So, they were finally done. I had to rip out a whole evening's work because I had an extra stitch. They were great when they finally were finished and Jessica graciously agreed to model them, as you see in the picture. Now, I've started a pair of "Trekker" sox for my youngest niece, Marisa. The guys want pairs as well. I'm going to be very busy, but I'm staying away from the stretchy yarn. The pattern is Miriam Felton's "Simply Trekking Socks" and it is working up very nicely.

I went to the NYC Knit Out last weekend and was fascinated by Betsy Ioannou's demonstration of magic loop and two sock circular knitting. I thought I got the gist, but it doesn't work for me when I try it. I wonder if that's because my circular needles are over 40 years old? I never enjoyed circular knitting much, and found double point knitting to be easier. Just my luck, the new thing to try is knitting with circulars. Another challenge I've set myself up for. I think I'll just buy a new larger circular to try it again, and then see if it works.

I stopped knitting before to take a picture of Lula. She climbs over anything I'm doing if I'm in her path, and knitting is no exception.

I have been avoiding the socks, but Jessica's birthday is coming and I want to give her the socks as part of her present. I am looking forward to the Knit Out tomorrow. I've never gone to one. I don't know whether to bring the socks with me. I can see knitting on the subway, but I don't want to look silly walking around with them. Oh well, it is a knit out after all.

I finally learned how to add a picture, so here goes...
THE SOCKS!

It is a very strange feeling to actually continue working on a kniting project that isn't coming out the way I expect it to. I'm knitting a pair of mock cable socks in sokketta yarn. The yarn is more elastic than I expected and the yarn isn't working up the way I thought it would. I stopped working on it for two days and thought it was going to end up one of those abandonded bags of yarn, but somehow the second sock is getting done and I like them a lot better than I thought I did. Is there a lesson in these socks? I wonder.

Because reading blogs seems to only partially satisfy the need I have to connect to other knitters, I thought I would try starting a blog to see if that adds to the experience. As a neophyte blogger I am more nervous about my computer skills than I am about my writing and knitting skills. I learned to knit when I was a child, picked it up again many times over the years and have only recently become obsessed. How could I not have known that having really good yarn and needles in your hands could be theraputic? Of course it can be frustrating as well. I'm trying to learn the life lessons that the work doesn't have to be perfect, and when the less than perfect becomes too much, there is such a thing as a "do over" in knitting. Too bad the rest of life doesn't work that way. Lois