Fast forward

Are you thinking Happy New Year with me?
False alarm. It's just IKEA celebrating the opening of a newer, bigger store in Iceland. Everybody I know has been there over the weekend while I kept ignoring this event. To there excuse, it must have been quite a sensation for the children to meet Astrid Lindgren' s characters Lína Langsokkur (Pippi Longstocking) und Emil í Kattholti (Emil of Maple Hills)*. My excuse for boycotting the opening festivities is the mere fact that the whole building site was dumped onto an until then unspoiled lava field. Very beautiful and specially picturesque in the autumn these landscapes due to the slooooowly growing vegetation are most very sensitive to human interference. This special site was designed to remain protected but as big business tends to undermine such thinking here all too frequently, big trucks cutted ugly trails into the whole area. The best is the current TV spot of IKEA, featuring a young couple. The boy leading the girl blindfolded through the lava landscape and kneeling down with rings in order to propose. ..when the girl suddenly discovers the blue and yellow monster building in his back and forgotten is all romantic and of to shopping it is.
Well... complaining now, I might just go there soon anyway, when in need for another Billy or Benno or what have you. Sigh.
I can even walk there now. And hence, their firework show in the kitchen window. 15 minutes!

In real life, fireworks aka New year's eve have to wait little longer. We are celebrating autumn over here. For example with Indian summer coloured finished Toasty Toes socks!

Pattern: Seed stitch rib (1.Row: 3K 1P, 2. Row: 4K, repeat), Toe-up
Yarn:.... Kid Mohair/Merino sock yarn from Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks, colourway Indian Summer purchased with superfriendly service from Crown Mountain Farms
Needles: 3 mm circs bamboo

I thought this "pattern" was my own but surfing for other sock patterns I stumbled upon this one in Knitty: Thuja from Bobby Ziegler. Surely, I have seen this some while ago and just remembered it unconsiously. Therfore credits go to Bobby. I changed it into toe-up knitting, however, and short row heels worked in the magic loop method. Woohoo. Magic, no less for my pal.
I really like how these socks turned out. The variegation of the yarn is just sufficient to make this simple pattern interesting. Also, it is wonderfully soft. Ribs are also everytime a good option when knitting for someone, who cannot try on. I hope my pal doesn't mind the stripes, though. And most of all , I hope of course these socks are going to fit like gloves...
One thing still bothers me a little. As much as I like how the colours turned out, they are not quite what I had in mind when ordering "Indian Summer" (you all know, the true colour - monitor effect). But pretty anyway.

They have almost left the building in order to keep someone else's feet warm this winter.
Bye, bye Toasty Toes socks, I enjoyed every minute with you.


* a note from the amateur translator. While the concept of Pippi Longstocking is kept in all the languages I can observe (Swedish, English, German Icelandic) in means of the socks (Socktober reference!), Icelanders named her Lína. At least a nice alliteration. Emil, on the other hand, obviously sparks more creativity. Being originally located in Lönneberga (Swedish), he moves to Kattholt (Iceland) or Maple Hills (English/American?), but turns into Michel von Lönneberga in German. Well, nevermind.
Thank you for being still with me until here and foremost for enduring my droolings over peculiarities!