She blinded ME with SCIENCE!

So one "brainless" sock was done, and one more needed done for a pair, for we shan't have any second sock syndrome here! The sock is biasing a little, alas. I'm not sure if it's the yarn or the pattern.

The remaining ball of yarn, though, seemed small. Very small. Too small for a second sock? Really? I know I added two more cable twists to the leg since I wanted a longer leg than the pattern called for. But how much longer was too much longer?

Only one thing to do. Without cutting the thread, I took the sock and the remaining ball in for analysis.

Sock: 35.73 grams.


Ball: 61.76 grams.
Hoorah! Plenty on the ball for the second sock, plus quite a bit left over. Just one of the unanticipated benefits of teaching science!

With the quantities established, I got a good start on the second sock while sitting and knitting with fellow Ravellers on Saturday. Not bad for about three hours of work, starting with the cast-on (and re-doing the cast on after realizing I'd started knitting it on the wrong side):

Tomorrow, though, we're getting on a jet plane and flying off to exciting rural northwest Indiana. We'll land in Indianapolis, rent a car, and drive to my mother-in-law's house which lies almost directly between Renessalaer and DeMott. Corn on the right side of the road, soybeans on the left, mile after mile... ah, but just to get wild and crazy, someone will put the soybeans on the right and the corn on the left. Exciting times.

There will be very little blog updating while we're there. The internet has been heard of in that region, but rarely spotted. Ah, well. We'll put up with it all to see my darlin' mum-in-law.

Now, to make sure I get through the TSA gantlet with my knitting in hand, I decided to leave "brainless" at home, not wanting to risk my sharp metal Addi turbos getting deemed a possible weapon, either because of their sharpness or the length of the cable. While the TSA page says it should be okay, and I've actually gotten metal straights through security, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

So I got out some of Stephania's yarn, in a colorway called Pirate's Cove, and cast on Tidal Wave on my lovely new Hiya Hiay 9-inch cable needles that I ordered from Y2Knit:

The cable is short but super-flexible, and the tiny needle tips are engineered to actually function when knitting in the round. It'll take a little getting used to, but I think I'll be able to whiz around the sock with these nifty little needles. Happy, happy! I have a second set so I can switch to two-needle knitting when I get to the toe, or if knitting in the round on these really is uncomfortable. I can't imagine these little toothpicks-on-a-thread setting off any alarm bells in security.

Will it be enough knitting? I don't suppose I'd normally knit a pair of socks in a week, but this is vacation time and there will be lots of knitting time in the plane and in the car. Just in case I do, and just in case we don't get all the way up to Valparaiso to the only knit shop within easy driving distance, I'll also throw in another ball of sock yarn and a spare pattern.