Two Steps Forward & One Step Back

I'm trying to concentrate on finishing something, anything. I realized that I didn't finish one thing, one item, not even one afghan block in all of July. Somthing must be done. So just this week I finished Clara's First Socks--and cast on another sock, because really who can resist knitting tiny, self-striping socks? You only cast on 24 stitches. You only knit 2" of leg, then 10 rows of heel flap, pick up 6 gusset stitches (6!!), and then knit 3" of foot. I knit the leg of the next one during the City Band concert the other night. That's one hour, folks, with time out for enjoying the music and clapping. Anyway, seeing how darned cute the first pair turned out, I decided to knit one, just one, of a couple more colorways of that same yarn so that Clara will have a pair for formal occasions, but have some mismatched onesies for casual days--and Knitting Nights where she'll see her Auntie Barbara who also never wears "pairs" of socks.


Sticking with feet, I put this ankle sock away knowing that I royally screwed up the short row heel and didn't want to deal with it up at The Clearing. Yesterday I took the baby socks out of my bag and put the Easter Egg Ankle Sock in so that when Skully came to the shop to knit for a couple hours I'd have moral support when I frogged the heel and picked up all those stitches to start the heel again. I have a lot less trouble ripping and picking up if I've got someone to talk to me while I do it. If I pay too much attention to what my needles are doing I get frustrated and screw it up, so thanks for your chatter yesterday, Skully.



I've been beavering away at the Summer Fever Shawl now that I have the corrected pattern. I'm liking this 80% cotton/20% wool yarn and the cool gray green and cream color. It goes fast on size US10 needles too.