Swatch n' wash

All knitting these days seems sock related. I finished the purple Trekking XXL socks yesterday. They are wonderful. I obviously made the first pair too large. I worried I took out too many stitches, but they are doing just fine today (no circulation issues!). I will need to hold back buying more of the yarn. The colors and patterns Trekking comes in are stunning. I have about 1.3 oz left of this color; what to do with the leftovers?.
I also cast on for the Jaywalkers using "Meadows Multi" Knit Picks Essentials. I actually swatched and washed this yarn first to make sure my gauge would work out correctly. I've heard some people say the socks can be tight.

I also bought some Tofutsies sock yarn to make a pair of Monkeys. Also swatched and washed. Can you tell I've been burned lately by the gauge of several projects. I've noticed that I'm getting more cautious with my calculations now that my knitting time is diminished by the demands of three small children. I can't mess around and rip out a bunch of rows if I've screwed up. Get it right the first time is my new motto.