Clothing feet

I just got back home for a bit before I head out again for my last trip (for now). Yeah!

It is so nice to sleep in my own bed again. That is what I miss most when I travel. My bed. The correct level of firmness, pillow height and the scent of the sheets - all make for a very comforting sleep experience.

I knit 2 pairs of socks on the last trip. I cast on for the first one of the first pair in the airport on the way out and finished the second sock of the second pair at the airport on the way back. I started another pair on the flight. After this one, I am taking a hiatus from knitting socks for myself. I have too many pairs.

Instead, I am going to focus on using up the leftover sock yarn. In the past, I've made children's socks for Children in Common. However, I can only make little socks and I thought I could do hats instead. I think I could get a hat for an older child out of the leftovers and the self-striping sock yarn is quite colorful.

I searched for patterns and didn't find too many. So I'll have to create my own and see how big a hat I can make while leaving a little bit for darning socks later. Other thoughts I had were for a mitered baby blanket or fingerless mitts but neither is as useful as socks or a hat.

On another topic: I am looking for a functional, yet dressy bag. I bought a really nice one at Kohl's only a few months ago and it already has starting giving way. I carry a lot of electronics but little else - a PDA, cell phone and ipod are the most weighty. This causes bags to fall apart soon. I also need something with an adjustable length strap so I can wear it across the body for travel or just sling it on a shoulder for local trips. Any recommendations?