Not a Rockin Sock

Before I left for the Cape, I faced the knitter's biggest dilemna -what knitting do I pack (as opposed to mine non-knitting friends, which, I and the Italian customs officer discovered at the border checkpoint between Switzerland and Italy,is how many condoms do I pack -- and from the size of the ziplock bag that the border patrol held up, laughing, the answer is more than one per day). Not only what goes with me on the plane, but what goes in the bag. The bag was easy - I was taking my Black Bunny and my Print O' the Wave, which has been sadly neglected (but I'll get to that in a minute, and offer rationalizations as to why this had to be so). Anyway, almost of all of my knitting is on Addi's, and while I knew that knitting needles are still allowed on planes, I was nervous - I did not want to sacrifice my Addi's (you never know - I could take them into the bathroom, melt them down, and turn them into sparklers). So, I thought about taking my Jaywalkers, but that thought was accompanied by the thought that they really are too small, and need to be ripped out and begun again -- but then again, maybe they don't, and I think I'll put that decision off for another day.

So, while I stressed about whether to take a cab or a the train (see several posts below), I also worried about plane knitting, and what to take. So, I got up early (not that I ever had actually fallen asleep), and like a nutcase, cast on a pair of socks with my Claudia Handpaint at 5:30 a.m. Like a madwoman, I finished the cuff before I made the final decision to throw caution to the wind (and my bank account), and spring for the cab. I knit in the cab, I knit in line at the airport - and of course, the inevitable questions - what are you knitting? who are you knitting it for? This age-old misconception that knitting must involve gifting. And, as we've all experienced, why does my knitting become an invitation for talking?

Anyway, by the time I actually looked down at my knitting, I hated it. The fabric was too loose, and even though my size 1 wood double points were plane appropriate, they were still the wrong size. And, down to zero's I went. And now . . . I still don't like it.

I thought I loved this yarn, this colorway, but now I'm thinking not so much. Maybe it's the pattern I'm using, Lupine Lace, and the way the purple is pooling all on one side. But, I had no problem tossing these socks aside after they had served their purpose, entertaining me on the plane.

Oh, but I wasn't done with socks on the Cape. As I mentioned below, we took a little trip to the Lobster Pot lady, who graciously agreed to sell us a few of her orphan skeins - and behold - my cashmere socks, dubbed Orphan Socks:

I can't even tell you how yummy these feel on my feet. Everyone needs a pair of cashmere socks. In retrospect, I would make them more stripey, and mix up the colors more, but truly, these socks were about they way they feel, not the way they look, at least for me.

Hmmm . . . so you've noticed that one toe is not quite done. Well, I'm in no hurry to finish the toe - a. because it's September, and b. because Christina did such an excellent job grafting the first toe, I think I'll let her graft the second toe -- why mess with perfection!

Now, the Print o' the Wave. Yes, the wedding has come and gone at which I intended to wear Print o' the Wave. Before I left for the Cape, I of course, got a manicure -I attempted to knit a repeat of Print - but every row I was making a mistake - I think I was on pattern overload - when you've repeated a pattern so many times, that the next repeat is such a drudgery that you just can't get anything right . . . anyway, to save Print from any further unknitting (or horrors - ripping!), I put it away for awhile, and have been concentrating on Sarcelle, which just does not photograph as beautifully as it looks. I've finished the increase section, and am a little bit into the straight rows. Hopefully, it will become photographable soon, because it is a good knit, and I want to do it justice.