Still at it

Happy New Year!  First, how about a catch-up?  These are the Emperor's Christmas Socks 2011, finished and ready to wear.  I also finished my own Autumny Socks, but put them on this morning before I remembered to photograph them for posterior.  Also joining the Done Pile are the Rivendell Socks, shown below:

These mostly fit, but the tops are really tight because of those wrapped stitches.  If I were to do them over again, I'd do the top couple of inches with bigger needles so the wraps wouldn't bind... and I'd end that ribbing higher on the foot, and do a smooth heel.  It was the relentless ribbing that took me so long, and put me off finishing the second one.  Now I've got something to contribute to a silent auction, or to give to a skinny-legged tall friend.

And finally, I offer you the Rasta Neckwarmer, named "Promised Reward" by me, because that's exactly what it is.  I persisted in studying for a job interview, which I had on Monday, and when I was tempted to divert myself with other projects I promised myself one precious skein of Malabrigo Rasta if I stuck to my guns and worked hard.  I worked hard, and I think I did well enough to be invited for subsequent interviews.

The Rasta Neckwarmer has been prominently featured in Malabrigo ads for a couple of months now, and every time I came across it I'd stop and go "ooooh."  It looked soft and the colors are irresistable.  Of course, I balked at the price -- I wouldn't be me if I didn't!  I thought about trying to reproduce this yarn and colorway myself, and totaled up the price tag for that project -- and it came to more than the yarn cost.  Then, I needed to distract myself from distractions and promised myself that skein.

I spent enough on the yarn that I thought it would not be prudent to purchase the book with the pattern, but I loved that neckwarmer.  Closer inspection of online examples showed me that the stitch pattern was simple, and I was actually able to count the rows on one finished cowl.  Needless to say, I'm only rows away from finishing, and am looking for four mother-of-pearl buttons to fasten it.  By the way, the color is called "Piedras."