quickest second sock EVER!

Well, I've been knitting, despite summer's approach.  I've finished 3/4 of a Goodale, a mystery shawlette that still needs blocking, the Stripe Study shawl I mentioned last time (photo to come), a few inches on a diaphanous Breezy Cardigan, and to the best of my memory, three single socks.  First was the lusciously textured Gridiron sock, knit out of the awesomely named Hazel Knits colorway Chuckanut Drive.  I don't actually remember when I started that one. I think I was on a trip at the time, but where? I'm embarassed to admit I've completely forgotten, and even neglected to create a Ravelry project page for it.

Then I knit a Serab (at the top of the photo) out of STR in one of the newish Fledge colorways.  That went shockingly fast, probably because lace patterns are like bags of potato chips to me - I knit one row and blink and suddenly I've knit another ten without realizing.  I'm a chart-aholic. 

Then I needed something simple to knit on a weekend trip, so I knit a Monkey (bottom of photo) out of some more STR.  I'm hardly the first to say it, but dang! This pattern is so much fun to knit - easily memorized and also quite potato chippy.  Those pattern repeats stack up quickly, and look so good.

So that's three socks done, all solos.  Then this weekend I was in a tidying-up mood (a rare and wondrous thing, in this household) so I was re-winding my leftovers into neat little balls in preparation for starting some second socks.  And as I re-wound the Hazel Knits, I started to get nervous.  It was a really small little ball of yarn.  Clearly not enough to knit another sock out of.  Practically not enough to knit even just the leg of a second sock.  Just as I was making peace with the idea of a very calico sock with a Chuckanut leg and a who-knows-what foot, I glanced at the crevice between the end table and the wall and saw something wondrous: a second Gridiron sock!  I'd apparently knit the second sock, put it in the project bag, forgot all about it, let it fall out of the project bag, and didn't notice until I'd almost cast on for a third one!  Or else the sockmaker elves paid a visit to Somerville one night and made a sock before my cats ate them.  Regardless of how, I went from a single sock to a pair in seconds - and although I had no reason to, I congratulated myself on my speedy knitting.

Project details:
Serab (photo, top) from Silk Road Socks by Hunter Hammersen.  This book is a must-have for sock knitters - every single pattern is beautiful and completely knittable and wearable.
Yarn: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock, colorway Chuckanut Drive. An awesomely sproingy, tight-twist merino/nylon.  A pleasure to knit with, and everyone who saw the colors commented on how beautiful they are.

Monkey (photo, bottom) from Knitty by Cookie A.  The famous, fabulous, fun, free pattern. 
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts - Socks That Rock Lightweight, colorway Grawk Fledge.  Still my favorite sock yarn, STR is a joy to knit, and the colorways make my heart beat faster.  Grawk Fledge is an awesome charcoal grey with undertones of purple and chartreuse.  It left a thin grey line on my fingers where I tension the yarn, which I loved - the mark of the knitter!

Gridiron (the finished pair in the photo!) by Anne Hanson aka Knitspot.  I think this is the second or third Knitspot sock pattern I've knit, and I aim to knit all 51 patterns she's got.  They're perfectly written patterns, impeccably edited and photographed, and each one gorgeous in its own way.  Anne Hanson's blog is one of my favorites - a lovely mix of patterns in progress and other knitterly info and gorgeous photos of her garden and its produce. It's written in such a charmingly conversational tone that I feel like she's my knitting auntie.
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts - Socks That Rock Lightweight, colorway Spacedust.  Not quite as retina-etchingly bright as it looks in the BMFA photo, but still charmingly colorful.