1 step forward, 2 steps back

I have some photo’s from last week, and some photo’s from this morning, and it doesn’t seem as if much progress has been made…

Lots of knitting has been done, but not nearly as much progress as knitting!

Last weekend, I started the heel-- hoping I could get it to look right…

Not a chance.
I’m knitting with out a pattern, and knitting a different size than I normal do, I missed the landmarks—this sock is so big!

My first go at heel was hampered by a way, way too short gusset.

So that heel got ripped, (and the turning on the other heel too) and the gussets, and some of the foot—and I started again with a gusset—longer this time. The second gusset was longer, (it really should have been longer still!) but I extended the heel stitch beyond the gussets, and it looks and (and feels)—OK

So now the race is on to finish the leg, add the red stripe, a cuff, and finish off with a tubular cast off (in the orange)—my self imposed deadline is coming up fast!
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Some years ago, when I had more money (than time) and a friend in need, I gave them $20 to tide them over a rough spot

I never expected the money back (I felt a bit guilty that I was buying my way out of real support)—it was a gift to a friend. It was what I could easily do, to help, then. Done, I forgot about it.

Well life goes on, and things change.

I changed jobs, and moved, (and moved again) and change from taking the RR to taking the subway, and they moved, and retired, and things changed for them, too. So what a surprise—to find a nice note, and a $20 bill!

The bill immediately started burning a hole in my pocket…

So yesterday afternoon, I stopped by Gotta Knit—it’s just a few steps out of my way from work to subway—and walked out $18 lighter, with 2 skeins of sock yarn in tow.

Yes, I know, I have other things to knit besides socks, and I have enough sock yarn to outfit a platoon, but I like the soft subtle stripes of this yarn, and I have nothing in my stash remotely like it-- It was a wonderful pleasure!