The Chitin Runner

The first TOFUtsies Footsteps socks is done. In contrast to the fiber content, I'm decidedly un-crabby.

Well, maybe just a little crabby. This ball had a knot tied in it about 3/4 of the way down the foot of the sock. I hate this. Especially when the yarn is patterned. It threw off the striping a few rounds before the toe decrease. But otherwise, this stuff was fun to knit with. I went to Bluebonnet Yarn Shoppe yesterday to return some yarn I didn't need, and looked for some more of this yarn, but they only had really bright blues, purples, pinks and reds -- sorry, Jana -- I just couldn't do it!

Now, to cast on quickly before second-sock syndrome sets in.

The postman brought me some yarn today -- 12 skeins of Wendy Guernsey yarn in the color Shale. I got this online at a pretty good price. The pattern calls for 11 skeins, and this place had 12 left.

This pattern is going to be unusual for me, because I rarely use the yarn called for in patterns. It's always horribly expensive or a color I can't stand. But I really liked the look of this in the picture. This pattern is from Norah Gaughan's Knitting Nature, as was the Hex Afghan I finished a few weeks ago.

Why is it that many of the yarns used in widely-read knitting books disappear from circulation? Knowing that a well-publicized book with patterns featuring your yarns is about to come out, I would think that manufacturers would keep those lines available. But I have absolutely no grasp of the economics of yarn manufacturing. I should just be happy that I have the 12 skeins I need.

I'm going to need to do some serious swatching.. .