Rain!, Udolpho, Socks

We have had snow on the ground since Thanksgiving, and I think Sioux Falls went 93 straight days without the temps getting above freezing. I know that other people have leaves and grass and flowers and blossoms, but The Prairie is a long way from spring. However...

Do you see that? That brown patch under the tree? That's lawn. Not snow. Actual lawn. Which I have not seen for over three months. It rained last night, and the snow is melting a little. Unfortunately, we have to wish for a very slow thaw, or the record amounts of snow we got this winter will cause even nastier problems in the liquid form. But for this morning, I am happy just to see dirt and dead grass. Wet, sloppy, slushy dirt and dead grass. (btw- no one thinks this is the last of the snow- our heaviest snowfalls usually come in March, but spring will get here. Eventually).

So things are finally happening in Udolpho. After a month of glacial pacing and travelogue descriptions, suddenly we have dastardly doings, treachery, sword fights, near abductions, and something terrifying glimpsed behind a mysterious curtain that is, of course, never described or explained in any way, shape or form, but by cracky, it's scary. It's about damn time.

Sock of the Day: I bought this yarn at Great Yarns in Everett, WA, a few vacations ago. It's Monarch Sock Yarn from Angora Valley Fibers. I love love love this yarn, it's pure pleasure to knit with, and the colors are fantastic. I chose the wildest neon that I could find (though Pat Fly dyes all sorts of color combos).

Of course, these are the famous Monkey Socks. I knitted this pair exactly to the pattern (this is a slightly heavier yarn, so the socks were a bit big, but I didn't care). Subsequent pairs (and there have been many) were tweaked to omit the twisted ribbing cuff, and flap/gusset heel (I do short-rows whenever I can). It's a wonderful pattern, and if you haven't made a pair, you should.

These socks have held up extremely well. However... and I want this understood from the get-go, I ignored the label instructions and machine washed and dried the socks (they're superwash, but the label absolutely says to hand wash and dry). I was encouraged by the fact that Koigu and Noro Silk Garden seem to wash and dry perfectly, and they're not superwash (or labeled so). That worked just fine for about the first 15 or so launderings, and then they felted. Not a lot, mind you. Not enough not to wear them. Just enough to make them a little thicker and a little stiffer. So, I hand wash them now.

That has happened with a couple of pairs of socks (machine washing and drying for a period of time just fine, and then felting slightly), though in each case, I ignored the washing instructions. I no longer do that...