I like a lot of different sock yarns (a lot of different sock yarns), and I like to knit most any kind of sock. But if I just want to knit a pair of socks for the pure pleasure of it, I will reach for the medium weight Socks that Rock every time. I don’t know what their base yarn is, but I could knit with the stuff for the rest of my life. I like it so much that I only have one hank in my stash for emergencies – I use it as fast as I order it. Every time I pick up the Doc Socs (as I have taken to calling them), I say out loud how much I love this yarn. Michael is probably sick of hearing it. Lucky for him, his ordeal is half over: one sock is finished.

Need a closer look?

I was originally going to make these in 1870Pearl’s Tuscany pattern (which itself is a variation of Scar), but I got nervous about making socks for an Unknown Foot without some sort of ribbing to compensate for fit issues. I added garter ribbing between the slips for safety’s sake. I’ve really got to work on these this weekend if I want them for my appointment on Monday. I’ve got one more appointment before the Baby Saga is over and I can take them then, but I really want to get them finished.

The next socks will be for the May Day Swap, I am pretty sure that I am going to use the blue Shi Bui. I’ve also become infatuated with the Baby Dress from Blue Sky Alpacas.

It’s so sweet!

I’ve had the pattern and yarn for months. I found the pattern with all my other patterns in their central location, but the yarn took a couple days to locate as my stash has expanded to several satellite offices. I’ve got almost 900 yards of this soft wool from Habu Textiles so I can make up to the second largest size. The problem is guessing what size Ellie will need when the weather is right for her to wear it. Then I worry if I don’t make it right away, next fall I won’t have enough yarn becuase she’ll need the largest size. Now that I have thought this through, the Baby Dress is not the next project on my list. Maybe I’ll make something for me (I saw this while I was looking up the Baby Dress link) as incentive to return to my former size and shape.

In other news…

The results of the Baby Pool are in! Four of you guessed that Ellie was a girl and the correct birthdate: Teyani, Jill (a blogless Jill I think), Bibby and Kaki. As per the Official Contest Rules, the names were written on slips of paper and put into a hat. Mom was visiting this week* so I had Ellie’s Gran draw the Grand Prize winner!

Mom and I have the same hands. Ellie has them too.

The winner is Bibby! She will receive a small project bag with a few surprises inside and the three runners-up will each receive a set of pink stitch markers. Our second runner-ups (the right day, but the wrong flavor of baby) are Kathy and Jennifer – they will receive a set of stitch markers in blue. I’ve ordered all the prizes (etsy, of course), and will re-rout them as they arrive. A big thank you to everyone who participated!

*Mom (who is going by “Gran” to match “Great Gran”) has really made up for lost time now that she knows Ellie is a girl! She brought her all kinds of sweet pink things to wear and keeps telling me how beautiful Ellie looks in pink and how perfect it is for her complexion (Mom really really really likes pink). I think this baby would look beautiful in a burlap sack but it is possible that I am slightly biased.