I decided not to be so hard on myself for not posting and just take a little time off the grid...go with the flow. I even stopped answering and checking email frequently. Good thing, since I had a cold all last week and spent my time miserable and snotty.
For today, however, here are the latest FOs:

Generic socks. This is Wendy Johnson's generic toe up sock pattern (I'm not sure what site I got it from, but it's probably on her website somewhere...). I have decided that toe-up socks are the way to go...they go so fast! The yarn is interlacements tiny toes. Taking this picture on my coffee table does not do the yarn justice, it's a very fun rainbow crazy sock extravaganza. Big fun. Also, check this out:

My first attempt at short row heels. So easy. So fast. Love love love.
So I'm in the middle of sock-extravaganza right now. I have two pairs on the needles that are just plain old socks that I"m making out of some nice yarn for christmas gifts. I also have a patterned pair that are on hold...I swear it will be a miracle if they ever get done. I bought some beautiful yarn at my favorite knitting store for my birthday this spring. I adore the yarn, and I've been looking for the perfect project...so I decided on a pair of monkey socks (after about ten different patterns were swatched, ripped, tried, ripped, swatched, ripped, tried on larger needles...you get it. The life of an OCD knitter). But I had to go up slightly in needle size...I'm making them on US 2 size needles, because I have a large instep to my foot, so the pattern as knitted wouldn't fit over my heel/instep when trying on. So anyway. My US2 needles are just not pointy enough for this pattern to go smoothly. It works, but not in a way that is good for me. So I am going to get some different needles (I have become fond of chiagoo needles, so probably those) and keep on going.
I also finished these recently:

Fetching from Knitty. Mountain colors yarn. My first cables...they went well, even though the picture shows them for crap. These will be another christmas gift. :)
So it looks like I have been doing a lot of knitting, but I'm just plugging along at things. I am trying to get a jumpstart on christmas stuff...knitting and non-knitting gifts alike, since I will NOT want to shop when I am a.) a million months pregnant or b.) home with a newborn.