Business Socks

You know when I'm down to my socks it's time for business, that's why they're called business socks.
I finished these a while ago, but since I got sick this summer, I really have let blogging go. Since I have way too many pictures of my cats, here's some actual knitting content.
I needed some dress socks, specifically black dress socks. I've knit them before, but honestly, they were boring and hard to see. So I decided there's no rule that dress socks can't have silver in them.

Yep, real 2% silver. At first I worried that it might come out in the wash, but then I realized if that happened, I would wind up with plain black socks, which was my goal in the first place. In the meantime, they would be more fun to knit, as I could occasionally stop and remark thoughtfully, "Oooh, shiny!"
I didn't have a stitch dictionary on me, so I just made up some vaguely lacy looking stitch in every other rib. I think it was k1, yo, ssk; k; k2tog, yo, k1; k, or something very similar.

It's hard to see in black anyway, I just needed something that was different enough to entertain me and not so complex that I needed to count rows really hard or anything.
Basic heel flap, I just continued the reverse stockinette portion that made up the other half of the ribs. It occurs to me now that a German heel (the kind with a garter border on the heel flap) might have looked really cool here. Next pair of socks may wind up with a German heel because of it.


In Summary:
Pattern: Ribbing/lazy lace cuff, reverse stockinette heel flap, regular toe.
Yarn:Kraemer Yarns Sterling Silk & Silver, 1 skein (420 yards, 63% Superwash Merino, 20% Silk, 15% Nylon and 2% silver)
Needles: Size US 0 (2mm) Dang, that sounds small, but I use it a lot for socks.
Time: I started them in March, then abandoned them for a long time. I think I finished them in about two weeks in August or so.
Cost: About $22 for the yarn

Spinning with Fire

Okay, this is not going to be particularly thorough. But it is going to be something. I spun this:


and I actually remembered to take a picture of it first.

It's a 80/20 wool/silk blend I got at Stitches last year.
Here it is on the wheel.

And here it is drying.

I totally have not estimated the yardage on it, but it's a decent amount.

I completely and utterly do not know what to do with it. Suggestions? I already have a ton of hats and scarves, and it's not much yardage. I haven't done anything with anything I've handspun (other than give some to a friend). I get bored of spinning easily so I don't want to commit to an epic amount. And yet I don't need any more small finished products. I'm going to have to get good enough to spin sock yarn.