New/Old Socks

So I started a new pair o'socks at that movie I was chatting about the other day. Evidently I have a counting problem (which is unfortunate since I work in finance) so I had to rip out the rows I started in the theater. Luckily I'm slow too (at knitting!), so there wasn't much to rip out.

These little socks have a rather long and torrid past. The yarn is from Cherry Tree Hill, and as a brand new knitter last Spring, recently enamored of sock knitting, I stumbled across Simply Socks. Great website, great service, and if I had more cashola, I'd buy 5 of everything. Anyway, I saw this crack for sale, excuse me, yarn for sale and I had to have it. In fact, and this is so pathetic, I was too excited about the yarn to sleep that night. This was also my first experience with yarn that had to be wound in a ball, which proved to be an adventure in itself.

I found the Falling Leaves socks pattern on Knitty, and cast right on. And then proceeded to screw up the toe 5 times. Please note - there is nothing wrong with the pattern - it's a great, well written pattern. It's me - I'm "slow" as we established above. So as not to draw out a long story, I got the toe knit after 4 tries, did the chart in the wrong order for a full repeat, and then noticed....



the toe is large enough for Mrs. Yeti to wear. I did ponder trying to make friends with a large-footed woman, just so I wouldn't have to start over again... But damnit! I will not let these socks get the better of me! So I cast on (for the 6th time now, if you count the theater) and they're actually starting to work! (Smaller needles, who'd have guessed?)


Here they are together for comparison.



So far so good - here are 2 pattern repeats. Yes, my feet are that white. NOW do you believe me about the vampires?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:

Our first New York State snake! Yippeee! Sorry his head's out of focus - he was fleeing in terror, poor guy.


These are coming up everywhere and no one seems to know what they are. They're all in among the blueberries and moss and blackberries. It's getting a little crowded in there. Disappointingly, Mom and Dad took their plant books over and discovered that a lot of what I've already photographed (including my fave, the orange berries, aka, a bush form of Japanese honeysuckle) are non-natives and extremely invasive. So eventually they will all have "little accidents" in order to make the place more hospitable for native plants. (It's a good thing, getting out the bad guys, but I was rooting for the orange berries. I liked 'em.)

Heidi, if you're reading, I found this for ya!