Socks ::sigh::

You might remember that I finished the socks I was knitting for Hubby last Thursday.
You might also remember that I said I wasn't comfortable with not having a pair of socks on the go, and despite all my deadline projects I didn't know how long I could hold out.
Well, I held out until Sunday night.
Now, all I did Sunday night was cast on and knit one row of K2, P2 ribbing, but it was enough to calm me down.

Temptation Abounds
I think part of the reason I caved so quickly is because I worked at the store both days this past weekend.
Sometimes I can go for a month without being tempted by any of the yarn. I see it is pretty, but I don't need to take it home with me.
Sometimes I see a yarn and start thinking of things to make with it, but it is just a passing fancy inspired by a new yarn and new patterns.
This is most likely to happen at this time of year, when the season is changing, and we start getting in tons of new yarns. Like right now all these pretty new cottons keep appearing.
Sometimes I see a yarn and I'm helpless before it and have to take it home right then regardless of all my WIPs and stash. This is what happened when I bought the beautiful Mohair Splash the other week.
And sometimes a yarn catches my eye in a new light and I decide I really want it, but I know I don't need it, and I have to fight the urge.

Oooh Red
That happened pretty early on Saturday.
I spotted a skein of Claudia Handpaints sock yarn in the Freesia colorway.
It was bright red, fading to pink and white with some blue thrown in for good measure.
Just totally my kind of colorway.
I was like, "Where did this come from? And why have I not seen it before?" Another staff member informed me the previous dyelot had been much more pastel.
Of course, I was especially susceptible to the lure of sock yarn since I didn't have a sock on the go and I was scoping out possibilities for my Landscape sock pattern.
But I fought the urge. During a lull in the action, I fired up my Ravelry account and reviewed my stash in order to stay strong.
And I made it out of Saturday unscathed.

More Temptation
It might have also helped that I spotted a fair size box in the back room marked "Lucy Neatby's Yarn." Which had obviously been sent ahead for her visit tomorrow and Saturday.
(No, I won't be attending either class. It's very sad. With the trip this summer, I can't sacrifice the vacation day to go Friday and I'm working at the store Saturday. Can't have it all.)
Well, it was just a box full of that glorious Cat's Pajamas yarn!
I pawed through it checking out all the lovely colors.
Of course, the first one I pulled out was the Fiesta colorway, which made sense since it is the colorway I bought in Celestial Merino for my Rainbow Swirl Socks. I think this time I'll get the Honey Pot colorway; it is browns and golds and quite lovely. Not really my normal, but I like it ever time I see it.
I think I'll make a shawl with it.
Let me specify, I'll make someone else's shawl pattern with it, so I don't have to think.
Anyway, the potential of buying some of that this weekend shored up my reserve.
(I e-mailed Cynthia Saturday night threatening to swipe the box and disappear forever, but she called my bluff and laughed at me.)

Defensive Measures
When I got home Saturday, I realized that I would have to get a sock project going if I was going to avoid buying that Freesia yarn.
So I dug through my stash and ended up taking out the blue & white Koigu and the Smooshy yarn I bought at Christmas time. I took them to the store with me Sunday and used the swift and ball winder to wind them up.
In this way I was able to go into the backroom and visit with them if I felt my resolve weakening.
Still, when it came to it Sunday night, I ended up settling on that ball of Sockina Cotton you saw at the beginning of this very long post (but you are used to me being long winded).
I cast on 52 sts using the fancy 2.5 mm metal needles Hubby bought me in Poland, and was going to run with it, but then I got suspicious.

The Evil of Cotton Socks
This yarn is 55 percent cotton, 25 percent nylon, and 20 percent acrylic.
I bet it doesn't have a lot of memory to it.
I have two pairs of cotton socks. The Regia Cotton ones are pretty good. But the Lana Grossa Cotton Fun ones are baggy. I suspect my gauge might have been a little off, but they've grown and not sprung back after washing.
I actually have a desire to frog them and rework them, I just haven't gotten around to it.
So I was thinking I'll do these Sockina ones in a 2x2 rib all the way down, rather than just the cuff, to give them a little more spring.
But then it occurred to me I'd have to cast on fewer than normal stitches to account for the stretch of the ribbing as well as the stretch of the cotton.
And that's as far as I've gone.
In stead of just casting on and plunging into my 15 rows of ribbing, I switched to stockinette stitch after two rows so I could get a true gauge.
I've also decided these needles aren't going to work. They are a bit too slippery, and I think a bit too big. I fished out my US1 Brittanys, but haven't switched over yet.
All of my attention has remained focused on the blue scarf. I'm starting to worry about it being a decent length when it's done. I'm sure it will be fine.
My ability to return happily to the deadline scarf proves that my cunning plan worked!
I don't need to be actively working on the sock, I just have to have a sock to work on.