Sock obsessions

Kitty's tummy is full. Good Kitty. Sweet little girl let me sleep until 5:30. Yay.

Worked yesterday morning (and for once, it really was just morning), then paid for the mulch and talked about raised beds with a former farmer. (He used to grow tomatoes in a former vineyard - between posts and with string/stuff for them to climb. Very interesting.) The crazy garden guy did not sing to me today, but he gave me a basket of mums.

Stopped in at Miss Chickpea's to replace my size 2 sock needles, as I was very upset to have a project on the needles that I simply could not work on. Yeah, I probably could have gone to a size 3, but still... A woman there said that she'd had a size 2 needle break, and she just taped it together. I told her about Brittany's generous replacement policy, so she can probably get another needle. While I'm looking forward to getting my replacement Brittany needles, I'm really enjoying the Crystal Palace Bamboo needles I picked up. Very smooth, very pleasant to work with. Also picked up the Malagbrigo sock pattern I'd wanted, and may have to go back for more Malabrigo because it's such beautiful, soft, wonderful, lovely, yarn. Loved the blues, greens, purples, yellows, pinks, . It's very tempting to buy yarn for a sweater, as their Malabrigo price is quite good. I really thought about it yesterday, but couldn't decide on a color. Perhaps I should make a stripey sweater, and get many colors!

Mike and I went to North End last night, where I met another knitter. She was also working on a sock, but from the top down, and on three DPNs not four. We compared techniques and yarn and just generally annoyed our husbands and amused the bartenders. I'm most of the way through the foot on my stripey sock - size 2 needles go much slower than size 5. About an inch to go before turning the heel.

I should switch back to top-down socks, as that's what all the really fun patterns are (and I'm not good enough yet to 1. convert patterns to toe-up or 2. design my own patterns) but Mike wants a pair of toe-up socks, as they will be sure to fit. Maybe that's my excuse for more Malabrigo! Make him some thick wooly wonderful socks.

Oh, and don't yell at me. It's still too dark outside to mulch. Yesterday when I was on my weed-killing-spree, I watched a juvenile red-tailed hawk buzz our house. It landed on the next-door neighbors' roof, where it sat for a moment, stretched, excreted a giant stream of poop, and took off. (Better their roof than ours!) I was reminded of a woman I'd met in northern British Columbia who had been a wilderness guide, and used to take her groups to camp near where bald eagles nested. She'd wake them early in the morning, get their cameras trained on the nest, because --what do bald eagles do first think in the morning? That's right - they stretch, and then they poop. I guess there are countless people out there with video of bald eagles showing off their impressive wingspan, and then pooping. Oh well. She knew all of the can't-miss places to go up there, like Liard Hot Springs (so what if someone had been mauled by a bear the month before - the Beta Pool was better). Also saw a small toad near our front stoop, and while it's nice to see wildlife in my shrubbery, it was not nearly as unusual has the hawk skimming the roof.

Oh well, the sun's coming up, so I should get my day started! Lots to do, and unfortunately no knitting until after dark. Must grocery shop, buy dress for cousin's wedding next weekend (50% off if I go today), and above all, MULCH!

Oh--must not forget the reason I was posting today. I wanted to share the Space Invaders Sock patterns! Don't know why they excite me, but they do. As do these stockings. Very pretty, although I think they require more skills than I have currently. But I could buy the yarn! (No! No more sock yarn buying until I finish at least three more pairs of socks! Current stripey socks, Malabrigo, and another pair yet to be named. Then I can maybe think about crossing the threshhold of a knitting shop again.)