Done: Opal Cotton Rib Socks

Ok!

Let's take a brief break from the France trip to talk about knitting. What a novel idea.

Partly because my knitting is moving along apace and I don't want to have to play catch up too much. And partly because I'm writing such detailed posts about our trip I can't keep up.

In case you're wondering, or bored, I'm writing those posts primarily so I can look back later on and remember stuff, rather than primarily for your entertainment. But hopefully you are entertained as well. I've always meant to keep a diary of our trips, but never get around to it.

Anyway. The socks.

Travel Project
I finished the first sock and started the second before I left. I went through airport security with part of a sock on my US1 5" Brittany Birch double points—and no one batted an eye.

Not in JFK heading to France. Not in CDG heading to Dublin. Not in Dublin heading home.

So HA! to all you knitting vs. airport security worry warts.

For the record: most of the storied I've heard about people's needles being confiscated have involved metal circulars. Which might be a wake up call about what you want to travel with.

Now, I did have my Knit Kit with me and in a moment of anxiety I packed the collapsible scissors in my checked luggage. The company says they are TSA approved for travel in the US, but why take chances? Especially since I knew I wouldn't need them any time soon.

Since we spent quite a bit of time in the car, looking at rolling countryside, it was easy for me to work on my mindless 2x2 sock while gazing out the window. Although I did have to wait for some quite time in a hotel room to turn the heel.

Done. Re-done.
I was very excited when I finished the second sock on the flight home.

I wasn't so excited when I put them on for a finished project picture and realized the toes didn't match.

That didn't make any sense at all, since I thought I had matched the stripes pretty well when I cast on for the second one. And I couldn't see the pattern go off anywhere in the body of the sock.

Then I held the two socks up together and realized the second one was shorter than the first in the foot. Much gnashing of teeth, measuring, and counting ensued. Hubby made the tactical error of wandering by and tickling my bare foot during this time. Of course, I growled and hissed at him. Sending him and the puppies fleeing to a different room.

Turns out the second foot was 10 rows short. Turns out when I knit the first sock I had worked to a total of 120 rows. Decided that was too short and worked to 130 rows before starting the toe shaping—but had never updated my notes.

As I finished the sock while I was squished in the center seat of an airplane, it didn't occur to me to haul out the first sock for comparison. Otherwise I might have said, "Hey, the first sock ends on blue and this second one is ending on yellow. What's that all about?"

When I apologized to Hubby and explained the tragic situation he replied, "Wow. You don't usually make such big mistakes." Which made me feel a little better, as it implied I usually knew what I was doing.

Of course, it was a simple matter to pull out the toe and rework it. But it was also terribly annoying.

I'm getting a little tired of knitting 2x2 rib cotton socks. However, when I was ready to start my next project, that was the closest to hand. But when I done these purple Second Chance Socks, I should be able to work on socks with a more interesting pattern.

Re-Cap
Yarn: Opal Cotton sock yarn
Needles: US1
Pattern: Adlibed, 2x2 rib, Cuban Heel, Princess Sole, "Heart of Blossom" toe shaping.