back from the blag hole

blag hole, n: blogging black hole, "black hole" as pronounced by someone with a head cold

[both applicable]

Got back to Munich on Monday, after an extended holiday trip to New England.  Lots of family, lots of friends; a gloriously unproductive time had by all.

I finished the man sweater in time for Christmas!  Barely.  As in December 23rd.  With a whole 36 hours left for blocking.  Why no FO photos?  Because it gives the hubs allergic asthma (goddamn you, ultra-wooly yarn).  Here's a pre-steek/being ridiculous photo for a general sense of the thing.

I kind of cocked up the steek, but managed to rescue it (thanks, ultra wooly yarn).  Maybe I'll get a modeled shot of the final product on the handsome fella himself once it's had a few additional baths and hopefully no longer closes off his airways.  If all else fails, I'll try to shrink it just a little and then wear it myself.  So there.

done did it

They had to come out of hiding to get finished, but I got the mansocks done before bedtime on the Dr.'s b-day.  He only asked me what I was working on once.  ("Hmph.  Nothing.  Socks.")  Flashing/pooling was totally minimal and on the whole obscured by the twisted stitch pattern...except on the heel flaps.  I'm thinking about changing the name to White Lightening.

Big socks on a small dog

...the horror...

Both the man and the dog consented to model them for me, though the dog was clearly chagrined.

Live socks

I'm in the middle of a speed knitting experiment.  Can I finish a man-sized sock in 48 hours?  So far today I'm through the cuff and leg, and am ready to start the heel.  It should be mentioned that I've cheated a bit on the leg length because I was concerned about yarn quantity.  (Man size + twisted stitch pattern = yarn eating monster).

The Mr.'s (sorry - Dr.'s) birthday is Sunday....