my very first pair of socks!

(with cat head demonstrating the wonders of perspective)

"very first" if you go by start date...and ignore the decade or two between the finish dates of the first and second socks.

the first sock of this pair really was my very first sock.  i don't know why i didn't finish the second way back when, but i actually found the socks and yarn when i went through the work room a few months ago.  i had gotten to about the ankle, and then put it on stitch holders - with a note, giving the size (and color!) of the needles i used.  the pattern was in a needlecraft book i still had, so that was no problem.  i started them one fall - the top of the first sock is all stretched out because i wore it as part of a pirate costume for a halloween party  (it was a stocking cap, of course).  i think i took the needles to knit a cap...if it's the one i'm thinking about, it was quite a fine cap, which unfortunately i lost the first time i wore it (it was to an indoor mall in oklahoma at christmastime, so cold enough to need a cap outside, but too hot for one inside - stuck the cap in my pocket, and it apparently fell out).  anyway, for whatever reason, i never finished the socks - until this weekend!  i cast on the tofutsie socks that i am making to experiment with the detonator pattern, but then i was overwhelmed with the desire to cast on yet another sock - came across the bag with this project while looking for other sock yarn, and forced myself to finish it.

they are a bit funky in many ways.  the pattern was for sock-weight yarn and size 2 needles - this is done with worsted weight (in cotton) and size 7s.  so i had to get a bit creative with the decreases, so the feet didn't consist entirely of gussets (as you can see, there is a bit of extra fabric in the gussets anyway).  the heel flaps are just stockinette, so not real hardy - but then again, they will probably be worn with slip-on birkies, so nothing to wear on the heel.  and the cotton yarn is not real elastic, so i think i will need to knit myself some garters... but still, they are pretty fun.  you may not be able to tell, but the cuffs, heels and toes are all navy blue - the cuffs and heels by choice, but the toes came up navy just by serendipity, which is rather fun.

i do occasionally finish projects a bit more expeditiously - at the beginning of the week, i finished my car seat cover!  see?

as you can see, the side airbag is now safely unblocked, and the seat-part is nicely covered.  i think it will fit pretty well - i did sort of a heel-turn thing to form pockets for the raised sides of the seats, and there are sort of eyelets around the bottom that have i-cord threaded through, to tie the cover around the bottom of the seat.  here's a closeup of the stitch pattern (and shaping, if you can see it):

it's a nice firm fabric - a little give, to handle being sat on, but it should stay in place.  so now the weather just have to stay nice enough to run around with the top down!

i just have to remember everything through tuesday.

i volunteered as a poll worker again this year - not soon enough to work the february primary, but i am working the one this tuesday.  california went a bit overboard with primaries this year - did one for the presidential election in february, so as to get a chance to have some say in the matter before everyone dropped out, and now the regular june one to do all the other offices.  it is of course immensely amusing that after all that trouble and expense, this is one year when a june presidential primary would still have made a difference (well, for the democrats, anyway).  which may mean that tuesday will be pretty quiet, since the "important" race is out of the way...but we will see.

been spending a lot of time training.  i went to the regular training class the week before last, did the on-line training last night, and then did some hands-on training today.  i agreed to be the touch-screen inspector, so i wanted to be sure i really knew how to set up the machine, and make the voter cards.  things were pretty quiet at the training place - i think i was the only person there for most of the time, so i got lots of extra attention and testing and info - and many compliments for how well i had things down.  which was really flattering - but after being told a few times that i was the best-prepared poll-worker they had seen, i'm starting to get worried about the other people working.  i mean, i'll be the first to admit i'm sharp, attentive, and still have a decent memory - but i hate to think i'm _that_ out of the ordinary.  anyway, i think i've got it all down...so now i'm just hoping i'll remember it all at 5:30 am tuesday, and the machine will work, and the place won't be insane.  now i just have to decide what clothes i'll wear, what knitting i'll bring, and how to keep the cats from escaping while i move the equipment out to the car (it can't go in until morning, and i'll be gone from way too early till probably pretty late, so they will have to stay inside for my peace of mind).