:

Oh Hai April....

Let's declare March the fabulous failure that it was and move on. There was some knitting in March. There had to have been. But dang if I can figure out what.


I started the month with a UFO List

One Multnomah Shawl
3 afghans (one just needs ends woven in)
One cat bed
One scarf (again, ends and blocking)
2 pair fingerless gloves
One pair socks
Various Washcloths
Whatever else is living in the one chair in the living room....

And I finished the month with an almost identical UFO list.

The washcloths are done. They're either stockinette with a garter border or just garter squares. Oooh, ahh, not very exciting.

I spent a lot of time working on an orange sock out of Merino/Cashmere/Nylon dyed by the Plucky Knitter (who has AMAZING colors btw). I would probably be on my second sock but for realizing after turning the heel that it was too big and I wanted it smaller. *sigh*....rippit rippit rippit. It's a plain 2x2 rib cuff, flap/gusset heel, with the top of the foot continuing with 2x2 rib. I know, you're yawning. I'll make socks, I just tend to not want to have to think about them.  A certain former roommate has implied that this is okay so long as any extra pairs appear in her mailbox.

I'm past the heel again on sock 1 and over halfway down the foot. I think I'm within ten or so rounds of starting the toe.  And then...I get to do it again. The suspense takes your breath away doesn't it. Be grateful I'm not torturing you with the log cabin garter stitch leftover squares that are my computer knitting. At least with socks there's hope for gusset flap excitement.

Let's change it up, shall we? How about the other sock I cast on towards the end of March:  a 3x1 rib!  The excitement, the chaos! At least it's Colinette Jitterbug. I purchased this yarn last spring on a trip to Milwaukee with The Master Sargent and yes, I've heard I need to set the dye the first time I wash said completed socks. A little vinegar in the initial rinse should do nicely, right?

The colorway is Kingfisher and it contains all of my favorite colors: black, purple, blue, and green. If you browse through my stash at Ravelry, you might have noticed a slight tendency towards these shades. Perhaps.

In case you're wondering, I knit my socks--and almost everything else circular--inside out. I can knit right side out but for whatever reason, it's more comfortable for me to have the right side inside.   I took those pictures today--so that's exactly where I am at: ready to pick up the gusset stitches on heel 1.  I know the cuffs aren't particularly long, Colinette is a little shorter on the yardage and I'd rather have leftovers than an odd colored toe on sock 2. Someday I really need to get Wendy's book and the scale my older sister swears by...


In the interim, I've been shopping and I DID cast on something new and actually challenging for April. Also...an expected unexpected surprise...



 

Olympic Knitting: Getting the Gold

I took on the challenge of Knitting Olympics 2010 and as the clock ticked down, I finished! As the closing ceremonies commenced I was whipping through the final rows of the foot on Sock 2 and getting through the toe. I was sad to see things end, having really enjoyed the furious frenzy of racing home to see a sport I otherwise pay no attention to, to cheer on athletes from various countries, and to see what many considered redemption as they gained their medals.

The figure skating was my favorite but I was cheering for bobsled, downhill skiing, moguls, speed skaters, snowboarders, all kinds...

On to the pictures:

Down the leg of Sock 1

Sock 1 is complete!

Finished the pair during the closing ceremonies--as can be seen on the TV.

Sock 2 with the handoff to Sochi for 2014

Pattern: Rocky Butte by Elli Metz
Yarn: Beyond Basic Knits (Sonoma Colorway)
Needles: Size 2.5 (3mm) --the 4" DPNs from KnitPicks. I'm getting better with them.
Why?:  Because knitting a pair of socks in two weeks is a challenge for me.  A big challenge.  I meander along on projects and this was a hard core deadline.  Also, I'm taking part in the LnV Fitness Challenge during the months of March and April and I wanted these done for the kick off.  To be honest, though, I don't really see myself wearing wool socks to exercise, especially as we've now hit the forties during the day. At night though, warm socks round the apartment are still very much appreciated.

Well Begun is Half Done

Now if only Mary Poppin's magic would work on the rest of the housekeeping so I had more knitting time...

I'm through Sock 1 of my Knitting Olympics Project!! Hooray! Much knitting continued this week as I, Gypsy, and a half-dozen of my friends-in-the-computer cheered Evan Lysacek on to Gold and I watched Season 2 of the Big Bang Theory.  I'm through disc 3--it's waaaaay too easy to say "oh, just one more episode" and suddenly it's the end of the disc. It means much knitting is getting done, though not much else.

I did immediately cast on Sock 2 and I'm through the top ribbing and into the first pattern repeat.  I have another week to get it done and things look pretty good at this point. If life can stay out of my way, we should be alright. Life, job, cat, books, intertubes...these things take up so much good knitting time.

I've been alternating evenings between the socks and the Clapotis.  It changes up the gauge and probably is good for my shoulders and hands, fewer cramps, but mostly it's because I can't face two days in a row of the Clapotis at the moment.  I knit and knit and knit and knit and knit on the straight rows and the third ball of Malabrigo that never seemed to get smaller. I know--it would be just awful to have a never ending ball of Malabrigo, but I'd like to wear this shawl before all of the snow melts.  As the past few days it's been up to the high twenties and sunny, we've had a fair amount of snow melt.  We're supposed to get more tomorrow though to make up for that, Wisconsin Winter hasn't had her last say yet.

I did finally finish skein three last night and joined skein four. Without dropped stitches it's slightly over 4 needle lengths long, so approximately 56".  I'm going to go for 60" before I start the decrease rows.  The goal is that it'll be approximately my height after I drop the stitches.

My height is one of those variable things that confuses people. For general reference: on an average day I'm 5'6" (167cm); on a good day I'm 5'7" (170cm) or 5'8" (173cm); on a bad day or during about 50% of the summer, I'm 5'4" (162cm).

Gypsy helped me measure the current length.

Stretched cat wide plus extended foot tall.

Olympic Knitter Skating...

Gypsy has pretty much had it with me.  Not only did I stay home for two entire days in a row, for three nights now I've plopped down with laptop and knitting needles and the television (which is never on this much at Chez Hedgehog) to engage in Olympic Knitter Skating and Commentary.

Commentary has been kept on Friendfeed, where I and some other library chums have communed with witty comments, judgmental opinions, and much appreciation for the grace and athleticism we saw. Together we gasped at the missed jumps, cheered the Chinese teams to silver and gold, and most recently wondered what the hamsters some of the men were wearing. Ruffles, corsetry, and a tassle all in the same male figure skater's outfit, really? 

I also figured out this evening where a small gray tabby has been hiding the bag of catnip.  She hadn't quite figured out how to open it yet, but I imagine it was only a matter of time.  And it explains why she wouldn't stay out of one of the cupboards. 

But there has been knitting!  I've worked on my Knitting Olympics Project:

I'm down the leg of one of the socks!  This photo was taken at the end of pairs skating last night.  Not bad for Opening Ceremonies through Pairs Gold, in my opinion. Particularly considering I had to completely rip it out and redo on smaller needles. That was a wise choice, btw, the rib is much snugger now and it will be a better fitting pair of socks. 

I'm using Beyond Basic Knits Sonoma Sock in the Brilliant Colorway of "Red-Purple" with size 2.5 (USA) needles.  It's squishy, knitting up very nicely, and it's a darker shade in the red family, which I prefer if red is being introduced into the palette. 

I've also been finishing the very last of the Christmas knitting. Yes, I'm aware it's February.  *sigh*  I have great ambitions each year.  This year I think everyone is getting a box of chocolate.  Well...everyone at work.

Anywho. Christmas knitting was most of today's knitting at Kiwanis and my Kids Group.

Then I made a mad dash home for the last two groups of men's figure skaters short program.  I didn't want to try and turn the heel on the sock while also typing and trying to watch the tv and mind a cat who has just about driven me crazy. So instead, back to February's project: My Clapotis.

I'm still working on the straight rows. I'm not-quite-halfway-through-the-3rd-skein-of-Malabrigo number of repeats into said straight section. 

For size reference, I'm knitting on 14" needles.  It's over three feet long at this point and it will be a little over two feet wide. I've not dropped all the stitches to the bottom because Malabrigo is sticky, which makes that a bit of a chore I save for when I need something truly mindless. I have another 1.5 skeins of straight to go and then a final skein for the decreases.  This sucker is gonna be massive--it's defense against the AC in June at work. 


And finally, a meta/pairs picture of my own: The sock on the Clapotis.  Fourteen days til both projects need to be off the needles. 

FINISHED: Primavera Socks

Gee...that only took a month from cast on to cast off.  Which would have been fine had I started on January 1 but no....I had to wait until we left for Egypt to start these socks, get a chunk into them, realize that I didn't like the yarn, rip it out, start over....

But while the Women's Moguls were finishing last night, I was whipping down the toe and sewing in the ends.

Project: Egypt Socks

Pattern (Rav link): Primavera Socks by Natalja

Yarn: Ewetopia Hand Dyed Sock Yarn

Amount of Yarn Used: 3/4 skein?  There's still a fair size ball left--not big enough to DO anything, so it's going in the leftovers bin.  

Gypsy's more concerned about who is chasing her tail....

Ducking My Head and Looking Guilty

I packed five skeins of yarn for the trip to Egypt.  I would have 18 hours of transition on the way to and just under 24 on the way home and those hours don't include the to/from NY.

I officially completed "a" sock and the ribbing on sock 2.

I know, I'm a little disappointed in me too. I'd hoped to get through an entire pair while on the trip at the very least.  That and the 11 books (no I'm not kidding, most of them were really short paperbacks) and nearly a gigabyte of podcasts.

I am caught up, finally, on Sticks and String.  I had fallen woefully behind on David, his cats, and the urban wilderness in his backyard and was happy to have a couple of dedicated hours where I could just enjoy his voice. I made a dent in the Cast On backlog too, and was grateful to have it when insomnia hit the last night in Cairo.

I had originally cast on in the Ewephoria Yarn.  Only, I recalled about 21 rows in why I have hesitated to use the yarn from that dyer--it is very splitty on little wooden needles. And I had wooden needles with me.  The prospect of doing M1R and M1L, repeatedly, on 2.5mm needles (US 1.5 I think?), with yarn that was splitting every single stitch wasn't a happy one.  I made it through the first round of the pattern repeat, got to the next round of M1 stitches and thought no, not worth it, I'll hate the socks by the end of it.

Ripped it out and recast on. Now I am using Ewetopia Yarn, dyed by owner Kathryn Ashley--who promises that a new shopping cart will be up on her website soon. Trust me, her sock yarn is GOOD.  It's soft, squishy, and so beautifully dyed. And in this particular skein, it's sport weight--so I needed to bring stitch count down a little to not end up with a sock that wouldn't fit.  Super dense squishy sock.  Yum. 

I cast on again before we left New York and despite flying out of JFK, through Paris/CDG, into Cairo and back--with all of the myriad layers of searches and security, I had no problems.  I am knitting on Harmony Wooden 4" DPNs from Knit Picks . 

On the plane I knit until I got too tired. Once we got to Cairo I had every intention of yarn everywhere with me.  Only, it had a pattern.  Perhaps it was not my wisest move to take a sock that required me looking at it.  In the evenings, I would knit, I promised myself.  But by Day 2 I wasn't feeling the hottest and knitting time turned into extra sleep time.  Six hours in the van to-from Alexandria? --I was in the back seat snoring.  By the last night though my hands were itching for wool.  I'd only gotten through a few pattern repeats and I couldn't come home with only the leg of one sock done, now could I?

So, into my ears when the headphones, on came Brenda Dayne, and I was rolling. Once we got to Paris and I was no longer sitting right on top of anyone, I really whipped along.  This last picture was taken somewhere over the Atlantic, about 5 or 6 hours into the 8 hours flight to JFK. 

I immediately cast on sock 2 and did finish the ribbing before we arrived at the gate.  At which point in time I was so exhausted that no more knitting occurred until I got back to Wisconsin.

January's Project: Primavera

Here's January's project on the "list of things to tackle": one pair of socks. I'm absolutely hopping up and down to cast them on, get started and zoom along. Only, I'm not starting any new small portable projects until I leave for NYC & Egypt on Saturday. This was a conscious decision I made while I was winding the five skeins of sock yarn I'm bringing for the 9 day trip. So I'm desperately wanted to tackle this and only this.  *sigh*....I'm being a good hedgehog and waiting.  Delayed gratification hopefully will mean fast knitting and it's not like I don't have holiday knitting that STILL isn't done.  

Pattern: Primavera (see sidebar)

Yarn:  Ewe-Phoria Yarns Handpaints  SockItToMe Superwash in Pacific

Needles: Knitpicks Harmony, 4" DPNs, size TBD.

I bought this yarn on Ebay a few years ago, while I was living in Chicago.  I have some other of her yarns and have had mixed experiences with them.  This skein could have benefited with a couple more ties to keep it from creative unlooping on the swift and not being moved/stuffed in a bin by yours truly for quite so long.

What makes this a new-skills project is that this will be the first "non-vanilla" sock I've done. I've done stockinette; I've done ribbing, but not a pattern.  As I don't seem to memorize pattern repeats instantly the way others seem to, this will be a challenge.