It is, my knitty friends, one hundred million degrees below zero outside, and I am not even kidding a little bit. It’s the kind of cold that someone like me will do just about anything to avoid, and I am. I’m writing, knitting and doing the mountains of laundry that sprang up out of nowhere like mushrooms on a dank forest floor, and I’m hoping that the outside world doesn’t need me for anything until it’s way less frosty out there.
The focus on laundry today is an imperative, since I leave for Madrona on the 13th, and I realized this weekend that even though it was just yesterday that it was January, all of a sudden this is February, and not the start of it either. I leave for Madrona in 48 hours, and if I don’t do some laundry not only will I leave this family in a tragic state of affairs (which I am not too worried about. They are all tall enough to have an episode with Sir Washie) but I will be travelling with only commercial socks, my bottom of the barrel underpants and the shirt that has a coffee stain on the front. (Considering that I am extremely unlikely to stop being the sort of doofus, who will spill coffee on myself just about first thing everyday while I am at Madrona, shouldn’t really bother me…but I do like to at least give myself a chance to rise above.)
Once I’d worked out that I had only a few days to get ready, I realized that meant that meeting my goal of having the Must Have Cardie (Laura has a nice one here) to wear at Madrona was also looking pretty slim. I abandoned it a couple of weeks ago to work harder on the Vintage socks…and then those sucked up – well, the universe, to be completely fair, and now here I am 48 hours before my flight with only two fronts and two sleeves, which can only make a sweater if you’re someone who thinks creatively about sweaters, like….Teva Durham or Norah Gaughan or even my buddy Denny, who would all totally work out a way to make the sleeves the backs and the fronts the sleeves and have a cabled shrug at the end of it.
I’m not them though, and so I have the back left to do, and the bands, and find buttons and that might even be doable, I thought. Might be doable right up until for reasons that I can’t properly explain to you, but might have something to do with a backlash from the fussiest socks in the world….
I grabbed a skein of sock yarn and started the worlds plainest sock.
(Yarn from that darn Rabbitch, who apparently exists only to corrupt me. Sock yarn in “Revenge”. (Her shop is here….though I don’t see this colourway just now. Whoops. It’s here. My bad. )
I was just going to do the ribbing, I told myself. Then get seriously diligent about the sweater. Seriously. I would just do the ribbing and then I’d have a plain sock to work on while I read and worked and that really was my plan.
Then, I couldn’t put it down. I’m totally charmed by this colourway, and I keep promising myself that I’m just going to do a few more rounds and then put it down…and then I’m all “Hey! Turquoise! Hey! Pink! Hey! Acid yellow and black and it’s red again!” and…..
I can’t seem to stop. I look over at the sweater, I give myself a stern talking to, then I remember that I’m the boss of me and I’ll knit what I want, and then I work on the sock. Then I remind myself that I really do want a warm sweater to wear in Tacoma, and then I think… is it even cold enough to care in Tacoma? I checked. It is a very toasty 10C (that’s 48F) in Tacoma right now. That is chilly, not cold, although I know that not finishing that sweater will likely bring an arctic wind upon Tacoma the minute I get off the plane and plunge the place into never-seen-before temperatures so low that I will sob for my Must Have cardigan, just to teach me a lesson about cockiness and project abandonment and not keeping promises to myself. The worst thing is, that if I continue to let this sock seduce me, not only will I have no sweater, I’ll won’t even have a pair of socks. I’ll just have one, since there’s certainly not time to finish the pair. Maybe I should go back to the sweater.
Or not. It’s a really great sock.
Who wouldn’t be addicted with those glorious colors?
Woolyness before cleanliness? Sockiness before cardiness? I’m glad you’ll be warming up in Tacoma.
That is an awesome sock! Colors to keep one entertained!
Stay warm.
That is a drop-dead gorgeous colorway. My sister lives in Tacoma, by the way, and was in a swimming pool watching the wave coming at her from an earthquake they had that day. It’s not just California…
You should find out how much sales increase when you start working with a particular yarn or pattern.
Love the colorway. Just what we need when it’s 8 degrees and morosely white outside.
That sock is beautiful. Don’t torture yourself! Knit for happiness. If you force yourself to knit the cardi right now you’ll hate it and never wear it no matter how cold it gets.*is knitting a sock right now instead of a warm winter hat*
Harlotry at its very best!
I’ve got The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” in my head now, thanks to the vision of you and that engaging sock of yours.
It IS a beautiful sock, unfortunately!
Just think, it will give you something to do on the plane–either sock or cardigan.
Good luck!
Don’t you hate when the mountains of laundry grow!! I love the sock – those are very warm colours, and I agree, it’s bloody cold outside (and I’m even further north than you are).
I bet you have other sweaters you could wear in Tacoma. Knit the sock!
The colours are very facinating.
As I was waiting for my bus today all I could think about were the socks I needed to finish. It was very cold out, and all I wanted to do was wrap myself in wool. I also mused about thrumming every item of clothing needed for outside wear. Can you thrum pants???
Anyways, socks have power. Don’t resent the socks, it is not their fault that they are so aluring and tempting. You are a Harlot after all.
Here in DC, we’d love to have for 48F weather (good temperature for a sweater, I’d say), as it’s 28F right now. Have a great trip.
You have lots of other sweaters right? Not everything you knit is for someone else.
I say the socks, they are gorgeous.
Do you own laundry, and let the others figure things out!
it is a beautiful sock. don’t let that cardigan bother you.
right now, it’s 70F outside (in California).
The sweater. No the sock! No the sweater, the sock.
You have the Sunrise Sweater to keep you warm, don’t stress over the Must Have Cardie. It will be there when you are ready, and Toronto will be cold enough for that sweater for at least another three months.
Um… it *IS* knitting, right? So… you *ARE* supposed to enjoy it, right?
Knit what you *WANT* to knit. Who has earned that privilege, if not you?
Stick with the sock. There is magic in socks. I was knitting on one this weekend (my 4th sock ever!) while working at a quilt show, and I was expecting “comments”. I got them, but they were all very pro-knitting, especially sock-wise. “You’re making a SOCK?!! Really?!!!” “I multi-craft, too!” “How do you do that with circulars???” For a while I had a sock Q&A going in the middle of the quilt show, along with quick&dirty 2-circular demos.
Veni, Vidi, Socci! (I came, I saw, I knit a sock!) Now I’m going to go check out that sock yarn link.
Oooh…I LOVE that colorway. (Actually, it reminds me of a pair of socks I knitted my son in Colinette’s Jitterbug–I had a whole post on how the world shrieked to a halt and ground itself into powder upon the growing-out-of of THOSE EXACT SOCKS. By all means, Harlot…knit those socks–after last week’s episode, I’m convinced that they’re all that keeps the world spinning in an acceptable mannter!)
There is nothing wrong with a roving knitting eye!
That is a very TALL sock, too. I think I need kneesocks. But I don’t have enough yarn for a pair…though I have some of Abby’s batts enough to spin yarn for a pair…hmmmm.
Reading your blog is bad for me. I start thinking about other projects I COULD be doing, and forget the ones I SHOULD be doing. But then, that’s your job, isn’t it? 😉
Not to be an enabler, but there’s totally time to finish the other sock! Knitting should be about pleasure, not self-imposed deadlines!
I don’t blame you, that sock yarn looks hard to resist!
I’m so bummed that I’ll be out of town for Madrona! I’ll be on the east coast, instead! Enjoy our lovely weather (though it may be grey, it is nice and “warm!) and scenery!
Hmm…the socks could use a little something. Aha! I know just the thing- leaves…..
As someone who grew up in the Pacific Northwest and for reasons I can’t begin to comprehend now lives in the ridiculously cold Midwest, I will warn you that that 10ºC feels a lot colder when it’s raining. Which I can all but guarantee it will do at some point while you are there. Maybe you could make the back of the cardigan out of the sock yarn?
that sock is wonderful (even if it’s ‘plain’), but please dear “Harl” do some more work on the ‘cardi’. you’re probably correct in your comment that if you don’t work on it you’ll “bring an artic wind” on stepping off the plane in Tacoma (it will actually be SeaTac in Seattle). we don’t need anymore cold winds; we’re sissies and aren’t used to it and our Cascades can’t take anymore snow this year. and my daphne odora is starting to bloom and I’d like it not to freeze.
As long as your personal laundry gets done, you are a success. Knit what you really want to knit. Don’t tell me that you don’t own any beautiful handknit sweaters and so must finish this one.
Maybesocks
Cool sock. I think I would stick with it too.
Can you wear the Juno sweater from Rowan?
I have stop reading your blog, you make me buy yarn!
Thanks,
The sock is great! Keep going!
Besides, you wouldn’t want to risk spilling coffee on a brand new sweater would you?
Not that you have time to answer me…..but I’d love to know the gorgeous grey fiber you are using for your Must Have Cardie. It’s yummy! Send me your sweater and I’ll finish it whilst you travel to and fro.
Damn, and I was hoping for something even more mind-bending than the vintage socks. But my husband is going to totally want socks in that color…
Just take a breath and do what makes you happy!
I didn’t have a chance to respond the other day, but I just want to thank you for inviting us into your living room, and to let you know how much I enjoy the daily view of your knitting projects. You inspire me!
I’m glad you like it so much!
Uh, I’d better go dye something, hadn’t I?
Oh, it *is* a great sock, and I know, as a satisfied customer, that That Darn Rabbitch’s colorways are so very fine. I have two hanks in my stash that are so luscious that I could eat them (although, of course, I will not). I’m casting my vote for the socks.
Ooo! I like that “Revenge” colorway! But I hold a soft spot for sock yarn and sock yarn with distracting colorways… 😀
You’re NOT the boss of you. Who are you kidding? Yarn is the boss of you, missy.
Have fun in Madrona!
Great sock. And I may be really foggy-brained but I do seem to remember that you made about eight really gorgeous sweaters last year…are they all in the laundry too?? Surely the Kauni could go, or Juno, or Sunshine Circle, or…???
My sister lives in Tacoma, by the way, and was in a swimming pool watching the wave coming at her from an earthquake they had that day. It’s not just California…
Posted by: AlisonH at February 11, 2008 2:05 PM
I’m really enjoying imagining this. A tsunami in a swimming pool? That’s a great metaphor for something that’s bigger than a “tempest in a teacup”.
Here in upstate New York, my son left his textbooks in the car, and the doors are frozen shut. Tight. When I went out in the afternoon to try to open them again, the temperature was 7F (-12C) and my eyeballs were freezing over, each time I blinked. The books will stay there. I’m with you, Stephanie. These temperatures call for sock knitting time, while wrapped under a cozy blanket.
And those colors in your sock are quite warming!!
~ Dar
I love the socks, but you should keep in mind that it has warmed up to 48 degrees C here in the Pacific Northwest. And there has also been a lot cold wind. Our weather the past few weeks has made even natives like me long for spring. I’m sure you have other sweaters–just make sure they are warm.
or the garter stitch jacket all in rusts and greens…
I don’t want to sound like ANYONE’S mother, but I really imagine that you have more wonderful sweaters than any three of us put together, and can work on the beautiful sock with impunity.
49F???? You should come to L.A.!!! It’s 80 degrees here today and has been all weekend. It’s GORGEOUS. We’re all walking around in shorts and t-shirts and complaining about the heat. LOLOL.
Of course the weekend BEFORE that it was 42, so…
And as for the Temptation of the Sock…really…the sock color is merely living up to its name.
And have you seen the Shibui line of sock yarn? Very tasty, superwash merino, and coordinating colors.
Enjoy the weather out here this weekend 🙂 It’s supposed to even stop raining for a time. I wish I could afford to make it to Madrona this year, it’s only a 4 hour drive North, and I could leave the kids and hubby with the inlaws in Tacoma…but I promised a friend we’d have a Portland yarn crawl instead this weekend.
Can’t wait to see pics from Madrona!
Hating to state the obvious, but it’s not as if you don’t have any other sweaters to wear…
I never fret too much about what I’m working on. This could be why I have most of the back of a sweater, half a second sock, one baby bootie, and 1″ of ribbing on a baby hat cast on at this very moment. I find that if you hide the knitting in different places it works out better. One at work for lunch knitting, on top of the TV cabinet, tucked away in bags, laid out on the coffee table, etc…. Then when I find it, I knit a little and it makes me happy 🙂
The real question is— do you have a bra and black pants…. those tend to be packing problems for you as well…. (And, why yes, it takes one las minute knitter/packer to know one;)
Isn’t it fun to have such choices? For me, knitting lets me be an omnipotent goddess who reigns supreme over my knitting universe. I can go from disciplined to fickle to moody to focused to indulgent and no one can stop me! It’s the perfect balance to all the inflexible responsibilities of the real world.
I totally relate to your fascination with variegated yarn. I, too, am thoroughly amused by color changes.
After living in the freezer these last weeks, wouldn’t Tacoma’s weather seem absolutly balmy? In the good sense.
And, if you keep knitting that sock, not only will you have only one, but you’ll have only one thigh-high! Not that I’m saying you should plug your ears to it’s siren call.
You’ll probably want a sweater at some point while you’re here, though. (KP&S Wrap Cardi? Sunrise Circle?) It’s raining now, and we’ve had snow off and on over the past few weeks.
It’s extremely nice to know that someone else out there can be so completely derailed by a gorgeous sock yarn. The cardi will still be there when you finish the socks, so knit what you want.
As for laundry, all four of the other humanoid inhabitants of your house should be capable of doing their own. Really. (I wouldn’t expect the cat to manage Sir Washie, though… )
you can totally knit the second sock on the plane. hit the sweater right away. come on. i have faith.
Nah. Just leave the toe off your sock and wear it on your arm. 🙂
See you at Madrona!
Let’s see, the month is February. The choice is knit a (gorgeous) gray cardigan or socks in a colorway that’s an explosion of summer. (Just seeing the pictures has me picturing banks on banks of wildflowers, stirred by warm summer breezes as you bicycle by them.)
Mr. Must Have Cardigan? Try not to take it personally. It’s not you. It’s February.
The sock color is great. Glad to see the sweater back in sight. Love sweaters. To bad I live in So.CA.
Have a question. Other knitters always suggest when I start a sleeve, why don’t I knit them both at the same time? Do you ever knit the equal parts at the same time? Claudia
Get to work on the sweater! I want to see it finished. The socks can be done any time, but you need the sweater now.
I have just about given up knitting socks that make their own little colour pattern, in favour of solid colours with texture – cables, lace, what have you. Mind you, I still have several pairs to knit up, since I bought the yarn some time ago, and I will do it. But I will still add some kind of texture to them.
Katherine
Our weather out here is generally depressing, rainy and windy this week. I would kill for subzero temps and snow (although I know it wears on a person). My mom and I are going to Madrona, taking the train from Bellingham. I’m almost done with my first mitten and need to get the second one done so I can start a new sweater on the train ride! This weekend will be way too much fun.
Are we going to see the Vintage Socks recipient with a stupor of glee on their face and their feet?
I was hoping to have my Serendipity socks finished for Madrona, not going to happen. I will however have chocolate and a raincoat if you need one. See you Thursday.
Sock! Sock! I vote sock!
Sock for president!
Would that be democrat or republican? Considering the colors, maybe it’s an independant!
Ah, don’t call them plain socks! I call them “sex socks”. Why, because it’s just another f#@&ing pair of socks! I always have a pair of sex socks on the needles. 🙂
I live in central Massachusetts and I think that you Canadians have shared the cold air with us. It is 17F with 50 mile per hour winds bringing the temps down to 10 – 20 below 0. So I we are sisters in cold. I love the sock yarn! I have been working with Noro sock yarn and every round is an adventure in color.
Have a safe trip to the northwest.
Just pack the bohus and enjoy the sock. 😉
You know, I have to confess something. I’ve always maintained that I am not a plain-stockinette person, that I need just a tiny rib or cable or something (preferably a cabled rib) to hold my interest, and do not try to tempt me with that multicolored yarn, I alone will decide when the yarn changes colors, thank you just the same. (Control freak much?)
But now I am working on the miles and miles and *miles* of st st inherent in the incredibly plain sweater I hope to have finished by Wednesday night, and… there’s something strangely hypnotic and peaceful about it. And the yarn isn’t even space-dyed.
Those colors are warm colors! I have a black sweater nearly done. It’s gonna be a warm sweater, but black isn’t a warm color, and I could really use some warm about now. 48 degrees F sounds wonderful! Enjoy!
Why on Earth are you wearing commercial socks on your trip? Are you afraid you’ll lose your luggage and never see those hand knits again? If someday, I might see you in person, I would be flabbergasted if you had on commercial socks.
Tacoma weather rarely goes below 30 F, believe me. You’ll be fine.
Abandon the sweater and wear the Bohus in Tacoma instead. You can always knit sock 2 on the plane.
Ooooo, pretty colors. 🙂
Have you given away the Vintage socks yet? How were they received? I still have my suspicions about who’s getting them but I figured you’d have mentioned if you wanted to share.
The sock yarn is VERY enticing. I can see how it would lead you astray. That happens sometimes. Just go with it. Besides, you have other, gorgeous sweaters you can take with you. How about that one from Rowan you were working on a few months back? Or the one out of the yarn on a cone?
Hahaha! That is a really, really long sock. If you keep going you wont have enough yarn for two socks. Not that you didn’t know that, but stating the obvious never hurt a one, right? 😛
If my memory of the Yarnharlot’s past writings is correct — don’t you have, like, ten really entrancing sweaters you could take with you? So, do the socks. They make you happy – and if it’s that cold outside, you need to feel happy. Especially if your family has sentenced you to a day of laundry.
Enjoy Madrona!
You have a fantastic knitted wardrobe and certainly must possess other cardigans. What about that gorgeous Kauni (sp?) cardigan that you knit recently?
I have another way to get side-tracked:
http://www.wikihow.com/Illusion-Knit
Surely another sweater from the closet will do. It will feel like spring when you get to Tacoma. Knit the charming simple socks. They will refresh your palate after those crazy Vintage socks!
I’ve lived here in the Seattle area for 7 years and I can’t wear a full-on heavy wool sweater indoors. I think coming from your weather of the last week or so, you will be more inclined to wear t-shirts and shorts than heavy sweaters 🙂 So…knit away on the socks!
Sometimes one just needs to knit a plain (but endlessly entertaining) sock. Go for it. Looks like fun! But do get the laundry done–coffee stained shirt, who cares, but store-bought socks? Horrors!!!!
Knitters are so easily entertained! Although, that really is a kickin’ colorway. You know, at nearly 50°F those socks might be a bit more useful than the cabled cardigan. And you could always bring the sunrise circle jacket instead. I’m just sayin’…
Those colors are screaming summer! On a freezing cold day like today, those socks are warming me up just looking at them. :o)
I have the mountain of laundry waiting for me at home too. Very difficult to divide time between that, knitting, homework, dinner, dishes… yadda yadda.
I dread coming out of the office building into a cold car!!
Kim
I live about 20 miles north of Tacoma (just a few miles from the airport.) The weather report last night was hinting at 60’s over this coming (Madrona) weekend. Knit the socks. If predictions are correct, you are going to need rubber shoes and a sweater outside and not worry about cold. The Sunrise Circle sweater would likely serve quite nicely for a jacket. Oh, and coffee marks, yeah, pretty common in this area. I do not wear white, as it attracts the coffee to jump directly out of the cup. However, comfy undies are a must whereever you go, one load should be more than enough.
love, love, love the socks.
Regarding the cardi, couldn’t you just take “The Very Thought of Him” one with you?
Holy , never mind about wearing the sweater to Madonna–how about wearing it HERE where one never has enough warm wool sweaters to wear to stay warm !! I HAD to go out in this fridged polar bear atmosphere. I try to stay upbeat in the winter months but it’s it’s NOT funny any more ! Knit what you please , and I can understand that sock yarn sucking you in, but the sweater is going to keep more of the bod in a toasty comfort zone. You can do it.
Look out, it was a toasty 48 and sunny when I left my home just south of Philadelphia to travel 10 minutes to giant-box-bookstore-that-shall-remain-nameless. After about 10 minutes of wandering around, I stood in the interminable line, looked out the window, and saw snow. In about 20 minutes, it dropped about 12 degrees and there was a fierce wind blowing. I love the sock, think that yarn is to die for, but put it down and knit the sweater, woman!
So, you don’t own a single completed sweater that you could bring with you in lieu of the Must Have Cardie? Not a one?
Nah. Take the sweater that shall not be named or something like that, finish the sock on the plane (going or coming, who cares?) and have a good time. I like that colorway even better now that I’ve seen it knitted up. I hope Rabbitch has a big ol’ stash somewhere to cover the Harlot effect.
That is one damn happy sock! Besides, don’t you have a really wonderful green sweater you finished a while back? You’re the boss of you and you put in some serious self-discipline on the Vintage socks. I’d suggest you knit what makes you happy – you deserve it!
It’s what, a 5 hour flight to Seattle? (this is assuming you’ve got a direct flight, and not a layover someplace like Minneapolis) And because it’s an international flight, you’ve got an extra hour or so of pre-flight sitting time to kill once you clear customs. Sounds to me like you’ve got some prime knitting time right there. Perhaps better suited to socks than sweaters, but it’s all better than being bored while sitting in an uncomfortable seat.
BTW, add me to the list of folx who’ve been totally derailed by gorgeous sock yarn. Darned stuff. =)
I’m knitting my first pair of socks in wool almost exactly like this.
I jumped and squealed when I saw it.
Your cardi is gorgeous, the sock does look addicting, but I would totally spring for clean underwear and shirts and I bet you’ve got a dozen (or more) wonderful sweaters to take to Tacoma with matching socks. Since you and Sir Washie are working together on the pre-existing wardrobe, hide all your clean clothes so no one in your house can “borrow” them at the last minute, leaving you, once again, bereft of the proper items for your suitcase.
I see the Revenge colourway is suddenly available on Rabbitworks again – “Due to demand”. You trendsetter you!! They should say “Due to Harlotry”.
Oh- and while you’re doing the laundry? Pile the things on you that have just come out of the dryer – toasty warm!! It’s pretty frickin’ cold here in Stratford too, so I resorted to this last evening.
How did I not know about this “Madrona.” ?????? If I had only known…
Right now, it’s gray gray gray out here, but it will probably feel balmy compared to what you’re sitting in right now. We have green grass, and I’m going plant some spinach seeds soon. 😉
Most days in February, I’m more than comfortable in a long-sleeved shirt and a light jacket. Handwarmers for driving. Really, it’s going to feel like spring!
Do enjoy your trip out here. Tacoma is really up and coming. A lot of artists have been flocking there. It was a little scarier when I lived there for four years, and my sweetheart was a prosecutor down there for awhile….but stick to the safe areas and I’m sure you’ll have a good time. I’ll be up here in Seattle wishing I was hanging with you!
sock. Definitely sock.
Don’t you need a good road sock?
Serendipidous knitting – I love it when that happens! Beautiful socks.
After all, coming from a bazillions degrees below zero to Oregon, you’ll feel like the tropics!
Wear a turtleneck under your Juno cardi and you’ll be fine.
Recently I discovered that if you clothespin freshly-washed handknit socks to a line in the house when you have the heat on, they dry practically overnight.
A cardigan without a back is basicly a wooly hospital gown. Wear that with your socks and you will be the best dressed flasher at Madrona
Where do you get all this amazing yarn? I love all the stuff you knit!
Just wanted to stop by and say hello. I’m a new knitter, having just started last fall. Since discovering your blog a few weeks ago, I’ve become addicted to both the blog and the knitting. Of course, moving up from toques to my first pair of mittens could also have something to do with it, as could the frigid weather (I’m in Toronto too). But all your beautiful projects are so inspiring. Thank you!
Just for the record? “Deb in NJ” @ 2:26pm, you’re evil…. bWAHahahahaha Now stop making me chortle out loud at work! My whole law firm thinks I’m crazy already.
Don’t you have other sweaters you can bring? 🙂
No, I do know what you mean. I would do the EXACT same thing.
I would actually set the timer and work on the cardi for a while, or two or three repeats, then get back to the sock. Do a load of laundry between the two. Then I would end up throwing all the knitting into the suitcase to finish en route.
I know for a fact that you already own more than one perfectly good, wonderful, handknit sweater. If the socks have seduced you, go finish the pair of socks and take one of your already finished sweaters on your trip. You don’t have to always show up with a brand new knit to wear. (Don’t neglect your wonderful FO’s.) You’ll have plenty of time to finish the new sweater after the trip without such stress. Just my two cents worth.
Hello. A quick question to anyone. In one of the archived blog entries Stephanie mentioned a MSF sock yarn (the company donated part of the sales to MSF). Anyone know where I can get some in Montreal? Does it still exist???? Help!
Kriss
Guess all of us who live anywhere near the Great Lakes are having the same frigid weather. I actually wore my 6 ply wool socks with my thinsulate lined boots & my super warm down & Gortex coat Saturday when we went to dinner with DD, her husband & the most amazing grands. And I wasn’t at all overheated. I have not left the house since we got back altho we are going to the health club this evening. I sure hope the steam room is fixed!
What happened to ‘I wash my handknit socks while I take a shower?’ 😛
Okay – I’ve been fine with the Canadian winter so far, but this is a bit much, don’t you think? Enjoy your time in balmy Tacoma!
Lovely colors in that sock. I can totally understand being sucked in by it – that sort of colorway grabs me too (and my grown daughter, who usually manages to “borrow” or just outright steal the cheerful ones I make for myself!)
I’d forgotten about that sort of cold. I’ve been living in Dakar for the last five months, and I found myself calling it “cold” today when I needed a cotton sweater.
I’m having EXACTLY that problem with this beautiful Claudia Hand Painted colorway in “Spring Break.” Oh, it’s so lovely. But the things I’m letting slide while this sock has its way with me, include readying my house for sale and feeding my children. I must get my priorities straight…but, well, sock on.
Barb
To be fair, that IS a very hypnotic colorway, who could resist it? There has to be another sweater that would do just fine for balmy by comparison Tacoma.
Thank you for the yarn! It arrived today. You are so very cool! It is cold here, too, although I don’t know if we’ve quite bottomed out at one hundred million degrees below zero. 🙂 We have some sort of Arctic wind blowing through and blowing through HARD.
I have that Cardi. I have two fronts and a back and quite possibly not enough yarn for the sleeves, and so I’ve packed it away until I can deal with its recalcitrant self. I’ve ignored mine since mid December.
Safe travels! Have fun!
Oooooooo. I feel that. That’s seductive color, that there is.
the socks are stupendous. as for the cardi? there is always sock camp in april.
You own commercial socks?!
Here in Tacoma, it’s been forecasted for rain so much lately (and we finally got some this weekend) that we’re due for a bit of sun soon. Wouldn’t think twice about betting it’ll be mostly clear this coming weekend. 😉
While you’re here, try getting dinner at the Ram if you have time – they brew their own beer there. Definitely worth the trip, if you ask me. Which you didn’t. I’ll stop typing now.
Ooh. Deadlines will do that to you, I’ve found. My surefire way to complete a sweater is to leave all my completed sweaters at home and bring the pieces along. Fear of hypothermia is a wonderful motivator.
It’s 80 degress here in No. San Diego County. I just took off my socks and started a cable tank top.
You’ve got other sweaters, I just know it. I’ll bet whomever those Madrona peops are, they haven’t yet seen your Sunrise Circle cardy, or that nice Bohus one in person. I say if you and the sock have found perfect synergy…or harmony, or whatever, that you should just go for it!
1. Gotta watch out for dem bunnies. That Rabbitch is dangerous. I’m waiting patiently for her to dye some more Moral Turpitude sock yarn, myself.
2. Surviving the PNW in winter: Although this is one of the months we’re liable to have a sudden ice storm wherein someplace gets covered in a couple inches of ice, then rains on top of it just enough to make it slicker than snot, without getting warm enough to melt appreciably for a few days, are you going to be slogging about in it? No. No, you will not. The airport will shut down; no one in their right minds will be out driving in it, fer godssake; and the only pedestrians will be those who have cross-country skis or crampons. Everyone else – except newbies who don’t have a clue – will sensibly stay the hell home, because we *know* we don’t know how to drive in ice storms. You will be in a nice, warm hotel. (Ok, it may get chilly if the power goes out.) All you’ll need is extra knitting in case your flight home is delayed, should we have an ice storm. Just bring lots of layers. The Bohus and a cardigan that fits over it (in case of that ice storm), as well as a coat, then some regular shirts should do nicely. Trust me. Layering is the ticket.
3. I’m not going to be taking any classes, but I will be up there spending money on the weekend with Ms. Knitingale. We’ll be the natives drooling a lot at the vendors’ booths while you’re hidden away in classes. [eg]
Wasn’t that one of the colourways you were winding the other day? Wonderful colors. So great together.
We are getting a winter storm tonight. Hopefully I’ll be sitting on my couch knitting socks tomorrow instead of working! YEAH!!
or….maybe not…. 🙂
I say stick with the sock. The yarn is wonderful.
Also — must it be a new sweater? Why not one from the back of the closet that is virtually heirloom and so well-loved? I mean, don’t we knit for stuff to be loved, including the stuff we knit for ourselves?? Stun Madrona with one you knit ten-twenty years ago and still cherish.
I love those sock colors! That Rabbitch just makes the most tempting yarn (and we won’t mention the fact that she is personally and individually responsible for sucking me over to the Dark Side of spinning). On a completely different subject, I was reading Julia Child’s My Life in France last night, and I don’t know if you are into the autobiographies of cooks, but her bit towards the end about her six-week book tour when Mastering The Art of French Cooking first came out is something that I’m betting would sound very familiar to you!
Tehe…it’s always good to know that I’m not the only one who argues with myself over what I ought to be knitting versus what I want to be knitting. Have fun at Madrona – I’m jealous! =)
The sock is wonderful. Give yourself a break – growing all those leaves took a lot out of you, especially doing it off-season for leafing.
Enough stern talks, even to yourself! It’s not as if you don’t own x number of hand knit sweaters, than can be combined with xx number of hand knit shawls. If knitting isn’t for escapism, then I’ll eat my 3rd attempt at getting the size right on the Flutter Sleeve Cardi (IK Spring 2008). Why must I be between the sizes? And know it, but not heed my own good advice, so that now I have a substantial portion of 2 backs – one too big and one too small? Escapism, yes that is what it is, in all it’s glory. Knit the pretty socks!
Finish that sweater! I live just outside of Tacoma and I DO NOT WANT ANY BONE CHILLING WIND! We’ve had enough…I’m a weather wimp! And we are okay on snow in the mountains…check out these photos
http://www.flickr.com:80/photos/wsdot
One hundred million degrees below!? Uhm, is that centigrade or fahrenheit?
Thank you for posting about the Vintage socks. I went and browsed the designer’s website and she has some beautiful designs! I definitely have a yearning for Imbolc, Poseidon, and Kiri. Oh my!
Dear dear Stephanie, it is only named the Must Have Cardigan, which doesn’t mean it is the only cardi in the world, you know. Why don’t you give yourself a break and work on the socks and take along the Kauni? Or that gorgeous green one the name of which I’m forgetting. You’ll be warm in either of those. And you could knit the back of the MHC while you are away! I promise it won’t turn into Spring while you’re gone. I’m sure the groundhog was lying. You’ll have days to wear the MHC when you return. :O) Have fun while you’re away and please send photos!
Cruel and unusual punishment, that — showing us yet another gloriously delicious site from which to buy yarn…..
I’m with those who say, Choose one of your other sweaters to take, and work on the socks. They are a lovely colour, and so cheerful in this miserable winter whiteness we are enduring. (I live in Mississauga.) By the way, more snow is coming tomorrow!
I have the back, 2 fronts (One with a error at the end I have to correct) and half a sleeve of a hoodie I was suppoed to have finished for x-mas for myself…now in Los Angeles it’s 80 degrees out and I can’t bring myself to finish it till the chill of next November!
That’s a great laundry-doing sock! You need the knitting pendulum to swing the other way from Vintage, anyway and this is something you can put down, hop up to load up Sir Washie and his trusty companion, knit a little on, move things, hang things, knit a little more; sometimes cabling is not so cooperative with the intermittent nature of laundry-doing.
A pretty sock and we love Rabbitch.
I suggest rain-gear for Tacoma in February, forget about the sweater.
please check your paper work
i live usa new rules to abide by
have your cold meds ready
have a travel case always ready
mostly packed my dad traveld
and always had at least two
weeks of clean clothes ready to pack
i live florida i have to have
a weeks supply of every thing on hand
look out for low flying reps and dems
I agree w/ Anne about rain gear. Bring a medium weight or lightweight sweather, make sure it’s not a heavy one or you won’t ever be able to wear it inside or outside….as you will cook. Gloves and a mid-weight hat would be good while traveling or walking outside, but a light or medium rain jacket is pretty much a necessity around here (seattle….same weather as tacoma). People live in gortex here in the winter. Predictions 40’s during the day, 30’s at night. Biggest challenge will be rain (doesn’t bother us but bother’s non-natives)…and maybe a little wind. Heavy wool just doesn’t get worn here (unless the power goes out)…but we are not supposed to have any big storms in the next 7 days.
Ahhh… I can relate. I also have a nearly finished sweater glaring at me from the basket in the corner, while socks dance on my needles.
Love the sock! Heck, who needs two? You can just and pet that one…and love it and feed it and call it George…
(lordy, I need to get out more)
Love the sock! Heck, who needs two? You can just sit and pet that one…and love it and feed it and call it George…
(lordy, I need to get out more)
I want to be knitting a sock, but I am knitting a sweater for my daughter, I have a back, one front and a half of another front done, maybe we should put them together
I sure wish I could just drop everything and trot on up to Tacoma. I don’t live that far away but life is busy. In reading the other posts, I found another Monica and she is in my backyard. How fun is that and she likes to knit too. Double fun.
Once again, we have a disconnect about the reality of temperature. 48F is what we here call “butt-numbing cold.” I would not wear a sweater. I would wear a sleeping bag. And stay indoors. (I lived in Russia for two years. People quickly learned not to speak to me.)
Hee – I have a skein of Rabbitch’s “Pining for the Fjords” tempting me. It makes me think of a parrot. And ever since that stupid Monty Python skit, thinking of a parrot makes me snicker.
Actually, I’m having serious fidelity issues right now. Must…focus…on…lace…shawl…
…right…after…a…few…rounds…on…the…sock…
48* is freezing cold for us here in my part of Washington! That’s most definitely sweater weather. But heck, I’m sure you have plenty of other lovely sweaters to pick from, right? Work on those socks!
Borrow a sweater from Rachel H. She’s got lots..some even you knit in fact. Don’t hate me Rachel. goat nuzzler…
Hi all yarn harlots from Perth Western Australia. May I suggest that everyone takes a trip down under next year at this time to Perth. Today and the next few days we will be experiencing tempertures up to 39 Celcius (thats up near 100 F)!! Yes it’s summer here and socks are redundant. The only drawback of living in such a place is we never have snow and grow up never seeing any. No white Christmas either. Fair dinkum! Anyway, have fun knitting.
Holy Crap! That yarn is SOO PRETTY! Screw the sweater! Keep knitting those pretty socks!
Surely you HAVE other sweaters in your closet, yes?
It is gorgeous, isn’t it? She’s a witch, I tell you. Please do not ask about the dyed roving that is winging its way here. We do not speak of such things.
(I can’t believe I’m ahead of you on the Must Have Cardigan! I have finally hit my stride, after ripping down one of the X cables a full 16 rows and reknitting. Oy.)
You should seriously consider moving to Altanta, GA. It got up into the 60s here today. Love that colorway too.
What about your Juno?? And your Circle Jacket?
Either will make you the Belle of the Ball.
Glad to read that you always have a “few” projects on the needles. I think that is what was intended when knitting was invented-yet,since I sometimes work in a yarn shop, I am constantly in awe of the knitters who completely(sewing up and buttons even) finish a project before even buying yarn for the next project. I am in awe-but perplexed. How do they resist the yarn??? Not that I want to avoid the yarn, as I think yarn makes a great decorating accent to any decor.
What about your Juno?? And your Circle Jacket?
Either will make you the Belle of the Ball.
Glad to read that you always have a “few” projects on the needles. I think that is what was intended when knitting was invented-yet,since I sometimes work in a yarn shop, I am constantly in awe of the knitters who completely(sewing up and buttons even) finish a project before even buying yarn for the next project. I am in awe-but perplexed. How do they resist the yarn??? Not that I want to avoid the yarn, as I think yarn makes a great decorating accent to any decor.
as the yarn harlot, you are perfectly entitled to be project-bigamous, or even project-promiscuous, rather than project-monogamous!
unlike pat, i think knitters who start one project and finish it without stocking up for the next 17 or so and having 3 or 4 on the needles at once are a wee bit compulsive and need to learn to go with the flow.
have a great trip, but be sure to have a cozy sweater to wear on the plane. (if you get too warm, you can roll it up as a pillow and take a nap.)
I see something on the Madrona website about wearing the Kauni cardigan for some special reason or other. So maybe the new cardigan isn’t meant to be right now, but you could finish a sock on the plane trip out….
Knitting well is the best Revenge, Steph. Knit on which ever you want to. Personally I think just plain socks are in order after all those beautiful leaves.
I just want you to know that your sock made my overly frigid holy-cow-will-it-ever-get-above–10C-again day. If I could knit, that is the first sock I would make.
Tacoma will be fine. Bring your solo sock with you and it will cheer away the grey. Your sweater will no doubt be beautiful, but it would reflect the sky instead of brightening it!
I know you have read this at least a hundred times
but the socks are just sooo colorful!!
glad you went with the socks.! but that just me
Sometimes you just can’t ignore the call of a sock. Love the colorway, BTW. Yes – it’s been insanely cold here in Anchorage, too (like -15°F and colder) for the past 10 days or so. Now it’s finaly above 0 (+15°F) and darn it if it didn’t snow several inches. Oh well – it makes it pretty & bearable to be outside. See you in Tacoma! I’m looking forward to a weekend of knitting fun & oh yeah, warmer (+48°F is almost summerlike for us Alaskans) temps! Happy Travels…
Whatever you want to knit is what you need to knit, by definition, no?
Now I feel better about my mad dash to finish a 3/4 done sleeve plus button bands and seams. I have a chance as this is a plain sweater. And I do have other newly finished sweaters to bring.
And I need to cast on my Retreat knitting project – an EZ EPS sweater in Fleece Artist sock yarn. That’ll take a while.
But, you know, even in the rare chance that the temperature drops below 40F, we really don’t need to go outside for 4 days. And when we do, rain and wind are what we’ll face, not the big freeze.
I’m so looking forward to this.
Here in Roch-a-cha it was 4F(-16C) with a wind chill of -15F(-21C). Dang. Supposed to be more of the same tomorrow, with snow. Lucky us. Keep working on the socks, the cardi can wait, color is too important for our well being right now, no?
Did I miss something or did you forget to tell everyone you won Best Blog at the Canadian Blog Awards 2007?
Congratulations! You deserve it…
I can see why you can’t put that sock down. The colorway is just so bright unlike the weather we are having here in Mexico, NY. It has been snowing since yesterday at around 1 pm. And it is bitter cold. Thank God for wood/coal. Toasty in here. Had to go to the grocery store. UGH!!!!!!! I NEED SUN!! It sounds like you do also. Those socks sure look sunny. I hope the weather is nice in Tacoma. Spring IS around the corner. People have seen Robins. So they say.
Good luck with you adventure.
Hope to see you on Friday at Madrona while I’m up there shopping. A hat that’s good at repelling rain will be better then a wool sweater in the Pacific NW in February.
While they may be TALL enough to play with Sir Washie, will Sir Washie survive the experience? Really, is it fair to him to subject him to that?
And I totally feel you on the changing colors things. I’m currently enchanted by a sock with only four colors (light blue, dark blue, light grey, dark grey) and they aren’t even for me!
That yarn is gorgeous! How cold is it there? This morning in Connecticut, U.S. it was a frosty 10 degrees with a windchill of 0. Brrr. Days like this I wish my dogs could take themselves outside.
When you have a minute come by http://www.winewoolandwhoppers.blogspot.com
There’s a message for you there.(no worries…it’s all good)
The cardi is a technical beauty, but the socks? They just look like more fun! And during this long, cold winter…fun and bright and cheerful…that’s the way to go.
Tacoma? Soon? Where? I can’t find it on your blog…………ack!
I’d choose the socks! Love the colorway 🙂
Is that one hundred million degrees below zero including the wind chill factor?
Just asking.
I feel your pain what with the cold. It was in the mid to upper -40s last week. That’s MINUS 40. Where C and F collide. The coldest it got at the airport was -47F but friends in colder areas saw below -50. Is this a silly place to live or what? But this all means that it’s the time to knit pretty colourful (Canadian spelling for solidarity in the north) socks, the brighter the better! Those socks look like they give off thier own heat.
It’s above zero F now and that feels warm…but it’s a dry and calm cold so not so bad except as a local cartoonist said “What is the sound of one lip chapping?”
You know that there is gossip in Sweden – and perhaps the rest of Europe as well – that the Sock is merely a myth … would you please prove us wrong in the near future?
Bribe: it’s warmer here than in Canada, right now 🙂
For what my unknown opinion is worth, they are really great socks. I have family in the wine business and I know they would be a HUGE hit for gifts 😉
I so hope to bump into you again this year at Madrona… this time I’ll even be awake enough to offer to buy you a beer 😉
The cably textures show up really well in your photo — congratulations!
Of course you will continue to work on the sock. Besides, it’s not like you don’t have other sweaters to take to wear while at Madrona.
Ooh, Madrona!!! I am so excited! And although I’m sadly not taking your class, I hope I run into you there and am cool enough to say “Hi Stephanie” and not something totally dorky like “Can I hold your sock?” I’m taking Evelyn Clark’s lace basics class on Thursday and I hope I don’t act like a complete noodle in there either… I’ll be there all day (mostly spinning) on Saturday too, including the banquet – it should be a lot of fun… I can’t wait to hear the speaker! And really, don’t worry about the sweater… we’ve seen a lot of snow this year, but it looks a lot colder where you are… but be sure to bring a rain jacket!
Ok, I know how you can have your cake and eat it too. You’re going to Madrona, (She said jealously!) land of spinners and knitters galore, and I bet most of them are your readers. I’m sure that anyone would be happy,and probably thrilled, to loan you one of their sweaters. Let’s not forget that you are quite a few people’s Knitting Guru and it would make them insanely happy to loan you a sweater. Trust me, I know this first hand. I got to lend my scale to my Dyeing Guru, Deb Menz at SOAR a few years ago, and I have the autograph to prove it LOL! Definitely a once in a lifetime experience for me! Let it be know that you need to borrow a sweater for Madrona, and people will be standing in line to loan you one LOL! You keep working on the fun sock with the cool colorway, and just let your friends and readers know you need to borrow a sweater. That way you get to have all the fun of knitting the no pressure socks, and still stay warm in the Canadian Arctic front that’s sure to follow you LOL!
Reading Laura’s comments about the length of time taken to make up the cardigan makes me all the more glad that because I hate sewing up I nearly always adapt patterns to knit in the round / all one piece.
I would warn you though that Aran in the round needs *very* careful row counting because you don’t have the aide memoir of purl rows to let you easily count pairs of rows. I recommend putting some double moss stitch in the pattern, so you have neat little vertical pairs of knit & purl to help you work out whether it’s time to do another C4F or whether it should have been last round – grr!
The other major draw-back is that by the time you are nearly finished you are carting around something that is like a cross between a set of bagpipes, an octopus and a mutant hedgehog.
if those socks were mine i would wear them with a longer jean skirt so every one could see them there really great. oh and mules so when you slipped the mules off everyone could see the toes too
You obviously have knitter’s whiplash (and February; wicked combination). Knit the colourful socks, it will unfortunately still be cold in Canada when you come back and you can finish the cardi then. Have fun!
OK! I have heard enough about the ‘must have cardi’! I have searched high and low including Paton’t themselves for that booklet and it is not to be found. I do not want to hear about it ever again. I love it too much and it hurts!
I would love to have those “leaf” socks to wear at home with my robe. I would feel so special and queen-like!
Congratulations on your Best Blog Award! We regular readers always knew it!
I too tested the knitting gods/weather gods (they may be the same thing depending on how you think about it).
I knitted toasty and fabulous mittens for my mate this last week. I loved them. Unfortunately, I put off knitting my mittens last week. I got on a plane to Philadelphia while it was 45 degrees there. When I landed it was slightly colder but not awful. The wind chill when I woke up was -4. The coldest day they have had this year. I was there for the coldest 36 hours of their year. With no toasty mittens for myself. 🙁
Never mind the sweater THIS TIME. But for next time, do make a wonderful Shetland Wool Lace Shawl. Use it on the plane for a pillow/cover up; wear it when you get off the plane and hear the comments; use it as a sit-upon at the book signing, wrap up in it for a little comfort when missing home. ENJOY!!
Finish the sock and bring a different sweater with you! 😀 You are enjoying your sock mojo moment, run with it. Clearly to put the sock down would tempt fate and the knitting gods and goddesses who obviously want you to work on the sock. 😀 Obey them!
That Must Have Cardi is on my list, too ~ looking forward to seeing yours finished.
And the grape leaf socks ~ they turned out so beautifully. Really, really nicely done.
Hope Madrona is splendid!
Jennifer
You make me laugh every day. Thank you. No matter how bad my own mountain of clothes might look, no matter how much time the universe has sucked into my knitting needles, there is someone out there who knows just what I mean when I say to my husband “I just couldn’t put it down! Honest!” Thank you for helping my world seem right. I think we all love you for it.
Sucked in by the sock… I think we have all been there… but I agree the freaking cold outside sucks out the motivation to do much more than a sock… specially when the sock your knitting is so fun!
Once upon a time I had dreams of a lovely rusty-orange-with-excellent-flecks Must Have. I still haven’t given up the dream. But I think I’m realizing that I am simply a dreamer, not a doer. Damn.
Couldn’t you wear the Kauni sweater, or that cool Rowan sweater with the big collar that gave you so much angst, or the Dream in Color ballet wrap sweater, or some other sweater in Tacoma? Don’t you have a LOT of sweaters? And aren’t they all gorgeous? Wear one of THEM and knit the durn sock.
Love the sock! I’d be seduced by that yarn too. You have other equally warm sweaters you can wear at Madrona, right? I just know you can finish the sock’s mate in time … or on the plane.
Laundry – My husband loves to do laundry. We’ve been married over 30 years and if I do a load he actually gets upset. My youngest daughter also likes doing laundry. They used to fight over who got to do the laundry. He also cleans the house: vaccums, dusts, washes dishes, etc.
Sorry! Couln’t resist.
As for a response to how anyone who knits can stay monogomist to one project: It’s easy when there are no YARN SHOPS where you live,the closest one is 3 1/2 hours away, and you have a limited income.
Steph, great socks. Next time I’m in Twin Falls, ID (the yarn shop 3 1/2 hours away) I see if they have any. I’d rather look at, feel, the yarn that I’m purchasing.
I just caught up with the past few days of blogging and wanted to say that I love how you think. You are so right about manners and honesty and the ability to say what we think in a CONSTRUCTIVE manner. (I was a photography major in college and one of our weekly seminars was critiqueing (sp?) each others work – we had to give reasons for why we liked or disliked things – it was a good lesson. Everyone should have that lesson.) The socks are not to my personal taste either – but they are amazing in their construction and detail and I would enjoy the process if I had a proper recipient as much as you did. The designer has impressed me with her ingenuity. At any rate, I’m sure you’ve heard enough about this, but I felt compelled to tell you that I appreciate the way you encourage others to say their mind – but think before they speak. I wish you lived closer – I know I would love to be your friend. Thanks for helping make our corner of the world (whichever corner it is – internet or otherwise) a little better.
Oh, I’ve been there! I have two cardigans that are a sleeve short of being done, but i can’t get my act together to actually knit them. Instead, I’ve started another cardigan. (brilliant, no?)
BTW, I’ve been lurking for a few weeks and really love your blog. I’ve also been reading a few pages of Knit Wit before I got to bed every night and it always makes me chuckle. I’ve tried sharing it with my husband (esp the stash ones) and he just doesn’t get it. But I suppose that’s the point.
No worries, if it gets that cold, a cardigan won’t save you anyhow! 😉
You’ve been getting it almost as cold as it’s been here in SK. I’m kind of jealous of all the snow to be honest – I’ve still got dead grass sticking up between the pathetic little drifts in my front yard.
Now watch, that’s going to jinx me… Regina SK buried under 10 ft of snow in 2 hours… full story at 11.
OMG. I’m still working on the socks I gave as Christmas presents (yes, I’m bad), but that tiny bit of sweater has totally sucked me in. I’ve never done anything that complicated before, but… *WANT*
Apropos of the discussion a few days back,I came across the following in a very early Yarn Harlot post regarding socks:
“I’m not even showing you the ugly ones. (Why are there ugly ones? Why would I be knitting something that I willingly admit is ugly? Let’s just say that I can get a little worked up about self-patterning yarns. Sometimes – I can lose my cool a little over a sassy little stripe and forget what really matters in the world. Like, brown, white, black and turquoise are not a “go”)”
I pass no judgment; just found it amusing to find the “u” word there in re: socks.
People in Tacoma and Seattle know about gray: they can identify 18 shades of it….. I know, I lived there 27 years before I moved to Arizona in December, and yes, we get snow north of Phoenix. We are expecting some Thursday.
And yes, we knit, everything, including socks.
Wow, it looks like I missed out on quite the kerfuffle while I was away! For the record, I find the Vintage socks to be a little fussy-looking for my taste, but I enjoyed reading about the process of making them. I find that people can say things like that when they think the person they’re talking about can’t hear them (I know I’ve been guilty), and they fail to realize that the comments and emails just like speaking to someone directly.
PS Love the socks, I’m having fun with my own crazy colour way!
The bottom-of-the-barrel underpants I understand.
But the socks. YOU have commercial socks?
I think I need a Scotch and a little lie-down.