the Akamai Knitter

I think I’ve broken the Sock Curse. I was able to finish the Jaywalkers on Sunday, but with one caveat. Despite the decreases I made, they are just a bit saggy. Look at the excess fabric rippling out.

They still feel good on the feet and as you can see the sagging isn’t a complete disaster.

Project specifications are as follows:

Started: 3/1/07

Finished: 4/1/07

Yarn: Socks That Rock in Mist

Needles: Size 1 Knitpicks Classic Circulars

Modifications: I decreased for the ankle, but otherwise left the pattern alone.

Despite my initial misgivings, I really enjoyed this pattern and I will definitely use it again. I like how simple it is and how it compliments the hand-dyed yarn. It’s a great project to take along when running errands and it works wonderfully when at the Aloha Knitters meetings.

More good news! Cookie is home!

Despite the sad and worried face, she is quite happy to be back. I still have to take a trip back to the doctor with her today to learn how to give her subcutaneous shots of fluids. We will have to do that for about a week. Honestly, the whole idea is scaring me silly but I’m willing to do anything for her.

I should also add that, much to Cookie’s dismay, Bosco has been utterly fascinated with her since she arrived home. I’ve been trying to run interference, but I think that I should ultimately let them settle it between themselves.

The cat drama doesn’t stop there either. Pressie is at the doctor today to get her claws checked out. She’s been getting tufts of Bosco-fur stuck in them and when I removed some of it yesterday, one of her claws started bleeding profusely. Rather then just leave it alone, I thought it best to have her checked out. Cats here tend to get fungus on their claws due to the high humidity in our climate.

One final note, I called Knitpicks today and a replacement needle is on its way to me! Thanks to everyone who let me know that they would do this for me. Their customer service is really fantastic. Now if only they would lower their outrageous shipping and handling charges to Alaska and Hawaii.

Lately it seems as though nothing has gone right with my sock knitting. It all started when I sloppily finished off a sock too soon, thus making it too small for anyone in my family. Indeed, not only did I knit a sock too small for my size 7 feet, I knit a sock too small for my mother’s size 6 feet.

After realizing I knit a sock for a small child, I decided to just go ahead and cast on for the second sock and forge ahead. I would just fix the first sock at a later date. I got past the heel of the second sock and was happily decreasing the gussets even though the heel on the second sock looked odd to me. Mightily odd. Oh no. I forgot. To. Turn. The. Heel.

I was too frustrated to document this fiasco, but can I just say that I’m glad I hadn’t gotten too far before I realized this? A friend, who would like to remain anonymous, did admit to me that she finished a sock before she realized she made this mistake. So maybe I’m not a complete dolt. But this was not the end of my sock knitting escapades.

I decided to give the Mona socks a rest and switched to the Jaywalkers. I happily knit the heel flap of the second sock, carefully measuring the heel flap so that it came to 2.5″. I knit merrily on to the toe, then I thought that I best try it on just in case. What did I come to find?

Baggy heel! Excess fabric! Apparently, the yarn that I’m using, STR, is extra stretchy. I only needed to knit about 2″ for the heel. Apparently, I had not made a note of this with the first sock since I am a shoddy note keeper as well as a shoddy measurer of heel flaps.

So I braced myself and pulled out the needles to begin the frogging process. Look what happened then!

I was completely aghast as the cable of my beloved needles popped out of the needle itself. I am completely indignant as I have never heard of this happening to these needles before. Has anyone had this happen to them? I was able to shove the cable back into the needle, but I’m really not confident with how secure the join is. If it popped out once, it will pop out again. I’ll have to call the company and see what they can do, if they can do anything at all.

Luckily enough, I do have another set of needles in the same size handy so I was able to keep on knitting. Honestly, I think I’ve caught the Sock Curse. You all might want to take a big step back.

To start the month out right, I give you Glorious Green from Fearless Fibers.