Emy allowed belly rubs last night! Of course, she didn't allow it for very long but the precious tum-tum did get stroked a bit - she much prefers chin and neck scratches.
What to do with these? 
This is the first pair of socks I ever knit. Yes, it's the Red Cross Knit Kit socks. I knit them in gauge with the size needles included in the kit - size 3?, 4? (although not with the actual needles included - red plastic just isn't me) and ended up with these monster socks that no one would want to wear.
I tried them on today in a desperate bid to use my own hand knits, but there's no way. Not only are they waaay too big for me (or anyone except Andre the Giant), the gauge is so loose I was worried about poking a toe through by the end of the first day. For that reason, I wouldn't even give them to someone else (with much bigger feet).
The upside to all this? I did learn how to knit socks. The Red Cross sock pattern does still work after all, and all of my own socks since then have been based upon the concepts used in that pattern. Standard top-down, heel-flap and gusset with a grafted toe but with much more reasonable needle sizes, gauges, and stitch counts.
Choice #1 - attempt to felt them to a smaller size.
The yarn that comes with the kit is marked as 100% wool. There's no info as to 'superwash' capabilities so I'm assuming that they'll felt up just fine. Of course, they may end up a size suitable for my 8 yr old niece and I'm not sure she'll ever wear olive green knee highs.
Choice #2 - reclaim the yarn for something else.
It's heartbreaking to unravel two complete socks, but I could probably knit something useable out of it. The yarn is perfectly acceptable sock weight wool even if it is army green. There may be enough for 2 pair of ordinary socks.
Choice #3 - put them back in the drawer and forget it.
After all, that's what I've been doing for the past several years. That way I can drag them out every once in a while and remind myself that I do much better work now.
What do you think?
Hey Cynthia - hmmm...that's a tough one. Although I like the idea of #1, they may end up pretty heavy for Texas weather. You know, I think I'd go for #2, reclaim the yarn. It might be olive green, but maybe you can make some kind of nifty pattern?!
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