disappointments

I finally mastered the picot edge for sockbug's lacy scallops socks and got them completely on the sticks. I don't think the dark Koigu really shows off the lace pattern well, but I like the colourway a lot. They'll just be a little subtle, I guess.

Today I had lunch with a really good friend in Seattle. Afterward I decided to head to Yarn Gallery to check it out.

And there I had it, the knitting experience I have been dreading: there was nothing there I really wanted. They had the clear Regia boots in my size (bad for the feet, good to show off the hand-knitted socks), some nice alpaca laceweight in a springy green, the Barbara Walker treasuries 2, 3, and 4. I left with Chibi needles and a sweater de-piller.

Uh oh. Sign of knitting waning as passion? I don't mean to be hypersensitive to this, but usually my interest wanes around the time I get all the accoutrements for a hobby.

Um, on further reflection, probably nothing to worry about. I'd spent the morning working on the computer, and then surfing for sock yarn. I like the Sleeping Dragon stuff, and I'm dreaming about several colors of Socks that Rock. I'm trying not to let myself get all practical and think, what the hell am I going to do with 20 pairs of hand-knitted socks that must be hand-washed?

But what does seem to be true is that the LYS's are less and less compelling to me (with the notable exception of Knit/Purl in Portland, which had Koigu, Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, and tons of STR). Like so many I've been to lately, Yarn Gallery is chockablock full of novelty yarn. For sock yarn, they only had the requisite cubby of self-striping Regia, which since making Heidi's socks just puts me in mind of burlap.

I guess I am a specialized yarn snob now. When I told B about this tonight, he said, "Big surprise. We like something that's expensive and hard to find."

Why is it always that way?

And now, for a little serendipity (since most of my Harvey pics have devildog eyes or miss the pose altogether). . .who knew Harvey's tongue was so long?