Happy New Year!

Oh, did I say that last night?
Well, saying it multiple times can't hurt. Goodness knows, 2008 went so far south, 2009 sure can use all the help it can get!

Speaking of Going South
Forget everything I told you about the Madelintosh socks, ahem, last year (snicker). I just wasn't cottoning to them.
Oh, they were ok, but the cast on was a little tight, the stitches were spreading, and the colors weren't doing anything exciting (I like it when they swirl).
So I frogged it!
But I put them on and took a good look at them to asses the fit and such before I did so.
When Lucy Neatby was at the store, oh two years ago now I guess, she said it wasn't pulling the stitches tight that makes your cast on tight, it was more a matter of not leaving enough space between the stitches. She said it was that little bit of slack that strings that stitches together that gives you stretch.
So I cast on again and tried to remember to space the stitches out on the needle better as I formed them.
(No, I didn't take pictures! You know how sucky my photography skills are, do you really think I could have captured that? Go cast on and take a hard look at your work, you'll see what I mean.)
I kept the same number of stitches, as the ribbing seemed to fit fine, it was just the cast on row that was inciting my wrath.
But after my 15 rows of ribbing, I increased two stitches to give the fabric a little more breathing room.
Of course, while all this was going on, I also threw in a pair of four-stitch cables, just for a little excitement. Every ninth row. Because it's 2009. I'm calling these my New Year's Socks.
It all looks better in person than that picture would indicate.
I haven't tried them on again, but they seem to be progressing nicely.

Ah, But the Sole
Oh, forgot to mention.
On attempt number one I had decided to work a "princess sole," which is where you have the smooth knit stitches on the inside, rather than the purl side.
Of course, I decided to do that after the heel turn and six rows into the gusset.
Ok, stick with me.
Because I'm exceedingly clever, and I wasn't going to pull out all those rows, I used my fifth needle to pick up the stitches on the sole six rows back at the top of the heel turn.
Then I removed the needles from those 16 sts and laddered that section back.
Then I reknit just those 16 sts in reverse stockinette stitch.
Then I was able to resume working in the round like normal.
Did you catch all that?
Yeah, that probably could do with pictures. Maybe next time.
Wait, next time I'll remember it's coming and work it the way I want it the first time. I also have to remember to turn the heel in rev st st so it matches the rest of the sole.
Anyway, I'm going to keep some of the elements, like the heel and sole, from attempt number one in place.

More Baking
In other news, I finally made those cinnamon rolls.
With cream cheese frosting.
And they came out considerably better than that wheat bread I made the other month.
We've managed to restrain ourselves and have only eaten one each so far.
I use a cinnamon roll recipe that was on the Food Network back in 1999! It calls for a standard milk and powdered sugar frosting, but I prefer the frosting recipe (also from 1999) from a carrot cake recipe.
At the moment we're working on Shepard's pie for dinner. Hubby makes the mashed potatoes and I do the meat. We're a good team.
Actually, I should probably go get started. He put the potatoes on when I wandered up here.

Handsome Puppy!
Samson would be happy with either cinnamon rolls or Shepard's pie. But his sneaky hypnosis won't work on us this time!