Inching along

I'm still working on Gran's sock. I'm not as far along as I would prefer, but I'm farther along than I thought I would be. Playing Florence Nightingale doesn't leave as much time for knitting as I would like. Fortunately, my mom has come up to help shuttle everyone around and dispense medications, hugs and smooches. Everyone was feeling a bit better and Mom was here to help cover all the bases, so she encouraged my husband to take me out for a quick bite. Because my life's schedule and my knitting schedule are refusing to synch up, I had Gran's sock with me. (I am knitting like a mad fool.) I made up my mind to get over my fear of the dark, well really it's more of a fear of knitting in the dark. I just know I'm going to be moving right along making record time and then while showing off my amazing progress, discover that there is a huge error two inches back, (Don't ask how I know this can happen. This is not the season for such a tale of woe and despair,) but I digress.

I was working on the sock while we waited for our drinks. I was knitting while we waited for our appetizer. I was still working when the entree came out. It was too much for our server. He could contain himself no longer. He refilled our drinks (again... I love that!) and asked, "So what is that you're weaving?" I smiled and told him it was a sock I was knitting for Gran. (I feel compelled to gently correct the slightly mis-informed youth.) I waited for his non-committal, "oh, that's nice" reaction. He looked at me and with a big grin said, "That's so cool!! So is it going to be a sock with a heel in it, or just a tube? She's going to like those." We spoke for a bit about how difficult turning the heel would be (not terribly) and how close I was to the deadline (terribly). He assured me I could make it and I mentally adjusted his tip a bit higher.

In lieu of having actual pictures of the second sock, I'll recycle the shot of the first sock. I debated using the rest of the first skein and pulling to the right spot to make the stripes match. Then I thought about it a bit more. I have to use both skeins anyway, so why match stripes up twice. I popped open the new skein matched up starting points (very nearly) and went to work. The benefit of this is that I can reference the first sock to show you my progress.

The second sock is currently at the first bright blue band (I've actually knit two rows of the bright blue.) I had to estimate where to begin, so the green part of the toe is a smidgen bigger on the second sock, but at least it gives you an idea.

I was enjoying my meal and entertaining the prospect of actually ordering dessert when it hit me.... my eldest's class party was today. Some genius had volunteered me to bring not just cookies, but brownies as well. (Just call me Einstein.) That's OK though, cookie batter and brownie edges make a fine dessert and I subscribe to the theory that goodies which are broken or used for quality assurance, have no calories. Now if I could just figure out how to bake and knit at the same time...

Derailed

Well, I was right on track for a while there. I started Gran's second sock, but didn't get as much done on it as I would have liked. Winter weather paid us a visit, but at least it didn't settle in like it did for our friends Up North. Then over the weekend, the baby developed a beautiful ear infection which we found out today has turned into pneumonia and the three year-old (who was fine at the doctor's office) woke from his nap with an ear-ache. It's like that commercial, "Life comes at you fast..."

Oh well, I still have the chance to knit in the waiting room tomorrow and there's always the 8 hour trip back home. I'll have these knocked out in plenty of time. Besides, Gran always said, 'Loved ones are far more inportant than things any day. Keep your priorities straight." I bet she'd be OK with one and a half socks if need be.... as long as she gets to hold the baby.

Right on track

Today, I celebrate... well just a little. It's not like I'm actually finished with Gran's socks, but I have cast on the second one. I showed the first one to Mom and it got her stamp of approval and I got the OK to declare it finished. Of course, in my true style, I have simply left the stitches "live" just in case I decide the leg should be longer. (This decision has resulted in my using the yarn for my provisional cast-on as a stitch holder for the leg stitches, so I now have three balls of yarn involved. What can I say? I apparently enjoy living on the edge.)

My brain feels bruised from working on a PTO agenda (two copies, one with notes and one without.) It's an issue every month, but is doubly important this time as I won't be running the meeting. I'm feeling a bit better after the procedure, but not well enough to tackle that. My throat still gets sore pretty quickly (My kids seem to be enjoying this a wee bit too much. I may have to come up with some extra housework for them.) Add to that the time spent creating a card for the students to stick a Polaroid inside (I hate fighting with my software to get it to do what I want it to do instead of what it will allow me to tell it to do. Aaaaargh.) and I'm ready for a big bubble bath and a giant bar of chocolate. Oh well, in lieu of that , I'll take a snuggly quilt and a few hours of sleep. Tomorrow, onward and upward with the second sock...