I was finally able to get my socks on the needles this weekend. After being turned away from Romni, Lewiscraft and Knit-o-matic, on Thursday I decided to call the LYS near Scott: The Knit Cafe. Not only did they have a set in the size I needed (2.5 mm), but they would be open till 9 p.m. As I was going into the city that night to see 2/3 of my Angels, this was beyond good news. I think I squealed.

We got to the store on stitch n' bitch night, only to find both of Scott's roommates knitting for their impending baby. (Could you die from the cuteness? That is going to be one funky baby, with both parents so crafty and so goth.)

I cast on for the socks Friday night, and was able to turn the toe and get 6 rounds into the lace pattern of Falling Leaves while the Boy & I watched "Childstar," the excellent Don Mckellar movie. Something was troubling me as I went to bed, but I decided to wait until morning. 12 hours and 6 rounds later, I looked at my work.

Large stripes. Lace. The result was, I venture to say, fugly. I looked up the pattern again to remind myself of why the author recommended variegated yarn with short lengths of colour, and as I looked at the pictures, my unease deepened. The Boy was non-committal. So I took a shower.

Given hot water and a chance to mull it over, I realized that I was trying to juggle too many design elements. In Falling Leaves, the lace is the show. In these socks, the lace was battling it out with the stripes, and no one was winning. Option 1: frog it, stash it, buy more yarn (groan. When can I get out to another Toronto yarn store this month??) Option 2: tink the lace, reknit with stripes (boring. I want my pal to love the socks!). Option 3: get new yarn, make Falling Leaves with the new yarn, knit up the stripes as basic socks for the next birthday girl (what if no one else I know likes earth tones?)

I went with Option 2, and am slowly regaining the ground I lost. Once I finish the in-step I should have a better sense of the way the piece will turn out and if I can bear to give it as my Sockapaloooza contribution.

Due to a really boring congregational meeting, I was able to get a grand total of 4 1/2 inches knit. I'm really starting to like the darkness of the stripes. On the other hand, my attraction to this sock may stem to the fact that I was born half-way through the 70's.

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- Rocketbride's adventure of 2/19/2006 04:14:00 p.m.