That Damn Sock

Good morning, everyone!  I've been on a bit of a hiatus from pretty much everything, but I think I'm finally snapping out of it.  Tonight, I'm going to outline the next few articles for Examiner.com, and I've actually accomplished a ton over the past week or so.

Yesterday, I went on my second bike ride of the year, and I'm paying for it today.  See, I don't know if all of you are like me, but that phrase "It's just like riding a bike" can be taken so literally that your rational self just completely tunes out.  Example:  last year, in Texas, I rode my bike all of twice because I was too afraid to ride down the streets of Katy without dying.  While I did make an effort to walk everywhere, as I have done since I moved back as well, walking and riding use different sets of muscles.

Last week, I got on the bike for the first time this year; every time I tried to ride previously, it was either raining sideways, raining cats and dogs (no wind but a blinding amount of water), or it was fifty and so windy that even MY hair was blowing.  I rode to Oak Park last week...it's about eight and a half miles.  Felt glorious.  Knitted all day.  Rode home.  Still felt glorious.

Yesterday, I was convinced that the one round-tripper from last week got me into shape, so I rode to Deerfield  and back.  Deerfield is about fourteen miles away, through some moderate hills, and I was into a twenty-mile-per-hour wind.  Duh.  So today, I feel like I was riding with a four-year-old on my shoulders, and instead of a Raleigh Cadent 5.0 '06, I was actually riding a plastic Big Wheel.  Live and learn.

I have two projects in my bag at the moment.  The first one is the sample for the June Scarf Pattern of the Month.  The pattern has been done for quite a while, but the sample still needs to be completed...even though I know the math works, and the pattern has no mistakes, I have to actually finish and block the sample.  So there.  The other project...shame on me...is that damn sock.

From what I understand, socks come in pairs.  You have to finish one, and then you have to finish another one, and THEN you have a finished project.  This is the precise reason I like to knit little instant-gratification wonders, and why I choose unique seamless garments over complicated ones.  If I bind off, I have completed a project.  So if I finish...say...a sleeve, I am damn-well convinced I'm done.

This sock would be part of a first-ever pair of socks, if I actually complete it.  It has been on the needles since probably December or January.  I should have started my sock adventure with toe-up, two-at-a-time socks, so I could complete the pair all at once.  But NOOOOOO...

I still have my kimono sweater that I bust out every week or so, but it's just miles and miles of stockinette stitch at this point...it's what you do when you're waiting for the pre-empt of the president's speech to finish so you can get back to watching Days of our Lives.

Right now, I'm on a string of four days off because I was owed a day from two weeks ago, when I covered for my counterpart as she was still on vacation.  I did a fair amount of knitting yesterday, and riding, and I clipped all of my coupons (I'm not a mad Shelf Clearing Rebate Accumulating Nutcase, but I do like saving money so I can live better), and I wrote a letter to my tenants with an outline of their new rent.  Today's plan involves almost finishing the sample (I won't finish it, but I can probably get close).  Maybe...just maybe...I will also bust out that damn sock.  To harbor any guilt I feel for needing my size 3 double-points for any other project, I knit about two needles' worth per week.  Sometimes more.  By about 2015, I should have a completed pair of maiden-voyage socks.

For now, I hope everyone has a good and productive day!