I made up this weekend for not having knitting time during the past week. That is partly because I couldn't do much else. I've either got that cold that's making the rounds, or my allergies have decided to rise up and kill me (why, though, I do not know. It is certainly not a high-fitness move as my allergies are, I am led to understand, a rogue movement in my immune system, a sort of sleeper-cell. If they kill me, though, they go down too.). Anyway, I've been tired and draggy and had a sore throat and catarrh and all the nasty symptoms over the weekend. I've been drinking more Vitamin C fluids and I've been squirting my nose with that zinc spray. (Although I do not fully trust the zinc. It says "homeopathic" on the label and like all good scientists I have been led to believe that "homeopathic" is about the same as "they waved the entrails of a chicken over it while chanting "yvan eht nioj" during a full moon." Also I was using it once, doubted the zinc, and then got a cold anyway. I suspect its effect is largely placebo, or, if you prefer, mind-body related. As in, if you believe the zinc works, your immune system mobilizes more strongly and kicks the cold out. So once you stop believing, it's pretty much useless.). I will say that at least the thing hasn't bloomed into full congestion yet. So heck, maybe it does work. I don't know if that's the zinc, or the allergy meds I've been taking religiously since it started, or if this particular virus just doesn't do that.

I am well enough to teach, and well enough (I hope) to run out to the research area this afternoon and collect twigs for Wednesday's lab. (If I'm markedly worse after that, then I will know it's allergies and I can discontinue the zinc).

The worst part at this point is the sore throat. It's okay as long as I'm not talking. (And what do I do for a living?)

Anyway, the pictures:



This is the start of the Saxon braid for the Samus Aran jacket. I think this is at the point of about 1 1/2 repeats of the pattern. I'm using Elann Highland Wool in "Irish Moss" (I would argue that that's the wrong color name, "Irish Moss" is actually a red alga - in fact, the very stuff that carrageenan is extracted from. It's a different color than the yarn color. But, whatever.)



I also finished the first of the "Gentleman's Winter Socks" (downsized slightly to fit me). I began the second but am still only on the ribbing. I decided to let these be fraternal; the repeat is fairly long and I'm not sure how much extra yarn I have to "play" with as these socks are longer in the leg portion than many I make, and I only have 100 g of the yarn.

Not pictured, but I also worked on the second of the Welt Fantastic socks using the Simple Stripes. I'm up to the heel flap now on them, so they should be done fairly soon.