Knit like the wind

So, I *was* going to blog yesterday (and the day before), but stuff got in the way. Not work (though that is leaving me in a semi-vegetative state), not school (though I did manage to write the correct paper with a whopping 5 minutes to spare), but just...Stuff.

So what the heck have I been up to? Well, there's some sockage, among other things. The chilly nights recently (and my home's lack of carpeting) gave me some motivation to knit something for myself. I don't know why, really, but I have a hard time knitting for me. A sickness? An Issue for a therapist? I don't know. I just feel so guilty.

I found myself the other Tuesday ready to head to Terry's for our regular knitting date, but I had forgotten my knitting. I had a half a dozen UFOs at home, but driving all the way there and then back to Terry's would cost more in gas than to stop at the yarn store and paying $6 for a skein of Cascade 220. Luckily, I had an emergency pair of DPNs in my desk drawer at work, and an hour of comp time to kill. (For the record, leaving work early to go to the yarn store feels all kinds of decadent.)

This was the Tuesday after the horrible Fair Isle disaster, and I didn't want anything hard. No pretty color changes, no fancy lace, or edging or anything. Just some quick slipper booties to keep my toesies warm.

(Yeah, my cankles are pantyhose-clad--I was about to leave for work)

As you can see, the picot edge and the shale-like pattern somehow mysteriously appeared.

The good news is that the emergency size 5 dpns made sock 1 fly off the needles--it took maybe three or four hours (the picot was tricky--never done that before). Sock 2, as of my lunch today, is a few rows past the gusset decreases and I only cast it on during Wednesday's lunch.

Why is it important to hurry these puppies up? Is it the nighttime temps in the low 40s? The satisfaction of finishing yet another object? Nope! Sunday starts Socktoberfest (see the button on the sidebar? The smaller one being eaten by the Rhinebeck Bingo and Twisted Knitter's buttons? Jess made it!) and I have a whole slew of socks I'm planning to knit. These blue anklets better be done by bedtime Saturday. I've got a lot to do.

Finally, my Blogger template is giving me nightmares. Seriously. If anyone can offer advice on where to get a good lightly colored one (lavender? periwinkle?) or how to customize my header (even though I have no graphics program to make one) I will love you forever. I might even send yarn.