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I had PLENTY of extra sock yarn left! I got kind of chicken though as I was finishing the leg part of Sock #2, and substituted a stripe of a pink that really DOESN’T match. (See next pics). These almost turned out a matched set too except for that Gawdawful pink stripe. Not sure what was different about the toes, because just when I thought I was going to come out with at least a shred of redemption - and have the feet striping match - the striping’s “randomness” started to reappear. Not that I care, because I’m not EVEN in the same city - let alone “ballpark” - as those who are able to make their socks match by finding the spot in the yarn that they should start their second sock with. And, quite honestly, it really doesn’t matter to me that they match. I hate constraints like that. So…in keeping with my fine tradition of less than perfect results from just about anything I make…here’s my pretty colored Opal Petticoat socks. The colors remind me of the Arizona high desert and I’m happy with them. Oh my goodness - they soften up like a DREAM after being washed! Best place to purchase this yarn that I’ve found, and the world’s sweetest vendor is Astrid’s Dutch Obsessions eBay store. I believe her eBay name is”woolaholic.”

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We’re enjoying a cooler day today - only around 90 degrees as opposed to what seems like 190. Daisy wanted to mention that it’s getting a little easier to tolerate going outside for a moment to fetch a dog biscuit one of her humans tosses out there for her to fetch. She obliges our bribery attempts, and uses the occasion to take care of any other necessary back yard business that may be pressing.

OTN (”on the needles”) is Sock #2 around the heel and closed up the gusset and nearing the toes/finish line. Will there be enough Opal Petticoat left for the entire foot? Stay tuned to find out! 

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It won’t be quite as blued as the one in the book - and I actually prefer the more burgundy color, but I think this yarn will do nicely for Misty Garden in Scarf Style. I recently also got the yarn I’m going to use for Ene’s Scarf, but that one will be waiting until I’m braver - or perhaps a time when things are quieter - which Summer rarely is. I much prefer the slower pace of Fall/Winter, even though it’s not like we’re constantly running hither and thither during the summer. Just seems like there’s a lot more things that need doing in the longer summer hours, and the shorter days of Autumn and Winter lend themselves to such things as a nice challenging knit project - complete with charts.

Ahem…APPARENTLY, I decided that I didn’t need any extra Opal Petticoat after all. I remember now trying to decide on the splurge for the extra sock yarn, or this mohair yarn - and as today’s mail arrived, I remembered which yarn won. So, I guess Sock #2 will just have to be “suspensful” as I knit on hoping to end up with enough yarn to finish the project. If not, I’m thinking I’m going to have a very interesting looking toe on one of these socks.

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Well, I got a little progress made on Sock #2 this weekend. I noticed that I could get two complete repeats done in our commute from the hotel to the Cow Palace each morning. It kept me distracted enough not to be startling “the driver” [my longsuffering dear husband] by occasionally freaking out over the crazy drivers we were traveling amongst. Gotta love knitting for those reasons! I kind of hoped I’d be further down the cuff though and at least have the heel flap completed by the trip home. I think I have another 3 inches or so before I’m there. So, it’s sitting in it’s little sock sack waiting for me to finish getting situated after being gone for parts of four days. It’s still blazing hot outside, Daisy seems listless, so I’m worried about her, and then of course there’s work… Soon though.

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How about this HEAT??? This summer seems to be “taking the cake” for unrelenting HOT in my neck of the woods. It seems like it’s all a person can do just to get through the day without getting broiled. I wish I could say that’s the reason I have slooowweedd down with the knitting, but I actually think it’s more a combination of procrastination and SSS (second sock syndrome). I have sock #2 cast on and the cuff underway, but really it’s not like I couldn’t be finished with the top and working on the flap by now. I also have that “…what if I run out of yarn!” thing in the back of my mind. So, I went ahead and ordered another ball from Astrid just so I don’t have to spend the entire sock sweating it [literally and figuratively, I guess!]. I mean really…it was an excellent lame excuse reason to buy more yarn, right? And maybe another Addi Turbo… You know, for the NEXT pair of socks. I’m going to try the Magic Loop technique to see if I like it even better than (or at least as much as) two circular needles. What? C’mon! It’s a good reason to buy an Addi Turbo. My Denise kit doesn’t have that size in it. I‘m secretly tickled they don’t really wish they could make them sock-size. They don’t go down that small because the cables they make are too fat to go down that small. So, you see, it’s still necessary to occasionally indulge in a new needle purchase. KnitPicks has just combined the best of almost both worlds with their new Options interchangeable needle system. They made them slick and lightweight like Addi’s (but way cheaper), and interchangeable like Denise. So, anyway…back to my lame excusesvalid reasons for not finishing my second sock by now and starting the next project on the agenda…maybe it IS the heat, and just being so fried/broiled/BBQ’d from being too hot, but for whatever reason - progress on any kind of fiber fumbling around here seems to have slowed to nearly a standstill this week. Not even the wheel is calling to me. I’ll bring the sock on the trip to SF this week though, maybe even get that heel turned in the cool of the coast.

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