Tuesday Night Sock Update 2

First of all, I'd like to thank those knitters who have been posting such supportive comments.

Thanks, ladies!

I suppose that's what a peer group is like, idealistically speaking. I'm used to that just being me, and lately, my boyfriend, who of course thinks nearly everything I do is perfection defined. (Perhaps that is why he dates me?)

THE SOCKS
Not much progress has been made this week in the area of socks. In fact, my Gentleman's Shooting Socks have been put on hold - literally.

As you can see by the wedge in the pattern, I am sticking to the shaped leg. I hate bulky ankles socks, despite spending most of my childhood in the '80's. (The fuzzy white balls are courtesy of my cat.) As much as I love these socks, they are being pushed aside so that I can try to meet my X-mas knitting deadline. As soon as those projects are done I can return to selfish projects, such as the rusty brown alpaca cardigan sitting at the bottom of my knitting bag. *sigh*

Feedback from silent siblings has finally arrived. Sibling #8 has approved a mitten pattern, and Sibling #1 has given me color options. (Did I mention I'm making stuff for her kids, too? Well, at least she knows it's not really about the X-mas deadline, rather a manic knitting giveaway.)

I chose the pattern for my Mom's TV socks. I'm not making her purely functional socks because I can't imagine her wearing handknit socks out of the house unless it is late at night and she's out of toilet paper. If they're not 'normal' socks, they don't have to meet any strict standards, and she may be convinced to even wear them. (Maybe I should have just made her a scarf?)

Anyway, I'm making her the Victorian Bed Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks. So far I haven't strayed from the pattern, but I am considering whether I really should continue the pattern along the sole or if I should make it a 'normal' sole in case she really surprises me and wants to wear them with shoes out and about where other people will see them. You never know; she's surpised me on things before.
Close-Up
Knitting these socks has been fairly easy so far. I say 'fairly' because I didn't read the instructions before starting them and therefore had no idea that I would be struggling every 4th row with a repeat involving 'K3tog'. Ugh. I'm using US #2 needles and I knit TIGHTLY. What I really need is some US #2 Afghan knitting needles that are double pointed. I am actually having to keep a crochet hook on standby when I work on this sock for the inevitable slipping of the stitches off the needles altogether.