2 Boys, 1 Hat, and No Socks

Yeah - no new finished sock this week. I know, I know, it's supposed to be "a sock a week" but this week I'm trying something new. Again. The February Sucks sock didn't work out. Somehow, when I did my guage swatch (yep, I learned my lesson and swatched for a sock, in the way the author of the pattern suggests no less) I had 9 sts/in, and then when I was working on the sock, just past the toe in fact, I was thinking it was looking a little large, and it was. Gauge on the sock: 10 sts/in. How the heck does that happen? And honestly, the sock should've been smaller than it was supposed to be and not bigger with that gauge. So I don't know where I went wrong with the measuring and math bits. Oh well. Here's a pic of me wearing my Waving Lace socks, since I never got around to showing you the finished product.

So, I decided that I wanted a sock that I didn't have to think about too much. And so I cast on for a boring ribbed sock. What's so new and different? I'm knitting both socks in the pair at the same time, on the same needle. Fancy schmancy, I tell ya. I'm using Austermann Step (it's got aloe and jojoba oil to moisturize while you wear) in the color Ocean Blue. I know, I know, the stripes don't match, but I have to use both ends of the ball and wasn't about to waste yarn so that they would line up. I like em this way anyway. So, here's a photo - I'm farther along now, past the gussets, but it's too dark for a good pic, maybe tomorrow.

Now, in the way that math works in my head, two halves make a whole, so that means that technically I have a sock, just not a finished one. Enough knitting to have a whole sock, but two halves instead. These will be done by the end of this week - I'm shooting for Friday, so that I can wear them to the playoff basketball game that night. We'll see.

I also did not finish the Notre Dame sweater last weekend like I was supposed to. But I knew I wouldn't, didn't you? I did get some work done on it, it's now almost a vest. But I got stymied on the attaching of the collar - some of the stitches are live and some aren't and it doesn't say anything about them at all, so I'm confused. Never fear - the Clinic cancelled me for tomorrow morning, so I'm off to KotS for some much needed help. Must avoid all temptation - I gave up buying yarn for Lent. And Kate is now stocking Smooshy... :(

But, in other knitting news - I did get something finished. I needed something other than socks mid-week to work on. So I found a pattern on Ravelry and grabbed my skein of Noro, and voila! Two days for a hat. It's so cute, I love it. Wish it was a little longer, but I was running out of yarn. Next time, I'll make a scarf to match and have more than just one ball handy so I won't have to worry.

Yesterday, my nephews came for a visit. So cute! Mason is getting so big, and this is the first time in a while that I've been around while he's been awake. He can't smile without sticking out his tongue, it's so cute.And Elliott had a good old time with the Thomas set. You know, walking on it, taking it apart, watching Aunt Annie put it back together so he could destroy it again, good times.