I was working on my Solstice Slip socks at lunchtime today. I'm half way through the heel and still enjoying them. Except that I ... er ... seem to have dropped a stitch way back at the beginning of my short rows. That stitch all by itself on the front needle there. It should be the second stitch in on the right needle instead. With a wrap around it. Waiting to be worked back into the heel stitches.

I was working along quite happily and thinking maybe I'd only short row to twelve stitches like I usually do instead of the seven recommended in the pattern (my heels aren't all that pointy). I'd just reached my twelve stitches when it suddenly occurred to me that twelve is not an odd number. I was supposed to have an odd number. I counted all my stitches three times before I noticed this little guy hanging out (literally) near the first wrapped stitch. All ready to ladder his way back to the toe.

The worst part is this is the second time I've done this. The first one was the third stitch in and only after about eight short rows so there wasn't so much reknitting, but you'd think I'd keep better track of things after that. I did think of trying on my sock before frogging out the heel and it looks like short rowing to eleven stitches will fit nicely. I'll start reknitting tomorrow; I'm not up for that tonight.

Fortunately there is some brighter news on the sock front: I'm almost finished my Swing Set socks.

Just need to kitchener the first one and knit down the foot on the second. If it is anything like its partner it will go remarkably quickly. I think it's the lace repeats. Socks always seem to go faster when I'm counting repeats instead of rows. I want to get these done soon too because I'm not absolutely certain I've got enough yarn and if I need to order more I might as well do it at the same time as the Pining 4 Ewe I need to finish Rob's Bug Socks.

It was too cold to walk to the coffee shop Friday afternoon so I spent my break knitting in the sunset at an empty desk instead. A cup of hot chocolate completed the coziness. I'm working on my Swing Set socks and I'm already finished the first cuff and half way through the second. I figured I'd knit them both since they have to be finished and blocked before stitches are picked up to work the rest of the sock. There is less of an opening for Second Sock Syndrome if sock number two is already started when sock number one is being finished.

I'm knitting back and forth on a pair of long 2.00 mm double pointed needles and it just feels so pretty and delicate. Combined with the colour of the yarn this is the girliest feeling thing I've ever knit. These are going to be some pretty cute socks. They're not going to work very well in my winter boots but I can wear them around the house on the weekends until the weather warms up.

Rob's bug socks, half way through the second toe. Clearly I wasn't knitting fast enough.

As I see it, these are my options:

1) Finish the sock with another colour (I might have a green around somewhere). Certainly the speediest, easiest option but not the most aesthetically pleasing.

2) Break open my skein of emergency sock yarn (that tiny skein that comes with each club shipment) and hope it's enough. I'm not really sure I can bear to break up my set of my mini skeins.

3) Canvas the club forums for someone willing to send me some leftovers. The club is full of awesome people who are willing to share leftovers but I've seen lots of other people running out so I'm not sure how much leftover yarn is out there. Not much.

4) Buy another skein. This option means I'd have darning yarn the right colour - Yay! It also means that Rob will probably have to wait until mid-February for his socks because I spent my craft budget for the month on my 2011 Sock Club membership and don't have any more yarn money.

I'm planning to make a pair of Swing Set socks for myself so I might wait until I've finished those before I make my decision. It's possible (since I've already made a pair of booties from the skein) that I will run out of my remaining Sweet Pea yarn too.