Christmas stuff and more

Here's what I'm working on now, my first picot edge sock with short-row heels. I've done short-row heels on cotton socks I gave away but never on wool and never for myself. There are heel gaps, but I think I can ignore them.

My knitting gifts were great: a Clapotis-style scarf, some LL sock yarn, and the Yarn Harlot's book. Also pictured (not a knitting gift) is a cute matchbook notepad with a squirrel on it that will be much better than the receipts I usually use when I'm out and want to jot something down.

These socks went to Virginia a while ago. Still love that pattern.

Busy busy

Busy knitting.
One of the Mason-Dixon washcloth patterns is available free (PDF from the pattern author, I think, which makes it OK) on the Internet! I don't have to track down the book now. (Update: That pattern drove me nuts so I didn't make it.)

I started the heel on the recovery socks yesterday and hope to mail them Wednesday at the latest--that's the surgery date!

Gifts

I gave this pair of fingerless gloves to my mom. Man, I have a bony wrist.

I started the green diagonal ribs last night, and sock 1 is going well.

Feedback requested

I've decided to use Knit Picks Essential in grass for an urgent project: recovery socks for someone who is scheduled for surgery later this month. In my head, this yarn was slated for Embossed Leaves (IK Winter 2005), and that's one of my potential patterns for these recovery socks.

Look! These Embossed Leaves are even knit in the grass color. I'm not sure lacy socks are what I had in mind for recovery socks, though. I haven't knit this pattern before. Resizing instructions from the author mean the socks weren't the right size for a lot of people. I doubt that's an issue for me, though.

Other possibilities are

Retro Ribs (IK Winter 2004). I haven't knit these before.

"Bed Sock in Lemon Pattern Fancy Knit Stripe" (sounds a bit like "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"; from "Knitting Vintage Socks" by Nancy Bush). These seem just right for staying in bed. They are supposedly stretchy, so the fit would be easy to get. Gauge, however, I'm not so sure I'd get on the first try. The ribbing continues to the bottom of the foot, making these socks potentially unwearable with shoes, which may or may not be a drawback. Not too many people have taken photos of these socks. I think I only found one photo of someone wearing the sock, which looks very different on than off the foot.

As I write this, the Interweave site is down. "Knitting Vintage Socks" has corrections I need to check out.

Diagonal Ribs by Ann Budd (Interweave's website)
I've knit two pairs and like the pattern a lot. I could do these again with no problem.

So, let me know what you think.

Fiber everywhere

There's cotton in deodorant now. I'll give it a shot, but I'm skeptical.

I ripped out the Fleece Artist sock, made a much nicer picot edge, and tried to spice up the sock with Mata Hari again. But I don't like it. I'm going to rip it back and go with plain stockinette stitch.