Pardon my blogging absence. I was all set to post xmas FO pics, clever xmas sock pics, etc., but then I just ran out of steam. The holidays were wonderful. Drew and I had a lot of fun with friends and family members. Remember folks…nearly any game can be turned into a drinking game. Unable to find Catchphrase one night, we made do with Uno as a drinking game. I don’t think Uno was ever quite that fun or filled with drinking revenge.

Then my band (Man the Helm) played a couple of shows with another band called Giants. They’re a great group of guys. After our Fayetteville show we ended up eating at a local 24-hour diner called Sunrise Cafe. We were the only patrons and ended up blasting heavy metal and rap over the jukebox. The cook was very into it, searing our ears with the volume and eliminating all possibility of conversation. He even surprised us by playing a little Eminem/Evanescence later on.

I also got a Facebook account. I’ve had a Myspace for years, but I resisted being a slave to yet another social networking system, but I finally broke down. And I’m addicted…to finding people I haven’t seen for years, learning what they’re doing, and looking at all they’re pictures. I could make a great stalker if I wanted to.

I have been knitting too. Quite a lot actually. I’ve been working on these yellow socks out of Lion Brand Sock Ease:

I like the yarn, but it’s not nearly so soft as Opal, and is slightly more rough than Regia. Hopefully, like Regia, it will wash up much softer than it knits. Sigh. I guess there is a benefit to 20-30 dollar sock yarn. I got some Fortissima sock yarn from my brother and some Malabrigo sock yarn (third down on right) from Drew. The Malabrigo color Alcaucil is MUCH darker in real life.  It seems very light grey-green on multiple websites but is nearly black in person. I was shocked at the difference. I’m not disappointed, per se, but I will have to rethink my usage a bit. They will still be socks, but will have to be lace to stand out. The Malabrigo yarn is deliciously soft and squisy, just as I expected.  The Fortissima feels somewhere between Regia and Opal in softness, perhaps less squishy, but miles more durable. I was hoping for the book Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarn because I own so much self-striping or wacky handpainted yarns, but I’m still waiting…

I also made this hat from Boutique Knits. I’m not sure if I like it yet. It seems pouffier on top than it should be. I think some blocking can help, but I’m never really sure what to block hats on. Any suggestions? I have a bowl that might work, but it’s not totally round on top and might not be big enough. I will probably wear it anyway, or I might rip it and take some of the decreases out.

I also got a set of Addi Clicks for Christmas. Best present ever! My mom thinks it was a ridiculous purchase. Little does she know of the addictive ways of knitting and how frugal this set really is.