Sock of Dancing Nannies

What's blue and brown and worn not yet? This first half of woolable goodness.
Oh I was ready to frog this after turning the heel and starting the dancing ladies. Really ready to let her go, especially after the short rows in the heel.
But knowing that so many of my best-loved projects have had "rip-it" thoughts along the line, it was "put it down and walk away."
Which I did, for a whole six hours; then we trudged on; then we waded through. And after a while, as i was doing the cuff ribbing, we began to sort of skip along.
When it was done I had to walk away and do something big, simple and chunky, like a requested blue hat for Robin.

Now I see it as I should: homemade, grassroots goodness of something I've pined for many years. I didn't realize the pining I've done until I catch myself now, while looking at it, in flashbacks of seeing scenes of Dicken's time with the cottage made shawls, socks and fingerless gloves. Trips to the Renn Faire in homespun fiber goodness. And this sock is all that (or half that) and more.

So what did I learn in making the sock?
That the magic (figure 8) cast on is really easy if you just slow down, focus and practice it.
That magic cast-on looks totally cool in the toe area (I may never learn Kitchener).
That I need to find a better way to do the heel than the short-row method (or figure out the little gaping holes my short rows make).
And that knitting fair isle in the round on #2 dpns shows up EVERY LITTLE flaw and gap, and I'd better get better (or more careful).
AND that knitting lace socks and/or with variegated yarn should be a cinch after this.