THE TALE OF THE WAYWARD SOCK

Ever since I learned to knit socks, I've always knit both at the same time on dpns.(That way I never have to deal with 'second sock syndrome).

So yesterday, at Knit'n'Cafe, I did what I always do -- reached into my little sheep bag, and took out the shortest of the two socks to work on. Three hours later, I put it away to leave the coffee shop.

My routine, on Friday afternoons, is to relieve Michael, who has been taking care of Gibson since 9 a.m (joined by River since school got out at 3 pm) -- and when you're almost 60, running around after a normal 3-year-old can be pretty tiring! So I get to Mischa's by 4-ish, and stay until Jeff gets home around 5:30. Yesterday, I did two stops before I got there -- at the drugstore across the street to pick up a prescription, and then to meet Penny and Robin at their daughter's wedding rehearsal long enough to pick up their apartment key (which I'll need later today because I'm helping to decorate the reception hall, but that's another story)!

At some point once I was with the boys I reached into my handbag to get a cough drop ... and realized that my little sheep bag seemed awfully thin: something wasn't right. So I opened it -- and sure enough, there was only ONE SOCK and one cake of yarn, not two!

So I called the coffee shop to see if I'd left it behind. Apparently not, as the owner even kept the phone in his hand while talking to me, and retraced my steps out to the parking lot.

When Jeff got home, I drove to the drugstore, and inquired at their customer service desk -- no, no half-knitted sock had been turned in. Then I drove to the cathedral and checked all around where I'd parked ... no half-knitted sock there, either. On brand new stainless steel Knit Picks dpns, I might add. Note: all this time, it was pouring rain.

What could have happened to a half-knitted sock?? And if someone found it, what would they do with it??

So I got home around 6 pm after stopping at the market -- and there was a message on the answering machine that the coffee shop had found my sock! I got back in the van, in the pouring rain, and went to retrieve it.

Apparently, when the owners were leaving for the day at 5:30, they saw my sock -- sitting on a post on the edge of the parking lot, where someone had very carefully placed it, it seemed. Still completely intact, not even a dropped stitch ... but soaking wet right through the cake.

I have no idea how it came out of the bag, and no idea what adventures it had while we were apart -- I'm just really happy to have it back!