A Tale of Two WIPs

Here are my latest socks, "take 2" in the Knittery merino/cashmere blend, using the Stansfield 12 stitch from More Sensational etcs's. I frogged my first sock-attempt, which had a broad spiraling cable. Now I am using Wendy's fingering weight toe-up/gusset/slip stitch heel pattern. I think the color of this yarn is lovely, but--God help me--I really, really don't like working with it. This sock may very well end up being a single, because I am truly starting to think that life is just too short to work with yarn you don't like. Besides, it's killing my hands. In fact, the only reason this sock got this far was that it was the only knitting I brought on our trip to San Fran a couple of weeks ago, and we had a long wait on the tarmac before our plane took off. I was trapped with only one WIP. What's a knitter to do?

On the other hand, we have this project: a chevron scarf worked in contrasting shades of Schaeffer Lola. I love this scarf. Really. I think about it when I'm working on the sock. I think about it when I am falling asleep at night. The way the colors play off each other and the lovely zigzag stitches...I love it.


But.... The scarf has a dirty little secret--two, actually.
It definitely has a wrong side, and the edges curl pretty badly. I am hoping that the blocking and a good edging will take care of the curling edges, but I do wish I had thought to add 3 or so knit stitches at each edge for a selvedge. Oops. And I guess I can deal with the wrong side-thing--I really will have to, at this point. From the outset, I fully understood that this was not a reversible stitch (I did try to make it so, but did not like the result). So, there you have it.

I'm making quick progress on the scarf, because I love the colors and the yarn, and because it's rather nice working on a regular straight needle for a change, and a whopping size 5 at that (as opposed to the size 1 and 2 dpns)! Every time I pick up the Knittery socks I am newly irritated by the yarn and the stitch. So....
New sock. Super-yummy Dream in Color Smooshy sock yarn in Cocoa Kiss. Basic ribbing on the instep, intended for Rich. Now this is sock yarn. The colors are beautiful and subtle, and the feel is wonderful. It just flies through my fingers. I love it.

Bad knitter, bad.