Wailing Ban

The fancy new lemon computer crashed again and System Restore hasn't been going well. At first there was wailing at the heavens while waiting for tech support. Alas, the heavens have been not merely uncaring this week, but also actively pelting rain, so I banned wailing, set up the old reliable hamster wheel computer, tidied everything within reach of the telephone cord, and knit a bit on a sock for my Sockapalooza pal. Here's the backal view of the sock in progress.



After starting to knit a published pattern, I decided to design a sock for my downstream pal. The other was lovely, to be sure, but this will be uniquely hers. My pal knit a Kiri shawl, and the fern lace got me thinking about the fossil rainforest discovered in an Illinois coalmine. The sock stitch patterns – peacock tail on the cuff, fern lace and 3x3 ribbing on the leg, and moss stitch on the heel flap – are meant to suggest the plume-like fronds of the 30-foot (10 m) tree ferns and the giant trunks and stemless foliage of the 100-foot (30 m) club mosses in that ancient forest. The ribbing also should give the sock a better fit at the ankle while allowing plenty of ease for the heel.

Another inspiration is Ann's magnificent vintage lace stockings. Her stockings use geographically consistent patterns instead of mixing what are usually considered Estonian, Shetland, and Aran patterns. I have additional, pal-specific reasons for selecting these particular stitch patterns. All shall be revealed in August (or come to MY SnB to hear the alternate narrative). For the moment, let's just say the design is, er, pangaeic.

My upstream pal left a comment [waving hi], so my little corner of the vast 1,000-member Sockapalooza universe is officially connected and presumably humming along. Which is more than I can say for the fancy new lemon computer – or tech support. I'm going to try spinning next. As Risa notes, the transfer of twist from spinner to fiber has known health benefits, and it sure beats wailing.