SOS'08: Sick of Socks

That certainly didn't take long, did it? Two weeks into it, with eight left to go, and I'm dying to work on a shawl, or spin, or almost anything but turn another stinkin' heel!

So here are pairs four, five, and six:



What's a little frustrating is not knowing for sure if I'm anywhere near having the most so far. Though last Tuesday, one participant posted pics of her SEVENTH pair of socks! In ten days! That was discouraging, but she did post later that she will be taking classes starting next week, so her production will slow down. I'm sure I'm not the only one glad to read that.

At least I can turn a heel now without having to read the directions as I go. I still goofed up on the last pair and had a yarn-over in the wrong place. I'm also learning that the later in the evening, the faster I knit--up to a point (1:30AM seems to be my cut-off time.) And I hate ribbing. It makes my hands hurt. Perhaps if I learned another way to knit it would be better, but I can't take the time to relearn everything!

I've worked my way through a number of audiobooks as well. There was "The Johnstown Flood" by David McCullough, which was like listening to a terrific suspense story. I had heard of the flood, but never realized what actually happened. As usual, it was more a man-made disaster than a natural one.

Then there was "The Poisonwood Bible," which I've read about seven times, but still love. Every reading (or listen) brings out new subtleties that I missed before. It's really such a tour de force that you need to read it more than once. I also listened to "The House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton, again something I had read before, but enjoyed hearing even if the ending is a bit of a downer. I'm working on "The Wings of the Dove" by Henry James right now, but it's hard going. Honestly, he used fifty words to say what only needed five. I keep thinking, "Get on with it!" I may have to give up and retreat to Mrs. Wharton--I'm going to download "The Age of Innocence" next. And I'd love suggestions. I've been sticking to classics because I don't want to hear sex scenes or bad language, so if you know of any good books without smut, please pass on the info.

So the knitting goes pretty fast when I have something good to listen to. Otherwise, the house is still pretty much trashed, though I did do laundry. I need to clean the bathroom and just get some clutter cleared up. It's amazing how quickly it piles up.

It's raining again, so I still haven't done any outside work. I need to stake the hollyhocks ASAP. They're tilting a bit!

The result of Missy's cooking:

THAT, I will have you know, is what's left of one of my handwoven towels. I made a set at least six years ago, and they're still good as new. Or at least one of them is.

Last, but not least, here's my "Caturday" photo. It's a bit of a cheat because it's not actually one of my cats, but I've been too busy getting sock pictures done to try to take cat photos. And this is so cute:

Love that expression!

EDIT: Oh, for cryin' out loud. I forgot it's only Friday. Well, I'm early for Caturday.