Working Girl

So I got this job. I'm something of a professional seasonal employee, so I get a job about every 5 months, and this season it's on Lake Washington. Here's the view from my 'office':



I work at a fuel dock, basically a gas station for boats. The best part of this job is that I basically get paid to knit, at least while the weather is sort of crappy and business is slow. Thus, after working only 14 hours between Saturday and Sunday I have accomplished much.


Pattern: Flame Wave Socks by Ann Budd from Favorite Socks by Interweave Press. I made them basically as written.

Yarn: Cascade Fixation 98% Cotton, 2% elastic - 2 balls.

Needles: Sizes 4 and 5.

Notes: I was dubious about this yarn before I started working with it because of it's stretchiness. However, I found that I quickly settled into a not-to-tight, not-to-loose gauge and was on my merry way.
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If it looks like one sock is longer in the leg than the other that's because it is. This yarn is a perfect example of why you should knit both socks at or near the same time. I knit one back in March before the first shipment of the Rockin' Sock Club arrived, then I got sidetracked and just finished the second one this weekend. The second sock is a full 6 grams lighter than the first, though I did the same number of repeats etc. This yarn in particular is easy to get a different gauge at different times without doing anything in particular differently.
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I love the pattern, I think it is perfect for the indistinct stitches you get with the Fixation and I think it would be ideal to spice up a self-striping or handpainted yarn. The pattern is easily memorized and you're off. In the future I will alter the needle size, and not start with a bigger needle, but other than that I like it as is.
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Then there's the true fruit of my labor. I merely finished the toe on the Flame Wave socks on Saturday, then I found myself without anything to while away the long hours until the shift change. Luckily I had brought the yarn for this:


Started on Saturday and finished on Sunday, all while getting paid, this is the best job ever. It's a Monkey sock by Cookie A. I've finally jumped on the bandwagon, though I still haven't made a pair of Jaywalkers, so some solidarity remains (at least until I finish the mate). Mine are out of the new Tofutsies from South West Trading Co.
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I can't get enough of this yarn. I had read about it's splittiness and was a little worried, but I didn't have any more trouble with this yarn than I do with any other yarn. These are going to be the perfect warm weather socks. They are lighweight, and thin and super-duper soft. I want more than anything to have the second one done right now so I can wear them. The pattern is also a very quick knit, and as with all of Cookie A's things well written and easy to follow. The woman is a genius.