I Almost Forgot.....

I promised to put up a picture of the gift socks (which I still haven't given to the recipient because the weather refuses to cooperate!)

The pattern is "Monkey" by Cookie A - I love her patterns!  The yarn is Araucania "Ranco" in a tonal blue colorway (label not handy at the moment).  Knit on 2.5mm Knit Picks Harmony 4" dpns.

Just for fun, here is the first sock of the pair I'm knitting for myself:

This is "Lindsay" from Cookie A's first book Sock Innovation.  My first short row heel and toe - I think I like wedge or round toes better because you don't have to Kitchener as many stitches!  I was worried that the short row heel wouldn't fit my high instep very well, but the pattern is extra stretchy and it fits fine.  The yarn is Paton's Kroy Sock in "Flax" and I'm using 2.25mm needles, once again the Knit Picks Harmony 4" dpns. I omitted one pattern repeat from the leg because the yarn is leftover from another, larger project from some time ago and I didn't want to run out, my LYS not carrying this yarn any longer.

Once I finish the second sock I am going to begin swatching for a design of my own - the working title is "Centennial".  There's a story there, but you don't get to read it until I've knit the socks and submitted them to see if I can sell the pattern.