The problem of empty needles

Working on that sock is awfully rewarding.  It is so rewarding in fact that I needed more.  That could be translated to mean I still can't close the lid on my notions case.

These are all the needles that are not busy but that have usually been busy in the past.  Sock output may not be down in comparison to previous years, but needle occupation statistics are certainly much lower.  

It was an F1 weekend so by rights I ought to be working on my big blanket, but when the weather is doing that thing it did for the entire weekend (if there had been snow mixed in, blizzard, if the soil had been dry on top duststorms) my hands were not in any kind of mood to be working with larger needles and doubled yarn.  So I worked on socks.  

First up, I pulled out the Gridiron Socks from River City Yarns.  I really like this pattern and the yarn is kind of scrumptious, but honestly, I was avoiding this pair like the plague.

Once I had the heel done, the sock look long, much too long for my feet.  Everyday when I would look at it and consider knitting it, I thought about comparing the length against one of my favourite pairs with the same short row heel.  I had a pair at hand and you know what?  Maybe a millimetre too long, but it will be fine.  I have no idea why it looked so long to my eye.  So in the course of the racing weekend, I finished the ankle of the sock, the ribbing and moved on to the toe on sock two.  I was just about to start the grid pattern when the race was over and it was time to out it down.

I went to pull out more sock yarn and had a good go over of yarns from my bin.  I spent a few hours looking at patterns too, to keep working on my goal of knitting at least one something from my many sock books.  I ended up choosing another pattern from Operation Sock Drawer but that is fine with me.  It really is too cute to not knit it.  

My second sock cast on is  The A Drawer Full Sock by Becky Greene.  The sock was designed for  Zauberball and I had several choices on hand, but once I looked at the pattern and the choices in my bin, I ended up going with a Meillenweit Multi colour and a soft heathered gray Trekking.  I want all my socks to be multi colours and from what is shown on the ball band, this ball of yarn should create fairly narrow stripes. Maybe my little socks will show some evidence of striping?  

I can only hope.  One of the other interesting things about this design is the underside of the foot.  She used this little two by two grid, though her design is for the bottom grid sections to be separated by three rows, keeping the same separation as the wee socks. I am keeping the grid all the way through.  I am pretty sue I will appreciate the evenness all the way through the sole.

It's rather charming isn't it?  It should also be noted that I am knitting my usual square garter stitch toe and that the sock is toe up.  The original design is top down.

And then because I still have lots of needles to use, I pulled out the prettiest most spring like thing from the stash.  It is Opal's Claude Monet.  

 

I know that the painting that inspired the colourway, has a haystack but hey in my world it could be before the new grass is has greened up.  It felt right and will be a plain sock.

 There are still at least twenty empty needles, so four pairs of socks to go.  I might start on other plain pair but I might also start a pair of mittens.   

I have miles to go before the needles are full.  Maybe two more pair?  You just never know.