I went on a trip, and I took knitting with me. The particular knitting was the Fishtail Lace sock, still the first one. The idea was that with nothing more interesting to work on, I was bound to make progress there. Wrong. I did one pattern repeat and that was all. Why am I having so much trouble with these socks? Hm? I absolutely love the yarn--it's one of the loveliest shades of koigu I have ever seen. I think it is the pattern that is the problem. I am knitting a lace row every other row, for a total pattern repeat of six rows (three lace, three plain). This is too scrunched together. It needs to have two plain rows between every lace row. As it is, the socks look sort of like... ankylosaurus skin. They look reptilian. They are also going to be pretty baggy. In short, they will not be entirely successful.

And speaking of Not Entirely Successful, I got Lara seamed up enough to try her on, and the TROLLOPE is too small! The sleeves are the right length and the hem, if it had the curl pressed out, might be an acceptable length, but I cannot close the thing across my chest at all. I could let it hang open, but that isn't the POINT. I bought three pins to wear with that sweater, and they've been mouldering in my limoges box all these months it's taken me to get the little tart knitted up, and now she won't close across my chest. Wailing. Gnashing of teeth. Steely, determined anger as I order a lot of yarn that we hope will knit up at the *proper* gauge--no more of this DK nonsense, no sir!--and prepare ourselves to knit her AGAIN, this time in the largest size and at proper gauge.

Aaauuuuggghhh. Hate it. I haven't yet managed to knit a garment that I would wear out of the house. And I don't have any pictures to show you, either, because I haven't made any progress (I am a bad, bad knitblogger, and I don't deserve the four subscribers I have). I'm sorry. I don't even have yarn porn for you, because out of that wooooonderful order I made nearly two weeks ago, all that has arrived is my least favorite of the sock yarns--yes, just ONE ball of sock yarn, and ZERO hanks of the Artyarns. The new Lara yarn from Elann, on the other hand, is here in its entirety.

I'm going to go sulk over Baby Lara, now. I do hope *that* pattern works out.