I hear ya about the cold. I've got to go out myself soon and I'm not that far from you. *makes mental note to bundle up*

The sock looks great - can't wait to see more of it!

Great work on repairing the leaf! Now if only you could wear the socks in the cold, you'd be made :)

Yay! The sock looks great! I'm assuming the other bazillion leaves go on the leg? And I don't blame you for not wanting to go to the bank. Even though Celsius is different than what I'm used to, the "negative" in the temperature would definitely make me want to protest!

:O)

Only commenting first could get me out of my lurker status.

It looks WONDERFUL & only thousands of us will know what you (we) went through to get it there!

Meanwhile I'm in withdrawal, away from home, having brought 2 needle sizes with me to assure my new project can get started; not having either get the right guage, finding a Michaels less than an hour away where I was able to buy the next size needle, knitting up 4 inches only to find I tightened up again and can't keep going. My skin is crawling, breathing is difficult...my flight home is tomorrow.

I think the sock looks even better than before! It's so cold here, too- windchills are -8F.

You are a nut! An amazing knitter, a very funny writer, but a nut none the less. Congratulations on the sock repair. I love every new knitting challenge I can find but that sock is just too much!

Well, if you wait a little longer, it may warm up to, say -19. Totally doable. I confess that I'm somewhat jealous of your weather. I grew up on the 45th parallel and transplanted to Texas years ago. I miss the crunch of snow and the sound of snow melt in the spring. *sigh*.

Lunatic and adorable. Deploy the adjectives as you will.

I'm so glad you overcame the infamous sock dropping incident to produce such a cute toe :) Sorry to hear about the weather. It's been really cold down here as well. Not as cold as -20 but there was a windchill of -15 Celsius here the other day. And we are *way* closer to the equator.

It looks lovely, I'm glad it wasn't that difficult of a fix. =) I probably would have given up on those socks ages ago.

The leaf looks great!

And, I start wearing long underwear when it gets to be about 15F, so if it's in the negative numbers, by all means wear two pair of long underwear if you want. :)

Woo hoo! I knew you could do it!

Enjoy the nice fresh breeze on your walk :)

Hooray! The leaf is beautiful. Can't wait to see the socks. Too hot here in SA to wear handknitted woolen socks. Alida South Africa

I now promise not to kvetch about the 24 degree weather here in DC. Undeniably, you win. I'll shutup and return to my roll-brim baby hat now...

Congratulations on the successful repair!

I knew it was possible! I just wasn't sure enough to say so... :P

I'm glad the sock and its knitter both gained wisdom during time-out. It looks loverly.

I'm a little confused, though. Are the teenagers going to eat the money? Or does this necessitate a second trip out for groceries? Or are you going to make the older girls do that if they want to eat?

That cold air came from here, the upper midwest (what a weird geographic moniker); it was -29 degrees C (-20 F) withOUT wind chill here yesterday when I was getting ready for church (I was committed to sing, couldn't duck it). I spent the rest of the weekend knitting, cleaning and plotting ways to avoid going outside.

Right now it's up to a balmy -17 C (+2 F), wind chill only -22 C, with snow; it's much better, the boogers don't instantly freeze in your nose. I hate it when that happens.

Have you thought perhaps the children don't want to be with you when the food runs out? They may run in a pack, but your superior skills (learned from knitting and mothering) would ensure you would survive. Besides, even though it's cold out there (about the same cold factor here in Brantford as you have there in Toronto), when you get back you'll be warm and you could probably fit in another soak in the tub. Girls are at school, non? Joe is away, non? Lock the door and even the adorable Millie won't be bothering you.

In other news - the toe leaf looks wonderful - we all knew you could come back from the brink of disaster! Can't wait to see the rest of the sock.

Ugh. It's -38 here with Windchill. -28C without. And I have to go wait at the bus stop. And I can't find my long johns. And it's been this cold for almost a week. Stupid Winterpeg.

I also found beads and yarn for my wedding shawl - thanks for the bead placement tips! I'm excited to be using Handmaiden Sea Silk for the first time. It's in a colourway not even on the site, amethyst.

so glad to see you got the leaf and stem under control. by the way, it was nice to see that people who live north of the border don't replace the toilet paper roll when it runs out any more than we down here in new england...funny how something like that is what i noticed in the pictures of your cute cat.
sharon

The sock is breathtaking.

So is the cold. I had to run to catch the bus this morning. I swear there were icicles the size of a 13mm DPNS in my lungs afterward.

It's -29C here on the coast with the windchill. I'm just glad I'm not in Iqaluit, where it's -29C without the windchill.

I feel ya. It is 20 degrees here and I am technically in the SOUTH (Virginia). Snow is not melting outside. Put on those longjohns and find alot of wool to layer (um, you might have some of that around right?)...get it all over with and reward yourself with something warm to drink when you get back!

I hear you on the weather procrastination. It's rather cold in Ohio. Granted I'm not walking anywhere so I just can't speak with the same authority. But, Ooh! it's bitter. Well, done on the sock. I knew you could do it. Sometimes all it takes to spur us on to success is the pressing need to avoid something worse.

Reconstruction complete!

Yeah, this time of year is when I really regret getting a dog that needs to be walked.

I totally knew you could do it. It looks great too. Kudos.

My 11 and 13 year-old boys have started eating me out of house and home, so I understand your absolute need to get to the bank. Layer thyself in wool.

Wooopppeeeedooo. The leaf looks right at home in that sock-good job well done . Do you think the ONE sock syndrome might set in after you finish this one ? Cold is right !! Time for wearing all those lovely wool hats scarves and sweaters for sure . Me ?? I'm staying in and making bread--nothing better on a day like this than home made bread and soup. Good luck getting back home to knit and be comfy.

You amaze me yet again with your knitting skills. I don't think I would even know where to start with the leaf incident.
Stay warm there its been -20F here at night. BRRRRR! Walk quickly to the bank we don't want a frozen Harlot on the street:)

Even people who like cold weather (like me) aren't too fond of -20° C, I remember going to work when the wind chill was approaching -50° F (about -45°C - the air temp was about -25° F which is about -32° C). I think it was the coldest day ever in Chicago's history & most people were happy because it was a Saturday & they could stay in. But I had to work because I needed the overtime pay as the single mother of 2. I wore so many clothes I could barely move & still felt a bit chilled while standing 25" above the ground on the el platform - fortunately I didn't have to wait too long. The actual low air temperature here yesterday was -14.4° C in the early am but we didn't have to go out until almost noon by which time it was actually above 0° F - it was -14.4° C but, with no wind & bright sunshine, it felt almost balmy. Fortunately, we now have a car & didn't have to walk more than 100' at any one time.

Brrr....Winter just is *too* long! Lovely socks though, very pretty. Stay warm!

Hey its only -30 with the wind chill here! Good knitting weather. In case anyone is still looking for the Patons book with the Must Have Cardigan, I found it in Michael's in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on Saturday. Love that sweater.

My Vintage Sock Kit should be here any day. When it comes, I have (first on the list) do not drop the needles when sewing the fiddly leaf in the amoeba.

I hope no random visitors come over and *see* my list...

Well! Hooray for little leafy sock toes!

That leaf is beautiful. I'm glad you're the one knitting it so I can watch. However, I would buy the pattern and knit the leaves at a larger gauge.

It is currently -9° F here in Missoula, MT at 9:30 am. I don't know that I'll be leaving the house today. Or tomorrow. I didn't mind when it was 0° F with no wind, but this negative business is a bit too much.

My philosophy about cold (and this is a real stretch) is that it isn't cold until there is frost on the inside walls of the house. The coldest I ever remember it being was one winter at my grandparents' house when the condensation from our breath (both sisters in bed with me so as to keep from freezing - completely not out of love) froze on the walls. Anything - 15 and up isn't really cold. My girls say I'm full of shit, but then again, I have been in the house when it is just condiments to eat and it isn't pretty. Keep warm, Stephanie! Spring is a mere three months away.

I don't often comment, but that inlaid leaf is absolutely stunning. I am amazed at your repair job, but even more amazed at your tenacity. I would have unraveled the whole thing and thrown the heap of yarn in a corner for a very, very long time.

When we moved to the farm I traded pantyhose for longjohns - I now have 4 pair and hubby gave me pink ones for Christmas - how romantic. I have to wonder what Valentines will bring... a new manure fork?????

Brrr...I, too, hate going out in the cold. Why not send your girls to the bank? I think teenagers need the exercise ;-). Maybe you could continue with your gorgeous socks!

I have to laugh about the cold--the high was -1 F here yesterday. When the kids complained, my response was that it could be worse, we could use metric. I think that could be one reason for not converting--we would be below zero for almost 6 months of the year and that just sounds bad.

Hooray! The leaf is amazing!

I have to say, while I applaud you doing all the leaves, I just don't have any desire. And that makes for this wonderful craft of ours--we all get to pick what we make!

Ummm, have you considered banking online? I know that won't help you today, but online banking and Peapod grocery delivery service are awesome. Maybe they are only available in the states?

Fabulous sock, by the way. I would never have even attempted such a thing. I am lazy (see above)! ;^)

What a pretty crochet hook... nice, neat work on the sock too. And, personally, I will never laugh at lj's... they make cold weather much more bearable. Beside, I bet the walk to the bank = 1 child-free hour, so there is an upside (although certainly too cold to walk and knit at the same time).

Well!
Hooray for the Yarn Harlot's leafy little sock toes!
Yippee Ki Yay for living in Texas, where even though it's a chilly 40 degrees the rain is tiddling down softly!
Three Cheers for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, meaning no school, mail (bills), or bank errands!
And wow! that crochet hook is pretty!

Yup, cold here too - about 9 degrees (F) this morning. I decide to forego the walk, but I did ice skate yesterday for about an hour and a half and it was actually refreshing! When you skate on a pond downwind it takes no effort at all!

Sock is incredible. I hope you plan to wear them with open-toed sandals! (in warmer weather, natch)

Definately cold here too, -18C, -28C with the windchill in Montreal. Luckily I found my longjohns and my warm winter stuff when I had to go out for a test in class this morning. Good luck with the cold, I suggest walking fast!

Those socks look so great I just might have to attempt to make a pair if you keep posting about them, but I think the leaves might drive me over the edge.

*****stops whining about the current 0 temps and takes the dogs out for a much needed walk****

Thank you for the motivation. I'll just shut up now. But I am a southern girl after all.

Congratulations. You have persevered.

wow! you really are a genius! the wee leaf looks good as new. however well i might knit (and i admit to being a mere intermediate knitter) i still struggle terribly with the concept of fixing mistakes and feel the only answer is to start all over again from the beginning! although, i am seeking help with ridding myself of this notion!

What a beautiful crochet hook!

Knits look really good, despite the fiddliness of the leaves.

Only slightly less cold here in Ohio. But cold enough to have an excuse to build a fire and play Hi Ho Cherry Oh with the boys.

I'm having sock procrastination as well.

Hey that ended up not being so bad after all. :) looks very nice.
I know what you mean about the long underwear! We've had a few days of hovering at -30C here in Winterpeg. But to be honest, it doesn't really bother me! I think growing up with those temperatures every winter really toughens you up. And if I stayed in the house for weeks on end in the middle of winter I think I'd go stir crazy!!!!

And if you drop a stitch again, you can always blame it on freezing cold hands!

Caroline, the SockPixie

I have to drag five children out into the cold on 'errands', so daddy can take a nap when he gets home from the working-hole. (Air traffic controllers need their naps.) As a reward for my extraordinary efforts, I will spend the afternoon happily shopping for sock yarns for the shop, with a covetous eye toward your loverly made-over hook-a-ma-jig. See how I cleverly avoided using the c-word? Hope you are very full of joy at the wonderful fix you made of that sock toe. Have some screech by way of celebrating, or just to aid the thawing out process once you get home. Best regards, Cami

The toe looks lovely now. No one will be able to tell that it was the cause of such angst. :)

I picked out the toe of a toe-up sock last week and redid it to similar effect...an hour of my life that I'll never get back, but totally worth it to fix the problem. Yay for knitting repair!

I knew you could fix it! You go! (Hope you don't get frostbite while you're running errands.) I've never posted before, but I was so wanting to see you do another wonderful job of knitting surgery, I just had to post my delight.

Yay the leaf has been pulled back from the brink and looks better than ever! I can't knit socks due to tendonitis (needles are waaay too small) so I live vicariously through you! Can't wait to see the finished product on your feet!
I'm in Toronto (well, Scarborough if you want to be technical) as well, and since I'm silly enough to own (or is that be owned by?) a Siberian Husky, you can guess how often I have to venture out in the c-c-c-cold weather!! I know that I don't look pretty sometimes (I have this parka, I got it on sale for $25 [marked down from over $200], it has been nicknamed "Ugly Coat" for very good reason, but, damn, it is WARM), but I manage to stay warm! I definitely recommend the micro fleece (polar fleece) longjohns from Mark's Work Wearhouse, they are the best!!
Too bad today's not a holiday here in The Big Smoke (sigh)...I could definitely do with a day in of tea and knitting...

Actually, I live in my beloved LL Bean union suits (3 of them!) from about mid-November until around the end of March. Drafty 90-year-old house :) When I say live, I mean 24/7. Presently, here in dear old Nova Scotia, about -16, though we woke up to -21. Yuck. And even 19 months in Winterpeg only made me dislike cold even more than I did before. Though I hated the insanely hot summers there even more. Humidex of 47? Please.

Gorgeous rescue on the leaf toe. Better you than me :) but I am full of admiration for your tenacity.

Beautiful!

The sock looks great!
And about the cold, you knit in wool - think of it as a chance to wear any really super warm sweater/hat/mitts/socks you've made over the years! :-D

It looks awesome - I knew you'd get it fixed soon! Too bad you can't call the bank or do what you need to do online! Online banking has saved me many trips over the past few years. Good luck on your walk; I hope you stay warm! =)

What a cute little leafy!

Nice save!!! Lovely toe. Can't wait to see the next progress report on this/these amazing sockos.

Empathy on the cold:inertia. I fell on ice-covered concrete steps yesterday, whilst carrying a rubber basin full of fresh water so the wild birds would have 10 minutes to line up and have a drink before the basin froze solid again. Whoopsie! Slammed down sideways on shoulder and knee (which now has an extra knobbly part) and water went up, up, up...and down. On me. Brrr.

March on, Harlot of the North. But unlike me, keep your feet beneath your body :)

I guess I should rethink my complaints about cold this morning. It's 40F. Granted, it's raining, so it is a damp 40 and with windchill it "feels like" 33. But the thought of negative numbers makes my brain shut off.

It's cold enough here in Philadelphia that I broke out my long Eddie Bauer down coat - not too pretty or even fashionable but dang, it stops the wind and it is super warm! Got it for about $20 (marked waaaayy down and employee discount on top of that) 18 years ago and it's still going strong.

Surely there must be public transit that would get you to your bank.

I'm with you on the cold. I put off errands Friday, and this morning I paid for it by freezing (almost) my fingers. Even in my warm alpaca mitts.
The leaf is beautiful. And I'm still laughing at your cat's monologue from yesterday......

1) Congrats on the sock repair -- impressive!
2) Send the KIDS to the grocery. Explain they must go so you all survive. They are in a pack; they can keep warm. :)

Don't forget to pick up toilet paper when you go!!!

Glad to see the sock is back out of the naughty basket.

Oh, congratulations! I'm so glad you fixed the sock. I was suffering pangs of sympathetic anxiety on your behalf.

You know, I don't walk if the temp drops below 60F. But then, we've already established that I'm a fragile flower. Good luck with the bank thing. Take a flare. If you start to freeze in place, send it up, and a horde of knitters will be there in to rescue you in no time.

You've proved to me that when the knitting gets bad, it gets time out, and all will benefit. Now if that could somehow apply to trips to the bank!

If I didn't have to go to work (or take the kids to school) we would have done a repeat of the "stay in pjs" day we had yesterday.

I'm also out of dishwasher soap and food so I knew I would have to go out eventually.

I wish I had worn my silk long undies.

Gah, that's cold. Apparently, it is -13, with windchill, here. I've spent a lot of time staring out my windows, but I am NOT venturing outside. If need be, I'll eat flour.

The sock seems to have learned its lesson in time out. Of only children learned as quickly as well.

Either that, or your adversion to the bank in the cold is greater than the power of misbehaving yarn.

Note: 0 F is -32 C. So 0 in southern USA is
colder than -20 in Canada.

We knew you could repair the sock. But that stem
makes the toe extra thick and bumpy.

I wonder why you weren't told to knit the sock toe,
pick up stitches, and then knit the leaf into place? It would eliminate the sewing-in step.

May your success keep you glowing and warm all the way there & back! Oh I do not envy you. We looked up the temps in Green Bay just to see how much colder it was there, and I instinctively hunched when hubs told me just how cold it was. And you are in a colder place than there! Recalling my days in Minnesota... my only advice is no earrings (wires freeze in lobes creating great pain from a place purportedly without feeling) and be on guard for icing on your eyelashes....

I'm so amazed that you are doing this sock! And now I'm feeling very wimpy because it's nowhere near as cold where I am and I don't want to go out either!

I had a friend from CA visit me, singing "let it snow, let it snow....I blame him for all of this. It's -2 fahrenheit, -19 (celcius) with wind chill, and today my well is being pumped. Tomorow I go skating.

I did find my long johns (smart wool; expensive, but wonderful!) and still refused to go to the bank! You are braver than I am....

Fortunately, I play with wool. That keeps me warm...inside and out.

Wow, I'm glad I live in California! I've never been in minus anything degrees. Never. I think I'd turn into ice immediately.

It's really chilly here in Jacksonville, FL, too. 50F (10C). But it feels colder, since it's pretty overcast :-)

Great work. I am deeply impressed that you repaired the sock without having to reknit the leaf - which is what I would have had to do. Congratulations.

And thank you for making me feel much warmer. It is only 20 F here in the deep southern US. Correction, I just checked the temperature and it is now officially above freezing - oddly I don't feel any warmer. Global warming indeed.

If you'd move to the States, it would be a) warmer and b) a holiday. Therefore, your quandary would be moot! (Well, except for the potential turning-cannibal of your kidlings, but there's no real guarantee against that anyhow...)

Your sock makes me giddy with knitting-by-proxy. You knit it, I don't HAVE to, but I get to see all the joys and triumphs anyhow. I admit it: I'm a knit-voyeur.

with ya' on the cold thing- this morning it was about -20 with the windchill. Fortunately, I have children to send out onto the porch for wood for the cozy wood stove, and I made all kinds of baked goods today to keep me next to the stove. love the leaf- glad you were able to repair the damage.
Mary

You could make one of the teenagers walk with you which is what I did yesterday. All I have to say is "Thank God for the iPod". Ahem.

Wow! I would never guess that the sock was almost a bonfire victim! Beautiful repair!

Way to go on the wee leaf! I hate the cold, but I love winter. It is all of 5 F here. Down to -1 tonight with out the wind. I am almost sorry I moved a few weeks ago back home. It is in the 30's in the state I moved from. It is down right warm! Best of luck. (and have you tried silk long underwear? OMG! you must if you haven't. Dharma trading has them (don't remember if they ship overseas and cabelas.com does as well. Email me if you are interested in some from Cabela's, I can hook you up) :)

Yay! What a beautiful tiny little leaf. Sorry to hear about the weather.

Sock leaf looks better than before the accident. See, it was meant to be!! I love the cold. Makes me feel like a superior human being when I bundle up and brave the low temps. Ah, I recall the winter when I x-c skied in -20 degree weather (that's -20 F without the wind chill) and my eyelashes froze shut during a moment when I must have blinked slower than usual! I was younger then.....

Wooooo Hooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hip, hip, HOORAY! I'm doing a little leaf dance for you!

i hear ya about the cold. it's been frigid here (highs in the teens farenheit, and lows below 0), and i have to force myself to go out. blech.

congrats on fixing the sock! i could hear the neuroses building from here in that last post!

another chapter as our heroine
must go to the bank to save
her home and feed her birthlings
will they lock her out- will
the leaves unravel whlist she's gone
why has the husband not returned
shes out on the ice floe the bank
is run by simon legree cares
not if she turns into an ice statue
what will our heroine do next

Congratulations on the fix! The sock looks great.

I put on long underwear to come downstairs and use the computer in the basement. It's above zero on both scales here in Seattle, but still pretty nippy.

Good luck with the trek to the bank.

Knew you would figure it out if you just took a break and did something else, like take a bath with a cat. I sympathize about the cold and procrastination. I have learned through life experience and myriad disappointment to just do it NOW. i.e, when going to the store and seeing that perfect item that I really want but don't really have the money for, then when I do have the money I go back and it's gone. It's a tough lesson but I have learned to think that way...if I don't do it today, what impossible unforeseeable thing is going to happen to prevent me from doing it when I want to do it? It's a gamble. The leaf is just too cute and perfect; I hope it puts some years back on your life now that it is fixed?!

Congratulations - it looks as right as rain! A dance is the perfect celebration. On to the rest of the 30+ leaves... Bundle up!

Excellent leafy goodness! Beautiful repair. :D

Your temperatures make me heartily glad that it's "just" 20 degrees (F) here in Philadelphia. While I miss regular snow falls, I don't think I could deal with anything colder than this on a regular basis. Brrrrrrrrrrr! I think 2 or 3 pairs of long johns are a necessity for your walk!

So, is the temp slated to be worse tomorrow? Just for, you know, the sake of motivation. The bank would be closed here, by the way, it's Martin Luther King Day in the States.

I should also have said, I'm thrilled you got the sock fixed and past the point of all that rarrgh. I can't wait to see the whole thing finished.

Delurking to ask a cat question...Millie looks exactly like my Murphy, although his "built-in scarf" is not as elaborate yet as he is only 9 months! Do you know what breed she is? We got Murphy from the ASPCA and haven't been able to determine. All we know is it's supposedly unusual for a kitty to have black eyelashes, whiskers and a black nose! Thanks, and hang in there!

I wear long underwear when the temperature goes below 50 degrees, that's, um, 10 Celsius.
(In my 6th-grade science class they informed us that not only would we be using the metric system for all measurements, the whole country would follow suit within 5 years; it's been let's just say more than 5 years since then. If I'd been forced to make the transition then I would not now still be saying to myself, "what temperature is that really?" and having to look up the stupid formula *again*.)

Anyhow. Congrats on the sock; I knew you could do it. It looks too fiddly for words; is it? I mean if one does not drop the sock at an inopportune time.

HEY! Great job! I thought that fiddling with it would work!

I have a friend who talks about the only way certain tasks in her house ever get done is when there is something else she wants to do _less_ ;-)

Try not to freeze.

Ooooooh. It is so cute a leaf too.
I hear you on the cold. It is 0-F here in North Idaho today..bright blue sky, along with fingers, toes and noses, pretty much anything exposed.
Is T.P. on your grocery list?

Dig out the extra woolies anf flannels, oh yeah dont forget the thermal underwear too! Thats to cold for me, and I thought it was bad here at 37 degrees when the heater kicks on constanly even when set to a lower setting supposedly to conserve fuel!

=Tamar, the designer discusses that on her blog- she says she tried all sorts of knit-in leaf solutions but couldn't come up with one that she thought looked right.

Samina? 50F (10 degrees C) would seem positively balmy to me! (In New England.)

And I totally agree with PlazaJen..icing of the eyebrows is the worst! I once went out with eyebrows still wet from the shower and they froze to my glasses. When I came back inside, the glasses fogged instantly and I had to stand in the foyer, totally blind, with my hands cupped to try and warm the frames enough to thaw the ice so I didn't pull my eyebrows out when I took the glasses off. Ow! (These days I try to be completely dry before going out in the cold. Though it's a lot funnier in retrospect than it was at the time...)

It's -8C here near Boston, Massachusetts right now. Pretty much the same as yesterday. Only difference being that yesterday I was out and about wearing my nice wool hand knit socks. Toasty toes! Today I went to work wearing store-bought, ACKrylic socks (only ones I had to match my outfit) and my toes are freezing!

Gotta knit faster!

Barbara L in MA

The leaf is too cool...oh, wait, no...that's the temperature!!! Wow--you're right only the threat of 'fair-isle' children would make me go out in that cold to get to the bank. I totally get the procrastination. Go in wool, my friend, go in wool.

The leaf looks incredible! Very very nice:)

Think of the cold as an excuse to wear every knitted item you can find:)

Okay, nothing like hearing from the neighbors up North to make me feel like a wimp. Today is a holiday here, and my husband has been planning for a long time to go fly fishing today. I had said I would go, but when I saw that the high would be in the upper 40's and there was a good chance of rain, I thought better of it and now have stayed comfortably under an afghan on my couch, watching movies and knitting.
But to say that I'm not suffering the "cold" is untrue- we have yet to turn on our heat, even if it does get down to freezing. We just add another layer of wool.

That IS cold, and that is a very long walk to do in the cold. Long johns are definitely a necessity! Do post when you are safely home again!

People who don't know what it's like to shiver so hard that your back aches,... they don't know what real cold feels like. No shame in putting on long undies or any other garment that might keep you warm out there.

On the procrastination front... there's a book out there called "Living With Procrastination," most obviously a self help book. I bought it for myself, and after 4-5 yrs of it languishing on my shelves, I sold it b/c I never got around to reading it. I think I need the prequel book, called "How My Life Would Be Better If I Wasn't a Procrastinator." If I find it, I'll send you a copy.

Skip the long underwear and go straight for the double pants, double sweater, and double socks.

Trust me.

I've been tempted to write and offer to swap locations! Most of my life was spent in cold climates (Idaho, Montana, Colorado), so I know the down-side of cold. But now I live (in exile) in the southeast, due to my husband's job. I find the heat and humidity worse than any cold I ever experienced. Our family usually takes vacation in the winter. We rent a cabin someplace we hope will be cold---and pray for snow!

May I suggest Toaster Pants from Mountain Equipment Co-op? Wind and rain repellent, fleece lined, and they actually look good. The only downside is that they make the snowsuit sound when you walk.

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442543629&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302703409&bmUID=1200945373012

Thank goodness you could save it, I'd have been lost. Maybe put a lifeline in at the top of the leaf before you do the next one and even if something so terrible as a similar drop happens, it won't go into the leaf.

Love that crochet hook. How wrong is it that I'm sitting here reading about your predicament in tanks and shorts? Should I start running away now?

It came out beautifully! Too bad you can't snuggle your toes in it for the cold walk to the bank.

Sweetie... send the children. They do run in packs and they can mooch off of each others' body heat. And say that it "builds character."

You can learn that lesson some other time.
;-D

From one procrastinator to another.

Hey, if you can fix the sock? You can do *anything*.

Congratulations on the first of the wee leaves. Please work the rest of the 30-something vines whilst sitting on the floor :)

Yes, procrastination. To quote the immortal Scarlet, "Tomorrow is another day.". However, with ravening teenagers, you might want to check the time zone.

Glad to hear you recovered the leaf. I'm about to rip out a whole sweater that looks horrid -- but love the yarn, so I will. Maybe if I let if fall towards the floor, it will unravel by itself....

Love the hook....

Feel the hook............

Embrace the hook.............

breath....................................

oh we also have Sasha's new crochet
book in the shop........

just saying

Your leaf looks even better than before. Hey, maybe you've discovered a new and better way to make them! (Runs and hides...)

Cool toe.

We had a frost last night and it's nippy enough for a sweater today.

You sound like me in the summer when it's 98F and 90 percent humidity. Only work, or a shortage of cat food and toilet paper can get me out of the A/C when it's like that outside.

Lovely repair job ... although I wonder if that attached I-cord would make a bump that would drive me nuts when wearing the sock?

hey, that looks great! I know this sock has been causing you no end of frustration but I've loved reading about your experience. This sock story has had more plot twist than an episode of Lost! :D

See? Karma always gets you - one way or another it bites you in the bum!! I KNOW this - but it doesn't stop me procrastinating either!

Yup. Cold. I wore my warm winter coat for the first time this year. I have three or four weights of winter coat. :O) I didn't wear my heaviest parka, which I use mostly for shovelling in blizzards, but I did wear my newly finished woolen socks in my Crocs. Broken foot means only Crocs these days. But they are winter ones with a leather insert! On sale!! So I wore my second warmest winter coat today, and even a hat. Canadians don't usually do that unless it's cold. Today it's cold enough that nose hairs freeze! It's winter!

What a repair job!! And, here we were all holding our collective breaths, afraid of the end of this dilemma. You did an outstanding job...good as new, maybe better. You never cease to amaze me. That's why you're my idol!

You know it's in the range of "damn cold" when performing sock rescue that makes your head hurt is the alternative to going outside to go to the bank so that you can feed three teenagers. It was 1 degree F at my house (at that point, I don't check for wind chills - it's in "damn cold" range and that is bad enough for me)when I got up this morning. If I'd had sock rescue available, I'd have done that too. Headache or no.

I hear you, sister. I knew the weekend was going to be ridiculously cold so I rented all the Harry Potter dvd's (of which I had only seen parts of 2), bought enough food to last and hibernated for the whole weekend. Had so much time for knitting that I actually felt I could take time out to do dishes!

Thank goodness for the cold that drove you to face your worst fear - fixing the leaf. And what a beautiful job, too.

Yeah, it's freezing here in Philly as well. And everytime I complain about it being cold, my friends look at me like I've gone completely insane, then repeat (in a chorus, which is itself rather frightening) "But you're a knitter!" Like it's some requirement that just because I like to knit wool into pretty sweaters, I should like the cold.

The leaf is beautiful as is that CROCHET HOOK!!! I think I need that too (that last part had a musical lilt to it).
Wasn't it you who had such a good time in Ottawa last year? In the winter? Doing outdoor winter stuff?
I love to see your work; thank-you for sharing.

Well, Steph I do know what you mean by cold. I am sitting here watching it DUMP alot of snow on us and I also need to go to the bank. But today is a holiday so it is closed. But I still had to go out to shovel snow so that the plow could go where my car sits. I also have to meet the girls tonight for out knit night. I can't miss that one. I also will adorn my body with my cuddle duds. Nice satiny thermal underwear. The sky looks terrible so may not be venturing out. I hate snow and cold.
I am with you all the way there. I have been sitting and knitting my sock which makes me warm. Especially since our furnace is not working and my SO is a procrastinator. Sorry to bring that up. He just went down with my son to fix it. 15 min. job and I had to be cold for it. GRRRRRRRRR.
I hope you are nice and warm and knitting on your lovely sock. Glad things are good with it. Bless your patience.

The leaf looks lovely. I'm so glad you picked it up and carried on. I could really empathize when you dropped it. I knit a 4 cm (1.5 inch) tall teddy bear this Christmas (don't ask) and when I was working on one of his wee arms (6 sts in the round) I had a similar, unfortunate accident.

May I suggest for the second sock you put in a tiny life line (like unwaxed dental floss or carpet thread) and leave it in until you've finished the stem bit.

What in the world did you knit all those wooly things for, if not cold weather. Put on the wool stuff and go forth into the Canadian winter, instead of whining like you came from Florida. I would think you would be glad of some cold. Come on, just how warm are those wool socks and mittens not to mention the zillion wool sweaters?
You have teenagers, send them out into the long night. What the heck is the good of feeding kids, if they can't be useful? You have three so you have spares :-}

Suzann

Beautiful sock toe! I think it's even prettier this time around.

I'm definitely procrastinating today. This is the day I set aside to finish quilting a quilt for a show in two weeks. Instead, I finished (drum roll, please) my FIRST PAIR OF SOCKS!!! This included knitting FOUR toes due to a couple of accidents involving dropped stitches & major "plinking".

Great sock toe, I knew you could do it! I'm kind of giggling about all the temperature comments, as I'm in Yellowknife. We have the same -20C temperature as you today, but when we got up today we checked the weather and said, "oh wow, it's warm out today" :)

Can't wait to see the completed leafy sock! You are amazing!

The leaf *lives*! Looks just perfect, too. Hurray!

I had to giggle after reading about your temps. Not at you, but at the vagaries of weather reporting. A weather site I checked Saturday was frantically listing dire Severe Weather Warnings from the National Weather Service for the PDX area the first part of this week. Talking about highs of around 33F/1C and lows around 20F/-7C for several days. And saying, "The coldest temps this winter!" Geesh, you'd think we'd never experienced temps like that before. Meanwhile, I look at their reports for states like Montana, and they're calmly reporting much lower temps in a ho-hum manner. I can only conclude that the NWS is schizoid.

Hope you've made it there and back unfrozen and uneaten!

You are fabulous, and the leaf takes after her mother. I never had a doubt that you would prevail. Congratulations on a magnificent fix.

My grandmother, a Maine woman who spent most of her adult life in New Hampshire, said, "Once it gets below -10 (F), it all feels about the same." Maybe that's because of the nerve damage brought about by hypothermia.

I'm new here, so this may be a dumb question. Don't you have a car??? There's no way in double hockeysticks I would walk anywhere in that kind of weather. Makes me shiver just thinking about it!!!

BTW, your socks are just gorgeous. Can't wait to see the finished project.

I knew that silly leaf would be pretty straight forward for you to fix. Obviously not something to point out when it happened but that was the thought, "Sheesh, Harlot, you could totally pick those stitches up and make them your bitch and get that lil leaf happily installed." But knowing the desolation of the plinkplinkplink as the sock fell from your hands, I knew such a comment wouldn't necessarily be the best course of action.

Being as I've never experienced -20 degrees, I think the pack should be providing food for you so you can stay home and get those leaves knit. But that's from a single-ton who'll probably get away with only Rogue for a winter coat this year. *apply grains of salt liberally*

As someone who has spent most of my years wintering in Calgary and Halifax, you should know. . .temperature with windchill doesn't count as the real temperature. :D

Also, I continue to be mesmerized by your progress on these socks. I salute your commitment to something far fiddlier than I'm ready for.

That is such a cute sock toe! I love it! Excellent job fixing it...if I hadn't read before the tragic dropping of the sock, I'd never be able to tell anything went wrong. Bravo!

I so understand your comments about the cold! It was nearly that cold here this morning when I had to walk the kids to school (to answer the question about why not using a car - well I can only answer it from my point of view.... the school is less than a 5 minute walk away - it would take longer than that to get 4 kids into the car, and I would still be outside in the cold while doing it!)

I love the leaf on that sock - good job with the fix.

I hope you are talking Celsius. Temperatures have been between 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit for the last few days here in Michigan, and I have done everything possible to stay in my nice warm house.

I am of the opinion that the knitting gods created the cold to encourage you to fix the sock. You did a beautiful job.

Without retracting any of my previous comments on the state of your sanity, I have to admit that the wee leaf looks pretty damn cool all nestled into the amoeba-void there.

I knew you could do it!

I'm not laughing about the long underwear. I wear them pretty much from Nov. - March here in Minnesota:) Nice work with the leaf!

Yay! I knew you could do it! Good job!

Why do you not leave in the lifeline you have before working the i-cord? I wanted to suggest this to you before, but I felt the subject was too tender. Perhaps for the second sock, instead of risking disaster, you can leave in a lifeline? I would never risk something that fiddly, but then I am a coward, this is known.

sounds like you need my mom's Nanuk of the North coat we used for walking the dog back in minnesota.

calflength superpoufy down conquers all!

Super cold weather wouldn't be so bad if your giant Newfie were there to warm you...hope he's back soon.

I never laugh at long underwear. Here in Delaware a cold snap is about 20 degrees F...which we are currently experiencing. Not that frightening, but def long john material. My husband affectionately calls them "long sloanes." Long story, don't ask, but I promise it is so much more fun to wear them when you get to ask, "Have you seen my long sloanes?"

So my humble hook touched your fabulous sock? I feel honored. Those socks seem so far beyond my skill level, I am just hanging on the edge of my chair watching, breathless. Do you ever stop and just assess how far you have come in your knitting over the years? Far, girl, far.

Note to =Tamar - actually, got that backwards. 0 *Celsius* is +32 Fahrenheit. 0 *Fahrenheit* is -18C. :D I find it sooooooo hard to convert though.

At any rate to most people, -18 and -32 are both damn cold :D To a Winnipegger though, -18 is balmy, -32 definitely chilly.

I read this blog for the first time the day before the "plink" incident. I am amazed at the outpouring of support from knitter's everywhere. I have heard the "plink" of stitches many times before, but never with such horror or trepidation.

The temperature was -31C with the wind chill, (-24F) here in southern Saskatchewan, bringing to mind EZ's nether garment pattern in her "Knitters Almanac". Anybody remember wearing flannel-lined jeans?

Keep warm in TO!

Anybody who laughs about long underwear must live a lot further south than me. I haven't taken them off (well, except to wash myself and them, and I do have multiple pairs) for nigh on two months. A single pair of pants is no match against winter, and I live much further south than you--just north of the 45th parallel in Idaho.

Wouldn't the bank be closed today? Just curious...

I just have to believe that anything that fiddely and fussy must be done in the sitting-down knitting position. Unless the lap formed by sitting down most usually contains a cat, then one must factor in the possiblity of the fiddely little bit bouncing off the cat.

I. Love. That. HOOK!!!!

I hear ya about not wanting to go out in the cold. I've gotta walk to work Wed., Thurs., and Fri. thanks to the fact I don't have a car/liscence/car insurance, Mom'll be working those days, and it'll be cold out. I've gotta get me some longjohns... Or said liscence/car/car insurance... (Ha, like that'll happen after getting broadsided by an idiot in her 80's.)

what do you mean "remember" flannel lined jeans? I have two pairs that go on in november and come off in april. They go on over the longies and the thin wool socks covered by heavy wool socks and then you put on the felted slippers. by the way, at those temps you might want to take your pierced earings off if you have such. Metal conducts cold.

I finally caved. I blame it on you. The pictures, the leaves, the tiny needles, my susceptibility to other peoples descriptions of knitting. I bought the kit. I'm waiting for it to arrive. And now that you have recovered your sanity in leiu of saving the leaf, I am more impatient than ever for it to arrive. I also ordered new needles. Shiny, nickle plated ones. That I can't blame on you. Thank you for causing me to trip and fall, hitting the 'Add To Cart' button on the way down. It's so pretty and I can't wait for it to arrive. Do you have any advice for a brand new knitter (Since April '07) attempting to knit this project? I'm not really concerned, because my difficulty level is reasonably high, but any advice would rock.
Thanks,
K.

to one of the posters above, 0 F is -18 C(approx). -32 c is -25.6 F.

What I hate is being the coldest person in the world, so I see other people walking around wearing a shirt and jeans and a jacket that only comes down to their waist and they don't even have it zipped and they have nothing on their heads and they don't seem to be cold, while I'm wearing two shirts, a wool cardigan, a parka with the hood on, heavy tights, corduroy pants, and nylon wind pants when I go outside, and it's all just barely warm enough. Geez, it takes me 10 years to get dressed before I go out. I look at these people with their little spring jackets, and my brain can't figure out what planet they're from. Or am I the one from the other planet? Mmeh.

Never had the earring problem, but you get cold so fierce it hurts any bare skin just to step outside. Glasses freezing to face, eyelashes freezing shut etc. But.... we do have central heating and high efficiency furnaces (when they are working!!!)

Anyway, back to my sock knitting!!!

If I were going to make a repair like that, it would have looked like arse. You've done a lovely job of it.
Geez, I feel like an utter weenie complaining about the cold when it's 36*F outside, or when I have to stand at the bus stop when it's below 20*F. I don't rightly blame you for not wanting to go outside.

dont' feel bad. I thought it was too cold Friday, so I cut my errands short. Then, on Saturday, I did the a few, then ran home to the cats and the duvet. By Sunday, I'd run out of time or excuses. I may never recover. Do you know how much warmer it was on Friday? Why, why, did I not finish my errands then?

I found two copies of Street Smart in the JoAnne's near my house in CT.....course, now there's only one.....

Your sockie looks lovely. I hope it will keep your toes nice & warm. Brrrrrr!

I'm going to second the "Yay for Texas" mood.

Though it's awfully dark and drizzly out with fog from my ankles up, I am eternally grateful that it is not snow!

On the minus side to that, there is absolutely no practical value to knitting scarves, gloves, hats, mittens, etc.

Doesn't really stop me though.

E

Awesome fix on the sock! I usually "fix" problems by whining to someone about it until they fix it for me. (you know the saying, do something right once someone will ask you to do it again...). I'm in florida and it's almost 80 here. We had our own version of "wind chill" a few weeks ago and they had a warning on the news explaining to people that they need to remember to wear coats/sweaters. Gotta love Florida. We have cold weather so rarely they have to tell us to bundle up. Otherwise you have people wandering around in confusion unsure if maybe the reason they are cold is they should have worn capri's instead of shorts.... heehee. And why are you WALKING to the bank? I can't imagine walking ANYwhere. (Of course, in the summer in florida, we often have warnings on the news about heat stroke. Gotta love that too. "Don't go outside. It's over a hundred degrees and if you go outside you will die, thank you." )

Boy, am I glad *that* repair's done. Just thinking of those little, tiny leaf-stitches hanging out there, perhaps thinking about slipping further down. . . . Closure -- ahhh!

OMG: You had minus 20 while we had (wait for it) 43! I kid you not! It was 43 degrees C here in Melbourne.
The world has gone crazy.
I'll send you some heat if youc an send us some cold.

Hope it wasn't for naught--banks are usually closed on MLK Jr. Day

whoa. one cool repair. okay, we can exhale now...(I think we must have collectively held our breath during this post... don't you while you're doing repairs? -as if it might help - grin)

That little leaf is so blessedly beautiful…did you breathe at all?

-20°C or Fahrenheit? Canadians use Celsius, yes? Not that it really matters. -20 in either is reason enough for long undies, imho. I start wearing them as of -3°C, but then I’m usually out for a long time and wind up with thighs of ice with or without it. As of -10°C, the sooper, keep a naked penguin in the Antarctic warm long undies come out. So no, no laughing at the long underwear.

The leaf looks Fab. Wow. I’m impressed. Maybe one day when I really feel like a challenge…I’ll try and teach my Great Danes to do the laundry. Got to be easier than that sock!

[I will not do numbers on the net, I will not do numbers on the net...] Well, anyway, it's cold both places, no need to argue over a few degrees difference. Maybe the bind-off edge of the sock hole is needed to hold the leaf in shape under the stress of wearing it. Cute leaves, anyway.

I want your crochet hook. Can we have another picture of it in its marbley loveliness? Can I buy one?

I'm feeling guilty now because I was whining a little about having to deice the car this morning - it's about freezing here in the English Midlands. -20 is a whole different level of cold. It sounds great! You can get away with wearing three jumpers and woolly undies without people thinking you're a wuss...and you have proper snow and big icicles. We just get flooded out...

Yup, MacGyver! And you didn't even need the bobby pin!

I never doubted for a moment that you would be able to repair the leaf in like no time, after all if you'll go out in -10 degrees, that little ol' leaf is nothing in comparison, 28 degrees is my limit-

Not only do we have -9C + a wind chill of I don't know, but we got 12 inches of snow last night... and it's snowing again. I have on a soft angora sweater that I only wear when it's this cold outside, and I'm knitting on a sweater for my mother which is spread over my lap.

Good luck with keeping warm.

Just think - the sooner you finish the socks, the sooner they can keep you warm on your way to the bank! Well done you!

Sock looks great, and that crochet hook is divine. I won't tell you that yesterday we were having trouble keeping the baby cool...

I still can't believe you are able to knit a leaf-shaped hole in a sock toe. It's wonderful.

You love a crochet needle? What have you done with the Harlot?

At least your neighbor should have some clothes on!

Thought I forgot about her, didn't you?

Hooray for long underwear. I've been wearing them around the house! But then I'm a cold weather wimp, even though we live in Minnesota. I would not even desire to participate in the furnace wars, though I admire your win!

Y'know, I have to disagree a bit with the previous posters who have implored you to let the pack go out for groceries. Because no matter whether they were bred for slave labor or not, the fact is...they're still teenagers. And if they're anything like the teenagers I know, you'd send them out for food and they'd come back with six bags of flavored corn chips, a frozen pizza, two boxes of something vaguely Twinkie-like, and one can of corn nibblets so there'd be something healthy in the bags.

This may cause the Harlot more stress than the cold.

p.s. It's your fault I bought one of those Vintage kits. When I'm pulling out my hair, I'm sending your kids Twinkies. Fair warning. :)

YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!

Once again, you give us hope.

Hello Stephanie please try to work your knitters unite magic with this,
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/petition-sign.cgi?1234lulu.
Shelda

Harlot, I knew that you cold fix that little adorable leaf!!! You rock and roll my dear! Loved, loved, loved the kitten pics in the bathroom from yesterday's post! As my cat says, "I'm just hanging around cuting up the joint!" BTW... It's in the 40's here and we're whining about it, I think that we should shut up about that now ;)

I know you love the process (mostly) of knitting.... but with all this work and fuss... I hope you have (or buy) shoes that will show these socks in all their glory...

These will require outfit engineering....;)

The harlot comes out on top in true harlot form. I knew you would. Since I'm from philly, it makes me think of a certain mr. Balboa.

Brrr...your sock looks great!

The socks look great. Don't know if I could ever tackle those. Southeastern Wisconsin got 12 inches of snow last night in some places. I am a teacher and got a surprise snow day today. It's great---lots of free knitting time and no reason to feel guilty that I should be doing something else!Stay warm.

You need an ATM card and a market that lets you use it to pay for groceries. Then you would be able to finesse trips to the bank.

I'm right there with you with the cold thing! What is it with kids wanting to eat anyway? How selfish of them.

The sock looks amazing!

Hooray! I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to hear how you would tackle that little leaf! Glad it's a success! :o)

I've given you an award on my blog! It's little and silly for you, you famous writer you, but you make a big difference to me, every day!

Love that crochet hook too! Who makes that? Thanks for such an entertaining site!

By the way, you have beautiful fingers! I've taken a few knitting pics lately with my fingers in them and I KNOW ugly finger pics.

Yay!

Very nicely done.

I love Fibergal's crochet hooks ~ I traded Morgaine for three of them, for some yarn. Love them all. They make me smile (yeah, yeah, it's the little things in life).

Jen

Beautiful leaf work. Well Done!
Love the hook ..... it's one terrific fixer!

Is the plan .... go to bank, get cold .... come home with food ... eat & soak in tub, get warm ... with fingers thawed .... make socks to keep warm :-D

ENJOY!!

Clever Millie knows bath is warm, basin is tall with good view of door for spying approaching foe. Prrrrow!

I am glad that your sock saga turned out well.

Totally unrelated. I found this image, and figured you'd appreciate it. http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/01/21/funny-pictures-devil-skwerl-plots-your-demise/

Congratulations on the leaf. I knew you could do it.
Taking several more baths will ADD back to the life expectancy.
And also, kudos for walking it.
Next: establish online banking.

You are making me really want to knit this sock - I thought I could resist! Maybe you could put some sort of 'beautiful, fiddly sock ahead' warning before each post where you talk about how wonderful and lovely it is. Then I could avoid reading and continue my resolve. I really have no willpower of my own.

Wow, when I look at this sock it makes me want to branch out and try something more difficult than the plain Jane slipper socks I've been making.
BTW, your blog is a huge bright spot in my day. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to say so.

hey Ms. Sneakypants- am I totally out of it, or did I just get a first glimpse of your next newest tome over at Amazon??

your bank are open on Saturday in Canada? cool, they're not in the US

I'm with you on the long underwear as essential. I wear them most days in January and February, even indoors. Layered with legwarmers on the outside. And alpaca socks are a good help, too.

Um, and wristwarmers, even indoors sometimes. I get cold indoors and out.

I'm a wimp. I'm not a Canadian, but my ancestors were from Norway and I was born in Minnesota. I think I should be glad to be as far south as Lansing, Michigan. Should.

Hope you survived the walk. Probably cold is better than upset teens, I'm guessing.

Here's a simple easy to remember F & C comparison. -40 is the point where both scales meet. We all agree that -40 is really, really cold. -20 C is really cold too, much colder than 0 F.

Conversion: 9/5 times C + 32 = F

Bless Mrs. Willson who taught us how to work that out from knowing freezing and boiling points on both scales in grade 10 science class a long time ago.

Also, whoever recommended Marks' WorkWearhouse fleece long johns is right. I have two pair and rotate them through the wash.

I have been dwelling on the fact that it is so much colder in Toronto than it is here in Michigan. How could this be? I have looked at maps in my classroom, imagining cold fronts moving down, but still could not wrap my head around the fact that we are only at around -7. It took me two days to realize that the US is bizarrely whack, and uses some weird Fahrenheit system that the rest of the world has (quite rightly) discarded. (Seriously...0 to 100, or 32 to 212. I'll take the first please.) I'm a moron. And yes...this weather is way to cold to run errands in. I can barely make it to work!

Great rescue on the sock. I can't wait to see how it progresses.

I guess I need to stop whining about how cold it is here in Northern California. Its nothing compared to Toronto. Living in Northern California for 25 + years has ruined me for real cold weather. I don't think I could survive a full upper east coast winter again, although I do really miss how pretty it looks to have freshly fallen snow blanketing the town.

Did I read that right?? You acatually said "I love that crochet hook??"?????????
Wonders never cease! LOL
Alice

Commenting first, reading other comments later: it's -12 here today, windchill something like -28. I have to go out - but between long underwear (made of thermopropoholliganite or something), a turtle fur, fingerless mitts inside gloves, long-sleeved T under long-sleeved dress, 2 regular and one flannel petticoat, North Face boots, down jacket and knitted toque under jacket hood....I can run out to get the mail. (Actually though - I LOVE living in "the north" and have a very real need for four seasons.) Having said that - I'm throwing down my latest afghan, pointing myself to the ..er...uhm...northeast? and BOWING to you, 100 times. 1) very good aerobics; 2) showing my worshipful attitude. Stephanie, that sock repair is the most inspiring thing I've ever seen. You are WORTHY of your position in the hearts of all o' us knitterly types. Oh - and 1) thank you for showing the goof-up AND the fix-up; 2) thank you for writing another book (OY! get the piggy bank out!) 3) just a general Merci Beaucoup.

Ummm, did she make it BACK from the bank? Shouldn't someone check to see if she's in a snow drift?

I hope all went well. :)K

Oh man, that is beautiful. And here I am procrastinating on making a second entrelac sock.

I keep going back and looking at your crochet hook. And I keep falling more and more in love with it.

So now we know where YOU got it.

Where can WE get one?

Please post this in your blog if you have an answer because I am sure that others have fallen in love with your wonderful crochet hook, too.

I like that the hook part is small, but the shaft gets wider as it goes along. That kind of shape in a crochet hook lets me get into a stitch easily, but then push the hook through to get the right gauge. That's why I love the smaller sizes of the light-up crochet hooks that have come out.

If you don't know where to get them, don't bother, it's OK.

The other day when I looked at the thermometer and saw, through several layers of frost (door, screen door, thermometer cover) that it said the temperature was somewhere between -30 and -35... *before* windchill... I almost went back to bed. I didn't. I have decided, though, that I find cold days less depressing when I don't look at the thermometer. I just assume it will be cold, and dress appropriately.