The TARDIS seems to have stretched out a bit (the tight colorwork stuff) overnight, it seems more square now and things look more even.

And: one more day. This time tomorrow I will be on my way to the train station, hopefully to meet a not-too-badly-delayed train (it's the day it originates out of LA, so I have no expectations. I'm just hoping it's not like Thanksgiving 2005, where it was something like 8 hours late and I was stumbling onto the train at 3 am.)

I still have to pack tonight. Today was a day filled with grading: take home exam from one class, the last in-class exam for another, and meeting with my co-prof in a third class to synch up our grades on student papers. So my brain is tired. (And I still have to hear/grade student presentations in about an hour).

I did start a new little thing, to celebrate the done-ness of the TARDIS: the "Little Child's Sock" (Ravelry link) from Nancy Bush's Vintage Knitted Socks.

(The sock is re-sized to fit a woman).

The socks in the book - I would never thought to have made them because they look kind of droopy and sad in the photograph, and it looks like the photostylist stretched out the tops to show off the knit-purl patterning, which makes the socks look odd. But I've seen several people (Brainylady is the latest) who made these, and they look really cute on.

So I decided I wanted to make a pair.

I thought a bit about yarn: I have less solid-color sockyarn than you might think, because I'm easily seduced by the self-patterning or even just plain old variegated sock yarn. But I did find a couple skeins of grey Socka from deep in the stash, and thought about that. But then I thought about wanting a brighter color. So I pulled out a skein of Dream in Color sock yarn (I will not say its real name - Smooshy - because I hate that name for yarn) in a color called "Cool Fire," which is sort of a bluish red.

I bought the yarn back last winter when it was all grey out and I wanted something colorful, but never knit it up. So it's going to be the Little Child's Socks. I've already cast on and started the ribbing.

I do think Dream in Color is one of my favorite sock yarns now - it feels good in the hands, it comes in big big skeins (unlike something like the Shibui yarns, where you're hoping and praying you don't run out, there's enough in a skein for most patterns, even the long-legged Nancy Bush patterns). And it's "veil dyed," which I'm not entirely sure what that means (I envision a "waterfall" of dyes of different shades, like the "waterfall" of icing at Krispy Kreme, but that's probably not how it's done) but which gives a lovely mottled effect - ombre without pooling or striping, no need to "knit from alternate balls" (feh, a pox on that. It slows down my knitting so much).

So I have a happy new project to work on. I'm taking those, plus the two nearly-finished pairs of simple socks on the needles, plus the My So-Called Scarf. That should keep me happy enough over the few days I will be on break.

And wow, do I need a break.