Choices, Choices...

My paper airline tix arrived today by FedEx. We are going on vacation! I'm so excited! (Since I always find myself making the actual reservations for vacation at the last moment, I also find myself surprised when it all comes together.)

We're going to Glacier National Park. I was able to get lodging at a 2BR cabin on a ranch just outside the park -- no phone, no TV channels (though they do have a TV with VCR for videos), so presumably no internet and no way for people from work to find me. The kids -- even the almost-15YO -- seem to enjoy just hanging out in non-suburban terrain, so I'm expecting a few hours per day of "tourist-ing" followed by lots of porch-sitting, beer sipping, knitting time.

And on that point, I have begun to consider what knitting to take. Socks, obviously, but choices, choices:

Clockwise from the Sockotta (red ball band) -- casual/jeans socks for me, cotton short socks for K, funky purple wool socks for me, fancy-stitch grey or ivory socks for me, casual denim-blue wool for...someone (probably me!), and fancy-stitch blue socks for...well, me. The last ball of yarn is Rowan CashSoft DK -- destined to become a non-sock, one-skein gift for a family member -- in with the socks only because it is also a very quick, portable project.

One thing I don't get: On several podcasts and blogs, the host cautions us that if we knit socks for others, they will clamor for more. Not true for me. I LOVE wearing the socks I make for myself. I know I knit a nice sock. But other than my daughter, NO ONE has asked for a second pair. I recently found the pair I made for my husband 3 years ago in the cedar chest -- never worn, to the best of my knowledge. Maybe I should be thankful I've avoided the curse of Clamoring Kin, but I actually feel unappreciated.

And another thing I don't get: whatever happened to Fortissima Cotton sock yarn (the Easter-egg colored cotton for K.) I actually made K a pair of socks from this when she was 4 or so, and I had more than a ball left over. It was very nice to work with -- very smooth, very fine, good saturated colors (even after several washes), and the fabric had the give of cotton/wool blends. But I haven't seen it in ages. Too bad. I would love to knit some up for myself in less obvious colors.

But back to Vacation Knitting. The socks and single-skein projects all seem rather insubstantial. Don't I need something more complex and challenging as well? Two possibilities:

I've had this lace-weight for a while, trying to decide what to do with it. I now know it is destined to become a Print O' The Wave stole. Portable, complex, very rewarding, but too much to think about while drinking beer? Hmmm.

I'm also tempted by this sport-weight Merino that K and I found on our ski-trip to Taos. We visited Southwest Weavers, who had a gallery of some absolutely amazing modern-art weaving, but also extensive weaving supplies and a small but lovely selection of hand-dyed hand-knitting yarn. K picked a skein of this -- I figured I'd make a hat and some mittens, but she asked for a new poncho. Oops. Called the shop and ordered 2 more skeins -- thankfully they had the same dye-lot still in stock. Shown a number of potential poncho designs, K also selected the Grand Plan Top-Down Capelet from Wrap Style. Oh so much stockinette!!!