Red socks and spinning again

I am still not 100% over this flu bug. Just when you think you have it licked, it slaps you down again. I'm hearing reports it takes 4-5 weeks to get rid of all the symptoms. As I'm in the 3rd week of this, it does not make me happy. :-(

I finally finished the red toe up socks I was knitting with the leftover yarn from the Syrian Shawl. I bound off the second sock last night. I would have finished both of them the night before if I'd been thinking clearly.

The cuffs aren't very long, but they'll do. If you look closely at the picture, you'll see that my cuff edges are ruffly. They have to be so I can get the leg of the sock over my foot and still have it my leg. I do not have thin calves/legs. This has always been a major problem in buying any kind of boots for me. If the foot fits, I can't zip them up over my leg.

It has been awhile since I had made a pair of socks for me and I neglected to read my cast off directions. That was not a smart move! After casting off 4 times using different methods--this way too loose, this one won't go on over my foot, saying not nice words as I frogged back because this yarn splits a lot--I finally got it right. I only needed to go up one needle size. I decided I had better write this down so I don't have trouble with the cast off on my next pair of socks. And what do I see in my notes, "Go up one needle size to cast off." Duh! I could have saved myself a lot of grief and several hours casting off, frogging, putting stitches back on the needles, and cursing the splitting yarn, if I had taken a minute to read my cast off directions. It's times like these that humble you. I guess I'll have to knit more socks.

Spinning has been luring me again. I pulled out the wheel the other night and spun up a small length of rose wool top from a grab bag I recently bought from the Dyepot. It spun up fast and fine. 1.1 ounce/140 yards. Nice!

Also in the grab bag was a huge shapeless blob of fiber in browns and rose tones with a touch of green. It's wool top with a hint of mohair. I really like the colors but wondered if it would be worth messing with it. I got my answer last night. I couldn't sleep so I pulled out the wheel, ripped off a strip from the blob, drafted it out, and started spinning. Here's what it looks like. It's definitely worth saving.