fini 3

jaywalkers in zitron life style (100% merino)

I didn't notice until I put these socks on for the sexy backyard photoshoot that they don't match. This is funny because they are each made from exactly one ball of the same yarn, but apparently one of them was wound backwards. How did I not notice this sooner? Though I do think it's kind of neat that the pattern repeats take up an entire sock, so that they're mirror images - the left one's pattern from the top-down is identical to the right one's pattern from the toe-up. Cool.

I've been working on and off on these socks, mostly during conference calls at work, for a while now, but put in some good work on the second one during the trip to Maryland, then finally finished the toe over the weekend during my furious finishing fest. Here's something else I wrapped up:



This is the Cowgirl Butterfly Astronaut Vest, which has been patiently waiting for weeks to have its buttons sewn on. It might be a bit too wacky (the design structure is definitely wacky), but I'm thinking I'm going to make this one a Free Pattern Friday offering in May. Which I think means next Friday, since that's the last one left this month... eep, I better get to work. This will be a prize for my friend's daughter who is turning two next month, and who is going to be a cowgirl butterfly astronaut veterinarian senator when she grows up.

I just finished another little girl's design, but I think it needs to be road-tested before I decide whether to share the pattern. It's the mushroom sweater that I mentioned earlier this spring, and which was shoved aside to make way for the outlandish parade of colors you see above. But now the muted palette is growing on me again. Here's a little peek:



Some button-band porn to get you hot and bothered. Does a button band get you itching to knit, or what? It does me boy, whoo! Finishing details really boil my potatoes. Maybe if I spent more time thinking about button bands and edgings and hems and such, I'd get through more projects quicker. Hm, something to ponder.

But it's been hard to find time to do things like finish projects, write blog posts and tool around on Ravelry since the summer semester started. Several people are still waiting on answers to their questions about some patterns, and I'm really sorry that I'm so slow! But I'm planning to use the long weekend to clear out the backlog, and also to get the prizes for the T-shirt contest wrapped and into the mail... my apologies to you sweet ones, too. Maybe the anticipation is part of the prize?

Anyhow, off to get some rest. Those of you in the US, enjoy the holiday!