My Sockapaloooza socks are done and basking in the sun. These were knit on size 1 US double point needles in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in the very pastel Happy Valley colorway. I used the slick Jaywalker pattern, but cast on only 68 stitches since I tend to knit really loosely. I also added a little picot edge, since the pastels seemed to demand a delicate frilled edge instead of a ribbed cuff. I really do love the Jaywalker pattern. It's just the thing when using handpainted yarn like this. I like seeing how differently the color pooled from the leg pattern where the zig zagging goes all around the sock and on the foot where I zigged on the top of the foot only. Neat stuff. I do hope that my Sockapaloooza recipient likes these. I'm fretting about my color choice, though. (Feel free to roll your eyes disgustedly and say in an exasperated voice, "Jeez, Jess, get over your obsession with worrying about the socks being too pastel-y. We're bored already with your insecurities.") Anyway, now they're just waiting for the mail date coming up. I hope my Sockapaloooza girl doesn't have a problem with cats. For some reason, our morbidly obese cat, Natasha Babette, seems drawn to these socks like a magnet. Normally, Natasha (or "Tatonka", as we refer to her, you know, the Indian word for "buffalo" from the movie "Dances With Wolves") is only drawn to her feeding bowl, but for some reason, she seems to like these socks. No matter where I put them, she finds them and drops her substantial girth on top of them.
I even did a very scientific experiment with the Sockapaloooza socks, the cat, and the new pair of socks that I just cast on. These new socks are also knit out of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn, but in the Purple Iris colorway. The bright eggplant purple and green are decidedly non-pastel. So, in my very scientific experiment, I put both socks out for the cat. She showed absolutely no interest in the new sock, but instead, and predictably, went for the Sockapaloooza socks. Final conclusion: my cat digs pastels.
I'm excited about my Friday night, as I have the house completely to myself. Aaah, bliss. Our son's Webelo scouts are camping tonight. My husband asked me if I was coming along with them to camp. I very demurely declined. (Read: Snorted loudly at the suggestion.) Our kid's scout troop has decided to camp out at least one night every month of the year. I'm willing to bet that my husband won't even bother to ask me to come along during the winter months, as he can figure out my answer ahead of time. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing whatsoever against tent camping. I am an outdoor girl and I enjoy camping. It's just the idea of eight or nine ten year old boys, their fathers, and me camping does not even begin to entice me. Perhaps if they were camping at a really neat site, I might reconsider, but they're camping in one of the scouts back yard, in the heart of midwestern suburbia. No thanks. I'm quite looking forward to having the house to myself tonight. I'm planning on knitting with sole possession of the tv's remote control. It's going to be so nice to watch TLC's "What Not To Wear" without having someone sigh deeply and ask me if my show is almost over and if they can switch the channel to the History Channel or the Military Channel. Yup, it's going to be blissful.
Those socks turned out great! Your sock pal will love them I'm sure.
Natasha is not morbidly obese! You're going to give that poor sweetie an eating disorder by saying such things. No wonder she purges on your carpet. :-)
Posted by: Rachel | April 21, 2006 at 10:03 PM
i'm jealous. i NEVER get alone time. evennow, when the kids SHOULD be asleep, i just caught liam turning his light off. he said "i don't feel good." my response was "go to sleep, you're tired!" he's 13, and a big pain in my arse. sigh.
the socks look great. i'm rolling along on the pomatomus socks. the leg has 3 repeats, and i'm almost done with the 2nd repeat!
Posted by: minnie | April 21, 2006 at 11:06 PM
Well I hope you thoroughly enjoyed your Friday night and managed a few more little snorts when you sank into the comfy sofa, glass of something nice in hand with your hand firmly clasped on the remote. I can assure you I would snort very loudly too ;)
Posted by: Tracy | April 22, 2006 at 03:21 AM
OMG, Jess, your Friday nights sound just like mine! Though sometimes I think Wayne reallly likes WNTW...LOL... I had the remote alone last night too, till he got rained out of the bball game and came home with some Cold Stone Creamery ice cream! And then he fell asleep during WHTW. Oh and the knitting... love the socks. I'm sure your pal will too... how could she not; they are gorgeous and so cool. I'm doing my first pair of "magic loop" socks.
Posted by: ~jane | April 22, 2006 at 02:37 PM
A military channel? Who knew? Of course the golf channel is on 24-7 here. Our cubbies used to camp at the beach -- which sounds cool until you wake up with sand in every possible oriface. Yuck. No bears though.
Posted by: colleenadams | April 24, 2006 at 12:50 PM
Oooh... they are wonderful-y pastel-y. Your sock pal will love them! I really like the lacy edge instead of the ribbing!
Posted by: bfmomma | April 25, 2006 at 09:27 PM