Last night was for finishing (or Damn, I wish I had a camera)

Last night, Will's stripey socks were completed. Even though he has been present for most of the knitting, I have decided to put them away in the Christmas box for gifting at a later date. Hopefully he'll forget all about these nice wool socks so that in our cold December, he'll be delighted and surprised to find them under the Christmas tree.

Will has decided that handknitted socks may be the only knitted item he should be trusted with. Not only does he have ADD, which means he loses things very easily, but he is Italian in heritage, with the genetic predisposition to hair. So when I think about knitting warm fuzzy items for him, I always have to remember that I have to be prepared for the day when he'll come home without said fuzzy item with a sad look on his face. Let's imagine the conversation (based on previous conversations).
"Honey, what's wrong?"
"I'm really cold."
"What happened to your (insert fuzzy warm item that was handknit and, of course, cost much money and time)?"
"I'm not sure. I got hot somewhere and took it off. I meant to take it with me, but...."
"Perhaps we can track it down"

The search ensues, sometimes with results, sometimes not.

But Will has decided that socks will not be abandoned somewhere when he gets hot. After all, he can't very well leave a building barefoot, nor would he unconsciously sit down to take off his shoes and socks while in public. Doffing his hat, however, could and would happen easily.

Second Finished Object:
Garterlac dishcloth.
For our second wedding anniversary (cotton), I got Will some yarn and fabric. What? Why are you looking at me funny? No really. I got some cotton yarn for dishcloths and some fabric for curtains. We just moved into our new apartment and we promised each other that we would make this place into a home, even though we're only going to be here for a year.
And so I knit up a garterlac dishcloth in Sugar and Cream with blue, yellow, and white for our kitchen. Will says "It's so pretty I'm afraid to use it for dishes." But I am insisting that it be used for daily use, except, of course, for bacon greasy pans, etc.
I didn't have a size 7 needle, so I knit it on an 8, so it's kind of big, but I plan to remedy that largishness for the next one by going to my new LYS. The store is not new, but I'm new to it, so it remains my new LYS.

Right now I have nothing on the needles, and I have an urge to knit more socks. At the same time, I know that Sock Wars is quickly approaching, and if I start socks now, I must commit to having them finished and off the needles by then because I don't know what size needles I'll need. We shall see.

I could frog that entire sweater that I'm planning on remaking. I didn't like how it turned out so I redesigned it and I'm frogging the entire thing. But I wish I had a ball winder and swift for the rewinding of that yarn. I am not looking forward to that process sans swift and winder.

I could work a shawl. I have a couple of skeins in the stash that are designated for lace. I even have the pattern for Stephanie's snowdrop shawl printed off and in my pattern book. I have the needles and the yarn. But I have to admit that I cast it on and tried it and got really frustrated when I had to frog my efforts not once, not twice, but three times. At that point I gave up and knit a sock.

I also have some Noro for a hat and mitten set for me for the winter. I don't think I'd like Noro for a functional scarf. I'm anticipating that I will have to breathe through my scarf this winter and really use it like I used scarves in Minnesota. There, when the air is too bitingly cold, you put the scarf around not only your neck but also your face, covering your chin, mouth, cheeks, and nose up to the bridge. Then you pull down your hat, leaving a slit for the eyes. This is how you avoid frostbite or at least chapped skin from the wind and cold. For the last 3 years, I have knit lots of beautiful scarves, pairing them with cotton sweaters that I received as hand-me-downs from friends. I don't mind shopping in other people's closets (or even their leftovers). And so I've given my "new to me" sweaters some life by knitting fun scarves. But these scarves are not for true winters. Or at least, they are indoor scarves, to be worn with the sweater and then a coat over that with a hat and scarf on the outside. Anyway, a scarf out of Noro would be bad because it has such a high content of mohair, which means it is fuzzy and that means that I would be getting little bits of mohair in my mouth with every breath. Icky.
But I would like to make a hat and some mittens.

I await true inspiration to see what I will end up casting on.