A Tale of Two Socks

Actually, it's more like a tale of six or eight socks, three or four pairs. And a sad commentary on life in general. But that would have been too long and complicated a title.

I knit a pair of socks from stash yarn for my sister-in-law's birthday. I hadn't knit socks in a while, so it took some relearning, but was fun. I hope she likes them. This was right at the same time as the complicated scarf for my mother's birthday. It has been a knitting extravaganza here.

I bought the yarn several years ago from Knit Picks, on sale likely, and put it in my stash. My recent organizing bend has led me to discover many lovely yarns in my stash, I'm pretty intent on knitting them up before buying more yarn. There are only so many cubic inches of yarn storage space in my life and I'm learning to live within my limits.

With the leftover yarn, I am making socks for Little Missy. I'm hoping my math is right and there is enough yarn. Basic sock pattern from Ann Budd's basic book, I like ribbing all the way up to make it stretchy and comfortable.

While working on one sock, I saw a neighbor stroll by with a new baby. A new baby! I had no idea a new baby had been born on our block. How on earth could that have happened and I didn't know about it? How can a baby be born with no fanfare like that? Oh, I'm sure there was lots of private and family fanfare, but our block has always been close-knit, a community within a community. When I broke my ankle five years ago, we had dinner delivered on a schedule every other night for 6 weeks. Babies are announced with balloons on the front porch or a sign on the door. We visit, we chat, we offer to take the older kids, we make meals. It's that sort of a Mayberry-like place.

But this baby arrived and I didn't know about it for 9 weeks. Ouch. Even if it was February and even if the family is on the end of the block and pretty private, it just doesn't seem right. My youngest was born on a very cold January day (so cold the helium in the balloons shrivelled) and everyone knew about it. I'm pretty loud like that, though.

So, I blew through the first of the socks for my girl and quickly cast on a baby pair. I love these needles, the Bryson white ones, great flexibility and fast knitting. My t00-close-for-comfort knitting shop doesn't carry them anymore but special orders them for me when I ask. More stash yarn in a fun color pattern. I have another girly kind of color for a second pair and then I'll deliver them. I really don't want the mom to have gone back to work before I'm done, so everything else is on hold.

Except for Webkins Day. Nothing can stop that. Sadly.