Narrowing the Field

I'm closing in on a packing decision. I think I'll take the Country Garden socks-in-progress so I can finish at least one of the pair, or maybe both. And then I might take either the navy Cascade 220 superwash (destined to become an aran watchcap for my nephew) or the Fiesta la Luz silk (purchased from the Patternworks catalogue last fall, but I'm still dithering over stitch patterns for a skinny scarf).

Everyone keeps saying, take socks. Socks are easy and portable, it's true, but I'm scared of snapping my smaller needles during airplane turbulence -- I get a wee bit tense in the sky sometimes -- so that rules out Lorna's Laces, Trekking, and my other finer weight sock yarns. So I'm considering taking some of meatier sock yarn in this picture. From the left, we have Socks That Rock (colorway: Mist), Mountain Colors Bearfoot (colorway Flathead Cherry), Socks That Rock (colorway Sapphire), Mountain Colors Bearfoot (colorway Wildflower), 2 skeins of Wildfoote (colorway Symphony), and some Koooooiiiiiguuuuuuuuu wound into cakes. I don't really expect to take the Koigu, but had to put it in the picture for a certain Koigu-loving SnBer who has mentioned wanting to see my stash someday. Here's a fraction of the sock yarn, doll. Just for you, and you know who you are!

I'm leaning toward the blues because they can be worn with my husband when he's finished. I'll be getting back to knitting him after this trip. I've decided against taking my husband in the suitcase because the back is finished, which means knitting either the sleeves or the fronts next. That means working with two balls at once, not to mention the cable needles. Did I mention that people party at this conference? Of course they do. They dress up as giant fish and Matrix clones and Annie-git-yer-gun types, which makes it pretty much inevitable that there will be drinking. Probably a lot. Do you think I want a bunch of tipsy conventioneers anywhere near my husband? Hell, no. I've got a hard enough time keeping knitters from stroking his tender flesh, without adding a buncha drunk muggles in fantasy costumes into the mix.

Anyway.

The other nice thing about sock yarn is that it doesn't take a lot of room in a suitcase. My husband would be a bit greedy in that department. So he'll just have to be patient and wait until I return. (Though I'm already jonesing to cast on the sleeves, because they do this nifty bell shaping with short rows and it looks like fun.) (I'd be knitting that tonight, I'm sure, except I still haven't finished the can-can costume for Wednesday night's costume party. Why do I keep sewing when I'd rather be knitting?)

In any event, now that I've at least narrowed it down this far, I feel like I can start packing other stuff. Why do we have to pack yarn first? And why do we have to pack more than we could possibly knit? I'll be taking about a month's worth of knitting for a five-day business conference. This only makes sense to other knitters. (Please, I'm begging, tell me this makes sense to other knitters!)