Knitting? Not.

I don't think I've knit a stitch since my husband returned last weekend from a trip. The lacy sock requires too much concentration and I'm making ankle socks I'm just not sure about. For some reason I think ankle socks look funny unless they're all white, and these aren't.

You may have noticed I've joined "Socktoberfest." Apparently if you even think about handknit socks in October you will satisfy the requirements for participation. And there are prizes, so I'm in.

Where'd you go for coffee?

My husband brought me a latte in a cup I didn't recognize. Turns out it was a Starbucks cup featuring the original logo. I'd heard about it but never seen it. The company is only doing this for a couple of months in its Washington and Oregon stores to celebrate its 35th anniversary. A Washington school principal (pictured here/kidding) is not allowing these cups in her school without a coverup sleeve. This principal should not seek a job in Virginia, I guess. You can read about the evolution of the logo here and here.

Picot

I've seen lots of pretty socks out there that have picot cuffs so I wanted to give it a try. I'm not ready to cast on a new pair of socks so I just did a little swatch cuff. I followed the directions here except I did not use a crochet chain of waste yarn. I just used the "open cast-on" from Vogue Knitting. It was a lot more work than a normal ribbed cuff, but it's pretty. The drawbacks of the picot cuff are that it's thicker (there are two layers of yarn for a few rows), inelastic, and can flare out from the leg a bit. All of these mean that the socks could be slouchy.

Don't think so much

Turns out I was doing nothing wrong. I'm supposed to have two fewer stitches after that round; they reappear later. So I'm back on track.

I've never really seen the need for sock blockers. But I made a one anyway from these instructions. If nothing else, they are useful for photographing socks.

It's not you, it's me (I think)

You can see the lacy holes straight on, but they disappear easily. And this lacy sock was going fine until row 13, when I would *lose a stitch somewhere, unknit it, try again.* Repeat from * to * approximately a dozen times. Nevermind that row 13 is the same as row 3, and that went fine. Argh.

Rain!

It's raining again. For the first time since June. And it's sunny while it rains, very common here at certain times of the year. Our gutter at that corner doesn't work so well. Hope it will be an easy fix. Don't you love our lawn? It will get green again soon (from the rain). Here are some grey socks to match the grey skies.
I have no memory of knitting the second one; I honestly thought I'd succumbed to second sock syndrome. They're for my husband.

Not working

I started Mata Hari socks with my Blue Moon Sock Candy yarn, but it's just not working. It looks OK here but looks worse when I put it on my leg. So I guess I'll rip it and do something else with the yarn (plain socks). The yarn (cotton/"elite" and much less elastic than other cotton sock yarns I've used) does not hold up well to reworking.

Gift Socks

I made socks for my friend Tasha after this yarn caught my eye. I thought it was perfect for her because it's cotton and brown and blue, the colors her wedding party wore one year ago this coming Sunday.

Completed Jaywalkers

I finally felt ready to tackle the Jaywalkers over Labor Day weekend. I hadn't touched them in months because I'd discovered a second mistake I'd made, one I wasn't willing to live with. I was afraid I'd have to start the sock all over but actually managed to rip it back to the scene of the first mistake, which was in the gusset, and put it back on the needles. The sock flew from then on and I love the way the yarn (Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Icehouse) patterned. I used size 1 needles and the larger (84 stitch CO) size. They're not all that easy to slip on, but they fit well once I get them over the heel.

Closeup photo, not so true coloring:

How very Charlie Brown Christmas

Go read about this piece of sidewalk art in Seattle. I love that there are so many updates for concerned fans.