snow and socks

Mental note: must find doggie mittens. Just came in from half an hour outside with the Ts. I cleared their feet twice and still had to put them in the tub and run warm water over their feeties to get the ice out. After they've been out for a while and gotten warm and their feet get warm, the snow sticks tighter than when they're first out and their feet are dry. Now what did I do with those mittens last spring?...

I got one of my friend's dad's spiral socks done:

As usual, I'm not overly thrilled. I hope he doesn't have big feet. At 16" it's plenty long enough for me, but I've got small feet, and if he's got big feet I bet they barely cover his ankles. I'm wondering if I should take the toe out and work another 2-4 inches. I *think* I've got enough of the colored yarn to do that with. Or I could make the 2nd sock 18 or 20" long and see how much yarn I have left--if there's enough, then I can increase the length of the original sock. :-P

I'm not happy with thetop ribbing, either. It's 1x1 on size 0 needles, so I can't get it much tighter, but when it's not actually *on* it looks flared and sloppy, because the 4x3 ribbing pulls the body in. Maybe I could run a few rows of elastic thread (if I can find any in this town) through the 1x1 ribbing to neaten it up.

According to my journal, I started this sock 11/22, so it's taken me about 3 weeks to finish this. That makes it the end of January before I get them both finished, esp. if I have to do any moderation on this first sock. Although I've got Christmas break coming up, so I'll have about 10 days to buckle down and knit.

It is nice yarn. I'd be happier if I were making it for me--not because I'm greedy (even though I am), but because I know how to make a sock that fits me and it would look nicer and more polished. I hate to give something handknit that looks "homemade," I like to give things that make the wearer proud to wear it and want to show it off.

I think I'll finish the first Lemonade sock tonight. Pictures tomorrow.