Quick update on the birthday sock challenge.  Sock one is complete and the second is well on its way!  Here's a driving knitting pic of the progress (no worries, I was a passenger, not a driver):

Now, wait a gosh darn minute.  Those suspiciously do not look like mata haris.  In fact, they are not even close to being the red yarn I originally said I was going to use to make mata haris.

Hehe... Ok yeah so I changed my mind.  I cast on for the mata haris, I even went so far as about 10 rows into the pattern. But I just wasn't feeling it.  The yarn is lovely but it just wasn't cooperating.  The lovely spiraling YOs were being uneven and too small to discern.  So, even though I was faced with what I already felt was a tight deadline for myself, I took a deep breath, pulled them off the needles, and returned to stash diving and pattern searching.

What came out of it are a lovely pair of Phineas using JKnits yarn in Boston colorway.  The result convinces me that I made the right decision. The socks are flying by and the pattern and yarn are getting along in perfect harmony.  The only problem is that I like them so much I'm going to have some issues parting with them I think!

It was a good lesson to learn. Heed the warning signs, if my guts tell me it ain't working, bite the bullet and move on. Something more magical just might come along.

PS - I managed to seam all the pieces of my Rebecca sweater!!  Just have to pick up the stitches and make the collar.  Given that these socks should be dunzo by this weekend, I'm hoping that the sweater will also have FO status pretty soon after that, wheee!