1. I have graded all of my ecology research papers! (this is quite a feat since it involves three readings of each paper - a first, fast reading through each one to get a general "feel" for where they are at, a second, detailed reading to make comments and correct errors, and a final reading where I assign points). I was having some asthma problems yesterday afternoon so I went home early and set up on the couch and did my grading. I'm still not breathing totally free this morning; we are supposed to have storms today.

2. I am up through the gusset decreases on the first of the Crocodile socks. Melissa at Loose Ends was asking if this yarn did wonky things instead of patterning the way it is supposed to. For me, yes. The leg of the first sock isn't too bad - it's more of a vertical zig-zag of green and white than a real "scale" pattern, but now that I am on the foot, I have my fingers crossed that the pattern will somehow re-establish. So far, it hasn't. So now I am faced with a dilemma - do I include these with my mom's gift even though they're not up to what I consider "gift" standards because of the wonky patterning, or do I keep them for myself? I do have a ball of the brown; I'm thinking if and when I make these for me I'm going to do heels and toes out of a coordinating yarn (maybe the leftovers of the green crocodile) to avoid interrupting the pattern. (No, I do not like short-rowed heels; they fit me badly, and I'm not fond of the peasant heel either).

I think it's because it's a "multi-row" pattern rather than a simple stripe or little fair-isle that it gets messed up.

Last night, I was thinking that it would be an interesting study for someone - in geometry? topology? I'm not sure what - to look at patterning like on the self-patterning yarn and determine what patterns are more "flexible" to distortion (i.e., different gauges, being knit at different numbers of stitches) and which are less flexible. Might be profitable for the yarn companies because there might be other patterns out there that could be knit up "magically" other than stripes. (I can see it as an American Scientist type article).