No, I am not talking about my fiber obsession. I am referring to the 4 boxes of home pregnancy tests (with three tests each) that I bought at the super market today. The woman on the checkout clearly thought I was a little unbalanced. She might be right.

I am obviously not doing that well at waiting patiently for the blood test next weekend. The excellent side effect of this restless energy is pleasing sock progress. I knit the second half of the leg on Saturday. Yesterday I knit the heel flap, turned the heel and started the gusset. It’s all down hill from here.

And finally the latest backyard critter to catch Isabelle’s attention, his feelers were twice the length of his body!

Steph tagged me and the progress of a second sock is hardly earth shattering (though it is moving along a lot faster than the first one did), so here goes:

What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with?
Hmm. I don’t know how well they will wear but I have to say that I have really enjoyed knitting with Debbie Bliss Aran and Baby Cashmerino, which between them I have used for six of my last eight FOs. I also loved the feel of Rowan Calmer slipping between my fingers. For felting I am very fond of Lamb’s Pride.

Your favorite needles?
Addis, Addis, also Addis. I like bamboo DPNs and I adore my one set of rose wood DPNs, but for circulars I really hate bamboo, they slow me down and make my hands ache. I have not knit on straights since discovering circulars, not even once.

The worst thing you’ve ever knit?
That would have to be this. Seriously wrong proportions as I had never even heard of gauge when I made it, but it was how (and why) I learned to knit. The first of many baby items, though all the others have been at least vaugely the right shape, which is a mercy.

Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don’t like wearing it…but it was the most fun to knit)
I enjoyed every minute of knitting Shedir - except the part where I ran out of yarn, though I wasn’t exactly knitting then was I?

Most valuable knitting technique?
Well with the way I have been using my scissors lately I would have to say grafting. Cabling without a cable needle is a very close second. Also deliberately dropping stitches to fix mistakes.

Best knit book or magazine?
Hmm. Stitch’n'Bitch was one of the first books I bought (or was given. I don’t use it much but I will be forever thankful for Debbie Stoller’s stitch doctor instructions and her list of book and magazine recommendations. I went out soon after and bought Knitting in Plain English, which I read cover to cover that day and felt like I had learned years of useful information in one hit. Interestingly enough I almost never use it as a reference but it was worth it for that first hit of knitting wisdom. The reference book I use the most is Montse Stanley’s Knitters Handbook. Of course I am also hoping to get some good mileage out of the books that arrived last week (was it really only last week?).

Your favorite knit-a-long?
I don’t think I have ever joined one. Well I did join up for the Rogue mailing lis, but then my Rogue dreams feel apart, at least for this year.

Your favorite knitblogs?
Mmm. As well as all the blogs in my side bar (which I manage through my bloglines) I have a whole other bloglines category of knitting blogs that I am still getting to know. I have about 80 or 90 feeds this week and the list is growing at an alarming rate. I am reluctant to name favourites because there are so many and yet at the same time I have found some great new blogs though the bloggers who have already answered this question… So I wrote another half a paragraph and painstakingly linked to a bunch of blogs and then realised they were all in my side bar anyway. Go on, click on the blogs in the side bar that you don’t already know.

Your favorite knitwear designer?
I don’t think I have one. Though I do love Jenna’s cables.

The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!)
That I wear the most? The Debbie Bliss Cabled Jacket. The pilling problem did slow down somewhat and I stopped caring quite so much because it is just so cosy and comfy.

Who’s next?
Urg. I hate tagging people for meme’s and this one has been going a while. If you haven’t done it, want to and are reading this then please consider yourself tagged.

Who would have thought that was half the leg done already? It looks too short, but there you go. So far so good. I feel forced to admit that most of my problems with the first sock were almost certainly to do with biting off more than I could comfortably chew and finding the steep learning curve somewhat uncomfortable. The second sock has been far easier. The leg is still a little slower and more annoying than the foot of the first sock but it’s nothing like the chore that the leg of the first sock was. Plus I am far more motivated now that I know how thrilling the finished sock will be!

What has really been far easier second time round is the cuff. I applied a little common sense this time and divided the stitches onto the needles as per the pattern repeats rather than evenly across each needle. Two pattern repeats on three needles and only one repeat on the third. I also had the good sense to actually use some of my ridiculously large collection of stitch markers. I can’t remember how many mistakes I made in the first cuff but I only made two in this one and both of them were fixable on the next round by dropping and rearranging stitches, no ripping required. Yay for stitch markers!

And finally, thankyou all for your kind thoughts for my IVF cycle. The embryo is now on board and the waiting has begun. My posts may be a little thin over the coming week, inch by inch sock progress is hardly thrilling, my mother is visiting and well, all this waiting is more than a little time consuming.