FO: Angypang Socks; Getting There; On the Needles; Local Wildlife

Hello everyone and thank you for your such kind comments on my last post. I think I may still have problems responding to comments on this post (which you'll understand soon), but I do feel like I might be getting there slowly. Thanks for sticking around and caring.

*****

Now for an FO to show you - TA DA!

Project: Angypang Socks

Pattern:  Little Boxes Socks by Summer Lee

Yarns: Farmers Daughters Fibers  Highwood Sock in the colorway Morning Honey; Farmers Daughters Fibers Rocky Mountain Purls in the Rooted Eartb colorway. Both are part of the Sock Squad 2026 club.

Needles:  US size 1/2.25 mm and US size 1 1/2/2.5 mm

Notes: I was cruising Instagram one day when I came across a post by Edble Thoughts Makes, where she showed her completed pair of these socks. I was so immediately hooked, and even knew what yarn I would use! So I bought the pattern, and cast on. 

This was in the middle of April, and I zoomed along pretty quickly (for me). While I knit the first sock, we still had Angus, and he would sit with me while I knit. I told him we should call these socks Sunshine and Blue Skies because I felt like that's what they showed and how I felt when he was with me. Then the day I was finishing the first sock, it was the day we were leaving to return him to thei rescue. He was leaning against me as I finished kitchenering them. I decided then and there they would be the "Angypang Socks" because I would call him Angypang when I was teasing him. 

In the photo above, if you look closely, you can see a few extra yellow stitches in the middle of the first toe round across the top. I told him that was the two of us, working on this sock together, and I would always be able to know that was the first sock I knit and that he was there. And now I'm sobbing again, which is why it took me so long to post this FO. I'm not sure I'll be able to wear them anytime soon, but they will be there when I'm ready. 💗💔

As for the pattern, if you want to try colorwork on a small area, this is a great pattern! So clearly written, and truly so simple. Once you get the first pattern repeat finished, it's pretty much in your head. And since they are Shortie socks, they go so fast! (Though I'm definitely gonna try this pattern on a regular pair of socks down the line.) This is the first time I've knit a Summer Lee pattern, and I get her popularity now, it's well-earned.

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OK I'm back after a good cry break, to show you one of the things currently on my needles. After I finished the Litle Boxes, it was about two weeks without any socks on the needles - I know, for me that's nuts!

First some background for you. The week before Memorial Day, Alfie and I spent some time in the garden cleaning up. I thought since we weren't going to WV for the holiday weekend, it would be nice if the garden was ready for us to be out there (spoiler alert: it rained all weekend, but we at least had cleaned up the garden!). 

Anyway, since then, Alfie and I have been going out into the garden first thing in the morning and hanging out, just enjoying it. Right now at least, the weather is pleasant, and there are no mosquitoes around yet (YAYAYAYAY!), so being out there is just perfect. Last week one day, instead of reading like I usually do, I decided to work on a pair of socks I've started. I've gotten more done since this photo was taken, but I am nonetheless really happy with how they are looking:

These socks are the Cottage Hearts pattern by Crazy Sock Lady Designs. They will be regular socks, as opposed to shorties, and again, I am having fun with colors. I have finished the leg, and just yesterday finished the gusset on the first sock, so they are zooming right along as well. 

While Alfie and I were out in the garden last week and I was knitting, we had a visitor:

This little squirrel youngster showed up. He got closer to both of us than he probably should have, but I of course was no threat. and Alfie was interested, but not enough to do anything about it. I'm not sure if he didn't want to get up, or if maybe he realized it was a young squirrel and was not going to engage. But anyway, we all sat out there together for about half an hour more after he showed up. We thought about calling him Tiny, but I told Alfie that was too easy, so instead we named him Petits Pois. It was a lovely time, our little trio just enjoying a nice morning.

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And that's catching you up with things, more or less. Unfortunately, the hits keep coming in my family, but they are interspersed with some nice things, so I try to keep those in mind. We had a lovely Bloomsday yesterday, and also belatedly celebrated Milo the Koodle's birthday since we couldn't easily do it when it actually came around. And fortunately, he didn't mind. 😊

So I hope all of you are doing well, and finding some good/nice/happy to be thankful for even in any of the bad. I'm hoping to get myself more on track, and hopefully the universe will give me a break so I can pick up a little bit more momentum with everything. But regardless, once again than you for being here and being so kind. Enjoy your day!

First FO of 2026 and a Test Knit!

Hello from cold and icy Philadelphia! Yes, we did get 9 inches of snow, but then at the end of last weekend's storm, we got three inches of ice on top of it. GRRRRRR.

So you can go outside if you are really bundled up in layers, but instead of being able to enjoy the snow, you have to be sure you don't slip and injure yourself. No fun at all. 

But we survived, though it was so icy that The Tim called out from work on both Monday and Tuesday - he *never* does that kind of thing, so you know it was bad!

Anyway on to the knitting.

I have my first FO for the year!

Project: Blue Hedgerows

Pattern: Hedgerow Socks, by Jane Cochran

Yarn: Farmer's Daughters Fibers Highwood Sock, in the colorway Deep Winter. This is the first installment of the Sock Squad 2026. 

Needles:  US1/2.25 mm

Modifications: I didn't pay attention to the instructions on how to center the stitches when you knit the heel. I had knit this pattern years ago for a pair of gift socks, and didn't really think it made a recognizable difference, at least for the extra efforts.

Notes: I started these socks for myself, but about halfway through the first one, decided to give the to my niece Amanda when they were finished. She is next up in the family queue for a pair, and I thought these might give her something to smile about these days. 

I did decide to continue the pattern down the front of the foot, which is something I only do rarely. But I'm pleased with how they look.

The large skein was 100 grams, and I used about 50 grams for the sock; the mini was 20 grams, and I used about 12 grams. I would calculate the yardage for you in a rough sense, but could not recall how to do it, and really you get the gist, so figure it out for yourself if you are desperate to know! 😊

The yarn is so pretty, and it's lovely for knitting. I was hoping I could finish these in January, before the February installment arrived, and I was able to finish these this past Sunday - I'm so pleased with myself!

*****

I also have a second FO for 2026, technically:

This is a test knit of the Bainbridge Beanie, a pattern that will be released soon from Michele Frazzetta of meeshyfrazz knits. This is the Child size, and it was a lot of fun to knit. The pattern has the option to make it with or without a brim, and I knit it with the brim because I thought it would be warmer, especially since it's child sized. 

The yarn is some deep stash Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport, in the colorway Poppy (the actual hat is a bit more coral than this photo). It's a sport weight yarn, and the pattern calls for DK weight, but it all worked out. I'm really happy with it.

Now I just need a kid to give it to ... 

Speaking of meeshyfrazz knits, the cardigan I've knit is also one of her patterns. I finally decided to go with some buttons I already had, and when I sewed them on, I was really happy with how they looked. Except they almost immediately fell off! I think they might have been too heavy. 

So I poked around, and found some wood buttons on Etsy that I really like, and ordered them. They are allegedly going to arrive sometime next week from Canada, so my poor cardigan is still waiting for its moment! I keep telling it that once it's all set to go, I'll be wearing it a lot, but I think it is pretty skeptical since I said that before ... 

And that's about it from here right now. Today is laundry day, but since I got started earlier than usual, as soon as the load of towels come out of the dryer, that will be that. Kinda makes it worth waking up super early with a panic attack that told me that there was no way I was going back to sleep this morning. Kinda. 

Stay warm, and be careful if you are surrounded by ice (or ICE)* like I am!

*Don't EVEN get me started ...

So Here I Am

Hello! I didn't mean to disappear for a few days, but I ended up having a lot of stuff to take care of that just took all of my time. Not that I think you were all getting ready to call out a search party, but anyway I'm here now. 

I usually don't write a post on a Tuesday morning, because I'm usually at my volunteer gig taking care of kitties. However, the ones that were there have all been adopted, and they won't get more there until this afternoon, so I'm at home this morning. I did tell a woman I would cover her Thursday morning shift for her while she was out of town, so I have an extra day this week.

Thank you so much for all of the kind words about my Christmas sweater, it was such a boost to hear that you all thought it was as nice as I did. I'm still sort of surprised that it all turned out so well. You know how it is when you try something for the first time and it works out really well - you're not sure if you really did it the right way, or if it was beginner's luck. 😊

If I haven't mentioned it (and I'm too lazy to go back and check), I did finish the cardigan I've been knitting. It's been blocked and the ends woven in, now it's just waiting for buttons. I found a couple of the right size that I already have, and both of them would be fine. But I'm tempted to look for different ones. The person who wrote the pattern put really lovely hand-made ceramic buttons on hers, and it's tempting to order some of those from the same place she bought them. But most of the choices are definite colors, except for "oatmeal" which I think is just too bland for a sweater that is kind of that color. Also, are ceramic buttons practical? I don't know. Anyway, this decision-making (or lack thereof) is what is keeping me from the last part of actually making the sweater wearable. 

In any case, I have gotten started on my first new project of 2026:

Oh look, socks - what a shock! I feel kind of lost when I don't have a sock going, so I was itching to cast on. For reasons that I cannot really logically explain, I signed up for the 2026 Farmer's Daughters Fiber Sock Club (WHY? I have too much sock yarn already, and can't really afford it. But I'm just going to move on, because I have gone over it already with no real reason or solution). 

Anyway, this is the first of the packages - a beautiful, lightly speckled blue yarn called Deep Winter, with a light gray mini included. The yarn is really lovely to work with, and it's working well with the pattern I think. The pattern is Hedgerow Socks, by Jane Cochran. I knit this pattern years ago for a pair of gift socks, and always meant to return to it for myself. It's a fairly easy, memorizable pattern repeat, provided that you pay attention. Ahem.

Other than that, I have a long-term on the needles project that continues (Cozy Memories Blanket) and a project I started last winter and then put aside over the summer and didn't pick up again (Artus Shawl) that need some love. Both of those are longer-term things though, so now I'm decided what project to add that will be traded off regularly with the socks to work on. Whatever it is, I am only going to consider things that I already have the yarn to knit, because it's already ridiculous enough that I'll be getting sock yarn every month. 

Not much else that is new to report this morning. We got Christmas put away until the end of this year, and are in the process of cleaning the house after all of that. I'm trying to get The Tim to start thinking of what he would like to try and do with getting our carport rebuilt - I told him I thought this year we should focus on that and getting the second floor bathroom completed as our big house projects. If he could get his act together and decide what he wants for the carport, we could grab the contractor at a less busy time and theoretically at least, get started. Getting The Tim to focus on something like that is a hard thing though, so I'm hoping that he will somehow get a lighting strike of his own and decide it should happen SOON.

That's all for now. Time to head to the post office to send in a return, and then stop at CVS to pick up a prescription refill. So much excitement in just one day! 😂

FO Post: The Only Knit Gift This Year

You may or may not remember that The Tim told me last year that he didn't need any more knit socks at the moment, so not to make any for him.

During the course of doing laundry, I noticed that a pair of socks I made for him years ago, that he wears as slippers around the house, had several big holes in them. He usually wears another pair of socks under them, so either he didn't notice, or figured it didn't matter (or - I'll take both for $100, Alex). 

Well, that just seems ridiculous to me, so I decided that I would knit him a new pair, and if I got them finished in time for Christmas, fine, but I wasn't gonna hurry. Of course, since they are knit from worsted weight yarn, they knit up really quickly. and I finished the second sock this past Monday, even after taking a long break in between the two so that I could wrap and mail gifts to people out of town. 

So here they are! I am not known for my color management, so you really can't see some of the one-row colors in here, other than the black which shows up. But I really like the way they turned out, and it was fun to have a knit gift for him. 😀

Project: Replacement Social Security Number Socks

Pattern: Vanilla sock pattern using worsted weight yarns

Needles: US size 5/3.75 mm

Yarns: All are scraps of Plymouth Encore worsted yarns from several other projects. I'm a big fan of Encore, because it has a little bit of wool in it, but the acrylic means that it can go in the washer and the dryer with no issues. 

Notes: The pattern is one I came across a long time ago - does anyone remember the Knitlist? I mean, that's waaaaayyy back! Anyway, someone posted it there, and since it's not, as far as I know, the specific property of any designer, I can share it here.

Basically, the way it works is that you take your Social Security number, and assign a yarn to each number - you can either say that there are 9 different colors, or assign yarns to a number and use only that color throughout, which is what I did. For zeroes, you can either do a purl row, or eyelets, or assign a color. 

Now, before you get all worked up about identity theft, someone would have to be very very close to your foot and sock, and would need to know how to count knitted rows, in order to figure out your SS#. It seems to me, that if someone seems that interested in your foot for that long, and you either don't notice or don't think it's the weirdest behavior this side of the Mississippi, then that's on you.

His previous pair (with all the holes) was made up of brighter colors, whereas this one is more subdued. But I like the way this one looks. And except where I didn't realize that colors were not distinctive enough to show up unless you were *very* close, I like the way they all complement each other. The heel and the toe are in black yarn, because that is what I had the most of as a leftover. 

So there you go - now you even know how to make your own if you like. I think they are really fun, but of course, the options are limited, since if you say to someone "Could you tell me your Social Security number for a knitting project," there is a good chance it won't end well. 

I do have to say that after knitting the first pair, it was a huge help to me whenever I would need to know The Tim's SS# for some form or another and he wasn't around. 😄

The only other knitting project I would like to finish before the end of the year is my cardigan. All it needs is the second sleeve, and the buttons, so I think I can get it done. I put it aside at the beginning of December for the aforementioned wrapping and sending of gifts (which have all been received now, yay!). It took me about two weeks to do the first sleeve, which was in fits and starts, so I think I can get it all done. I'm not gonna drive myself nuts about it, but it would be fun to have such a great finish to my knitting year.

What about you? Have you knit any gifts? Anything you hope to finish before 2025 heads out?

Monday FO: Keith's Requested Socks

Hello from a rainy and cool Philadelphia! This is one of those days when staying inside doesn't seem like such a bad idea. I thought I'd show you my latest FO, since I know that according to the tracking info on the package, that they have been delivered to the recipient.

Project: Keith's Requested Socks

Pattern: Plain Vanilla Sock pattern that I have used forever

Yarn: KnitPicks Hawthorne Fingering, colorway Vancouver Multi

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Notes: Over the summer, The Tim informed me that for now, he had all of the handknit socks he wanted. So since I a) have lots of sock yarn, and b) like to knit socks for myself AND for other people, I put out a call to the nieces and nephews for anyone interested. I got a good response, and decided I would knit socks in the order requested.

Keith was up first. He said he would like socks that were a basic color with bright accents. So I pulled out this skein of sock yarn I had bought a while back during one of the KnitPicks sales. Then I looked through my bits and bobs, and found some leftover old Fortissima sock yarn to use for the contrasting cuffs, heels, and toes. I figured since it looked like the yarn had bright pops of color, low-contrast would be nice otherwise.

I'm glad I did that, because the yarn was actually brighter all the way around than it looked in the skein or wound up. 

As you can see, the bright turquoise made a sort of striped effect on the foot of the sock. But it pooled in a kind of weird way on both socks - here's a photo of the same two socks, turned onto their other sides and photographed:

I don't mind it, because they are socks and would be on my feet, but I don't know if that will bother Keith or not. At first, I thought, oh well, just wear each sock with the non-pooled side facing inward on each sock, but that's not how they will work. One thing I can say is that in real life, they are not nearly as bright as they are in these photos, so I'm hoping he'll like them, even if they are not quite what he had requested. I think they would be fine unless you are in a conservative office environment, and I don't think that's the case where he is (he works for an international liquor distributor whose company logo colors are *really* bright, though not these colors). In any case, I told him that they were now his to wear or do with as he wished.

I do have to say that the Hawthorne Fingering yarn was kind of unpleasant to knit - not terrible, but not very soft. Since these were a gift, I soaked and blocked them, and they did soften up some after that. But I don't think I'll go out of my way to look for this yarn again. 

*****

The next request was from another niece's husband, Greg, for a pair of heavier-weight socks in the colors of the Baltimore Orioles. I'm well underway with those, even though baseball season is over for the Orioles already (and also for the Phillies ... sigh). But when I send them, I plan to tell him they'll be fresh and ready for next season! 

One thing that amused me was that, for the most part, the requests I received were from the guys. I think they are just more likely to wear socks most of the time. Most of my nieces seldom wear socks, unless it is extremely cold. 

Of course, what do I care? I was just pleased that anyone at all was interested in receiving a pair!

The Journey to an FO Post For Today

Hello all - I hope this finds you well, and ready for Labor Day weekend. As of this a.m., they are predicting nice weather for the long weekend here. Though frankly I'll believe it when I see it.

This is an FO post, but it took me a long time and some ridiculousness to get here. You may or may not remember these socks that I started: 

Project: Pool Beans Socks

Pattern: Vanilla Bean Socks, by the Crazy Sock Lady

Yarn: Jojo's Fave Sock Set, in the colorway I'll Be By the Pool, from Hopemade Yarn Co.

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Modifications and Notes: First of all, none of the issues I had with these socks were a result of the pattern or the yarn. It was all me and my brain, or lack thereof.

You see the photo for the sock above. I started this pair by knitting the pattern stitch all around the sock, as it's written in the pattern. Then after the heel, I kept the pattern on the top/instep of the sock. I wanted to use the turquoise for the toes as well as the cuffs and heels, but I wasn't sure if I had enough. So I stopped before adding the toe and decided to knit the second sock and then see how much of the turquoise yarn I had left, if any.

So I happily knit along on sock #2, and after the heel, decided I probably had enough for the toes of both socks. But when I went back to sock #1, I realized that I had likely made it too long. Which is no big deal since I would just need to go back and eliminate a few rounds. 

BUT then I noticed that on the second sock, I had knit the leg with the pattern only on the front of the sock! I guess I was on autopilot and was knitting it like the foot of the first sock. Needless to say, I was annoyed with myself. So much so that I frogged the entire first sock because I decided I liked the sock with the pattern only on the front instead! 

And I am actually really pleased with how they turned out:

And as you can see, I had enough yarn for the toes. After kitchenering the second toe, I had less than 3/4 of an inch of the turquoise yarn left - so yes, I had JUST enough! Phew!

At the start of the summer, I'd given myself three projects to complete, and this was the last one, so I'm glad I made it (even though technically there are still a couple of weeks left in the summer season). In case you were wondering, those projects were:

Relax Tee (frogged and abandoned)

Waffles Puppy - completed

Pool Beans Socks - completed

So two out of three isn't bad. I usually can get more done during the summer than this, but this year, it just wasn't happening. I'm glad I only told myself that these were the primary three, because otherwise I would be annoyed with myself. 

*****

I've already started a pair of socks requested by one of my nieces' husbands when I put out a call for anyone wanting handknit socks. I'll show those next time. And I'm ready to start this, from another kit I've had for a while (apparently this is the year I knit some kits!). I'm still deciding what my third project will be. I find that for me, three is a good number. Always a sock, and then two other things that are different levels of having to concentrate. Any more than three and I start to feel overwhelmed.

In non-knitting news, I'm very pleased because I ordered this purse online, and when it arrived, it was even nicer than expected!

It also came in black and a snakeskin print. I have a black purse that I already like a lot, and I'm not much for snakeskin prints, and well, who doesn't love a red purse??

Anyway that's it for today. I do have some other tales to regale you with, but I'll save them for other posts.

I hope the rest of your day goes well. See you again soon!

FO Post: Mountain Mama Socks

After posting about re-doing the sock toe on one of the socks I'd been knitting, I decided to see if I could get a decent photo of the finished pair. So here's the FO post for those socks!

Project: Mountain Mama Socks

Pattern: Plain vanilla sock pattern from my brain

Yarn: Knit Picks Felici, colorway Country Roads; cuffs and toes are Fiberstory Fave Sock, Barely colorway

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Modifications: I knit the foot longer than I usually do, because when I tried on the first sock after finishing, it felt too short.

Notes: Well, first of all, I had not really meant to buy yarn, but I saw that Felici was available at Knit Picks, and took a gander. When I saw the colorway Country Roads, I had to buy it, because a) I did like the colors, and b) how could I call myself a West Virginian if I skipped this colorway??? 

I decided to knit the cuffs and toes in the lighter shade, because it thought it would "bookend" the stripes nicely, and I'm pleased with how that worked. The colors remind me of a fall day, and made me decide to put the completed socks away until next fall. That way I'll have a nice surprise waiting for me in my sock drawer (and there's a 99 percent chance I'll have forgotten I ever knit them).

So now I think I need to remeasure my feet before I start another pair. I know your foot/shoe size can change as you get older, so that might be the case. But I'll do a measurement, rather than have to re-knit any future toes on a pair of socks. It's one thing to re-knit if the toe wore out and the rest of the sock is fine, but if it's just because you made the wrong size, that's ridiculous!

*****

I am now in the position of having only one project on the needles, and it's a long-ish term project for the fall/winter. I have a few things swirling around in my head so I need to organize my thoughts to see what I might want to start. Because I refuse to start everything I'm thinking of  and then be stressed out because I have too many things going!

I'm also starting to do a review of my stash. I usually do that twice a year, but for reasons like "I forgot," or "I don't feel like it," I haven't  done it for a little more than a year. Some stuff is easy to decide to donate - I've either changed my mind about liking it, or realized I'm never ever going to start the project I thought I'd make with it. But other things are difficult to decide, because I still like them, and *maybe* I will knit with it? This time around, I've given myself a new rule: If I won't tackle it in the next year, it's getting donated.

Of course, this makes it sound like I have an extensive stash, and I really do not. I've whittled it down over the years with my twice-a-year looky-look. But there are still things that I need to admit are just taking up space for projects that I will just never have the time/brain space/ability/patience to make. So it's time to swallow hard and donate them. In the past, I've learned that I regret it for maybe a few days, and then never think of it again, so I know I'll survive. 

And especially if someone else can enjoy and love the yarn, why shouldn't it go to them?

First FO of 2025!

Hello from very cold and little bit snowy Philadelphia! I hope if you are in the cold/snow areas, you are managing to stay warm. 

I am happy to share my first FO of 2025 with you. I can't remember if I showed you anything when I started or not, but I do remember that I posted this picture on Instagram:

Project: Twelve Days of Christmas Socks

Pattern: basic vanilla sock with some texture on the leg (see notes)

Yarn: Loch Briar Knits Un-Twisted Sister base, colorway Christmas Bark

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Notes: I bought this yarn in late 2023, when I saw it knit up on the Loch Briar Knits podcast on YouTube. And I knew I wouldn't get to knitting it then, but I purposely left it out so that I would make a pair of Christmas socks this year. 

Well, I had a lot going on and never got to it before Christmas, but on Christmas Day in the afternoon while The Tim was starting on our dinner, I sat down and cast on for a pair of socks. I decided since I was starting them on the First Day of Christmas, and it was Christmas-themed yarn, I would call them my Twelve Days of Christmas socks. I knew I wouldn't finish the pair in those twelve days - though I am proud of myself, because I finished the first sock on January 6, the twelfth day!

I just did a 2 x 2 rib for the cuffs, and then a texture pattern that I liked and had seen the Crazy Sock Lady do - two rows knit, two rows knit 2, purl 2. It makes a nice look, and is easy to remember.

I love the finished socks, though I do kinda wish I'd just knit them plain, because I love the look of the way the yarn is on the foot, which is stockinette. But I'm still happy with the pair, and have tucked them away to wear next year at Christmastime.

The yarn is really lovely to work with, and I will definitely buy some of her yarn again. Though at the moment, I'm trying to work from my stash for a while.

I have a bit more the half of the skein left, so I may make a two-tone Musselburgh for myself (no, not yet for The Tim, just don't talk about it!), because I just love the way the yarn knits up, and at some point I want to make a Musselburgh for myself anyway.

*****

We had a nice, if expensive, weekend. Our third floor sink faucet stopped working, and the drain backed up. So we had to call a plumber, and get a new faucet, etc., which of course cost a lot of money, and means that the next big project we have planned will wait a while. But a) I like the new faucet much better than the old one, and b) it is WONDERFUL to have a drain that works again!

Other than that, we put away the Christmas decorations, and The Tim took the tree to be recycled/composted. We sweated through the Eagles game yesterday, and were thrilled that they won. And otherwise just watched some shows we'd recorded and cozied up with the kit kats.

All day today, knowing that it is the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I've had his quote about not judging people on the color of their skin, but rather on the content of their character in my head. 

I wonder why that particular one is so relevant to me at this moment in time  ... 

Keep warm, and keep going. We have to be ready to save ourselves starting today.

Last Cast On of 2024

Hello and I hope for all of you celebrating a holiday season, that it has been a good one so far for you. Ours has been lovely.

I thought I'd show you my final cast-on of 2024. Late in the afternoon on Christmas Day, I cast on this sock. I'd been wanting to get a sock going for a while, but between finshing up a gift for The Tim, and then all of the other preparations, I didn't get to it. So I decided to start while I was sitting in the living room and he was in the kitchen fixing our Christmas dinner. 

I got the cuff started on Christmas, and have made some good progress, even since this photo was taken. I'm getting ready to do the heel, and deciding between a heel flap and gusset or a shadow wrap heel. I'm liking the way the yarn is knitting up. And since I started this pair of socks on the first day of Christmas, I'm calling them my 12 Days of Christmas Socks. (Not that they will be finished in 12 days ...)

Have you started any new projects? I have some ideas swirling around in my head of how/what/why I want to knit this coming year, but they are not yet completely clear, so I'm going to work on organizing a very loose plan.

Today I had a DEXA scan - my favorite medical test! You just show up, lie still on a table for a little while, and you're on your way!  You don't even have to change your clothes. 😊 I'm not so sure that I'll get great results this time, but that won't be a surprise.

As for the rest of the day, I want to put away some of my gifts, and pay some bills, so as usual, it's a life of glamour and excitement that I doubt many of you can imagine ...

Enjoy your day!

FO Post: The Hofo Sock

Hello there! Well, I survived both the prep and the colonoscopy, and I do have some pathology results to expect in the next week or so, but that is taken care of for now, and boy am I glad. I just hope the pathology report shows nothing worrisome, because I want to just be finished with the whole thing for another three years (three years! Last time I had only two, so that in itself is an improvement). But please know that I did truly appreciate your supportive and kind comments about surviving the prep. It's nice to know that people understand when someone is just plain uncomfortable.

ANYWAY.

When I was a kid, one of the jokes that at first puzzled me, and later pleased me because of wordplay, was this one:

Q: When is a door not a door?

A: When it's ajar.

And so, for this FO post, I have a similar question for you:

Q: When is a HO (half-finished object) not a HO?

A: When it's an FO.

Project: The Hofo Sock

Pattern: Plain vanilla sock pattern that I keep in my brain.

Yarn: Plymouth Worsted Encore Solids. The light blue is the Denim colorway, and the green is - you guessed it - the Kelly Green colorway!

Needles: US size 5/3.75 mm

Notes: In 2020, I knit these for The Tim. And he wore them. A lot. Until the sole of one of them wore completely through. So he handed the other one to me, and said, "Could you just knit a mate for this one? These are cozy and I like them, and I only need one more." So I said I would, set the sock aside, and immediately forgot all about it.

A couple of months ago, I was cleaning out the mess that was my knitting and crafting stuff, and came across the lone sock, waiting for its mate. So this time I placed it where I could see it, and determined that I would knit another one for The Tim's birthday. A couple of weeks ago, when I finished another long-term project, I picked it up and decided to see if I still had either/both colors of the yarn. I did! I tend to grab Encore when I can, because I think it's a nice yarn, and for certain projects and for certain people, it's a much better choice than other, fancier yarns.

And at last, the lonely sock once again has a mate:

I made certain to wash the older sock, and I even used the de-piller on it, and though you can tell that one has been worn, and one hasn't, they really look like they belong together! Of course, I had failed to write down the specifics - aka how many rows led to color changes, etc. - so I studied the older sock and I think I got pretty close. 

In any case, they are currently wrapped up ready for The Tim to open when we have his birthday celebration later today.

Oh - and "The Hofo Sock?" Well, it's a HO that was also an FO. 😉

What I Knit in October, Part 2

Well, hello, and Happy Just-One-More-Day-Of-Political-Ads to those of us in the U.S! Not having to see another one, or receive flyers in the mail will be soooo nice.

Our weekend was pretty quiet. Our trip to IKEA to look at area rugs didn't happen, because The Tim didn't feel that great. Since we don't have to have rugs right away, it's no big deal that we put off going. Sunday was nice and chilly, really feeling like a fall day - so nice!

Anyway, I thought I'd show you what else I knit during the month of October. It started with these cakes of yarn:

These were going to be socks for me from the get-go.

Project: Apple Cider Socks

Pattern: My go-to vanilla sock pattern

Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz Steel Toes, Micro-Sock Kit in the colorway Old Cider Mill

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Notes: I thought this would be a perfect pair of socks to knit during the fall - the colors, the name of the colorway, it all just screamed fall to me. I thought I'd use some of the contrast yarn for some stripes near the top, and I like the way it looks. The sock itself is a 1 x 1 ribbed cuff, with a 3 x 1 leg and plain foot. I did a Shadow Wrap Heel on this pair - I'm trying to practice it, because it's nice to have some variety when knitting socks, and I have failed spectacularly at trying Afterthought Heels. 

I knit the first sock pretty quickly, and once it was finished, decided to put these aside and work on the Halloween Socks for The Tim, since those were on a deadline. My goal for these initially were to have them ready by Thanksgiving; but once I finished the other pair, I really wanted to try and finish them by the end of October - and I finished on October 30, so I had an extra "free" day! 😊

The Micro-Sock Set contains a 50-gram main color and a contrast color. I had most of the contrast color left, but this was the amount of yarn I had left for the main color:

I was sweating out the last couple of rounds, let me tell you! Not that it really mattered that much, since the socks were for me, and I had plenty of contrast yarn to finish the foot before knitting the toe. But the closer I got, the more I was hoping it would work.

The best part of this is that it means I have no partial skein left to add to my stash. It's a nice feeling to think I used all of the yarn for once!

I personally cannot believe that I knit two pairs of socks in a month - but I was motivated, and not working on any other things, so that combination made it all work.

So what's next? Well, I'm sure there will be another pair of socks coming up, since I like to have a pair going all the time. And I'm waiting for some needles I ordered to arrive so that I can move along on another project I've started. 

But more on that later. 

Have a good week, and if you are in the U.S., please remember to vote! People have died for that right, and worked hard to obtain it. And this election is too important to skip showing up at the polls.

Happy November! And, What I Knit During October, Part 1

Hello everyone and Happy November! I hope all of you surivived Halloween. Ours was quiet - not a single trick-or-treater. I blame the current state of the world. People are afraid to let their kids go trick-or-treating, and only allow them to go to parties, or do the Trunk and Treat thing which frankly I think is gross. I miss seeing the costumes so much, that was one of my favorite things.

Oh well, just another thing that apparently isnt' going to happen again around here. A friend of mine who lives in one of the fancy 'burbs said that they only had 20 trick or treaters. Which sadly makes me feel a little better - it's not just a trend in the "big bad city." 

*****

But onward to November and the coziness of it. I will especially enjoy it when November 12-15 is over. I have a colonoscopy on the 15th, and have to do the usual (for me) three-day prep. So other than those dates, bring on November!

I have a finished object to show you - actually one of two pairs of socks I knit during October, which is insane, because I seldom can knit one pair of socks in a month, but guess what? If you concentrate on a project, it gets finished - who knew?? 😄

It all started with this ball of yarn:

Project: Tim's Halloween Socks

Pattern: Plain vanilla sock pattern, based on this pattern, which is my go-to for basic socks

Yarn: Nox Yarn Mars Sock base, colorway is Potions Master

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Notes: I've had this yarn in my stash for a long time, and every year would notice it either right before Halloween, or right after. This year, I made an effort to find it well in advance. 

My original plan was to make a pair of Halloween socks for myself. I was even going to use a pattern. So I got it going, and decided that with the way the yarn was dyed, the pattern would be completely lost. Since the pattern I was trying out used the number of stitches I generally use to make socks for The Tim, I decided to just knit a plain sock and give it to him for our anniversary, which is a few days before Halloween.

It's a 1 x 1 ribbed cuff, and then a 3 x 1 ribbed leg, with a plain foot. Shortly after starting these, I finished another project I was working on; I'd also completed one sock of a pair I was knitting for myself. So I decided to concentrate on these, since I had a deadline at the end of the month.

I finished them a week ago today, and I'm really happy how they turned out. And it's a shame that Nox Yarn is no longer dyeing, because this was lovely yarn to knit with, and makes a great pair of socks. 

They were gifted for our anniversary on Monday, and even though The Tim has been sitting *right next to me* for a lot of the time I was knitting them, he was completely surprised. Which works for everyone, right?

*****

Do you have any special plans for the weekend? We're headed to IKEA at some point to look for a couple of area rugs for our living room. We had our living room rug picked up for deep cleaning and storage last week (long story, I'm sure I'll tell it sometime), and would like to find a couple of smaller rugs for the living room until the big one is in use again. Other than that, I'm sure there will be a LOT of napping (The Tim), a lot of hilarity (the kitties), and a lot of knitting and reading (me). It's supposed to be cooler (thank the Lord!) this weekend, so it will be nice to just cozy in and stay in the house.

I hope your weekend goes well.  Rest up, because next week should be a long one, at least here in the U.S., with Tuesday being election day. I sincerely hope that you will cast/have cast your vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Because any other choice is unacceptable if you want to continue living in a country that you're not completely and totally ashamed of, with a vile creature deciding our futures ... or lack thereof.

And I believe that sincerely.

Take care.

Let's Have a Little Catch Up

Hello from sunny and cool Philadelphia, where everyone is disappointed in our Phillies, because they not only didn't win their division series in baseball, but they sucked the whole way! Sigh. And for most of the year, they had the best record in baseball. (Cue the popular saying, "We'll get them next year.")

Anyway, I thought I'd do a little catch up on how things are going with the yarns and projects discussed in this post a little while ago.

I started first with this yarn:

Dutifully knitted a swatch, and even after blocking, it was spot-on for gauge - YAY!

So I started working on the project and ... my gauge was way off. I suspected that it was partly because I had missed a few rows in the pattern, counting-wise, so I started over and ... nope.

So this will need for me to learn and apply some math to determine what I can do to make it fit. I am so terrible at that stuff - I can't keep straight when to use bigger or smaller needles, when to knit another size, etc. So I am going to have to devote a day to not just figuring it all out, but writing it down for myself so I can start again and hopefully get it right this time. 

So for now, that project is set aside.

Next, this sock yarn set:

This is a happier story, in that I started on a pair of socks for myself:

And at this point, one sock is finished and I think it looks great! But the second sock will have to wait a few weeks, because I wanted to start using the next yarn for a pair of Halloween socks:

I started using a pattern that I liked, which was written for more stitches than I usually cast on. But after finishing the cuff, I decided that instead of making them for me, that I would make them for The Tim for an anniversary gift. Because I liked the way the colors knit up just in plain ribbing.

And I was already knitting the number of stitches I generally do for a pair of socks for him. Now I just need to see if I can get a pair knit before October 28.  I think it's doable, if I spend most of my time working on them.

The other two projects that I had wound the yarn for were delayed when  realized I didn't have the proper size needles.  I have them now, and will knit a swatch later for the sweater I am planning for the cream and green yarns. 

The shawl I was hoping to knit with he other yarns now has the needle size it wants, so I can start on it whenever I like. But at the moment, the Halloween socks and the sweater I want to knit will take precedence. I'd like to feel like both of them were not just well underway, but able to meet the deadline before I start the shawl or return to my other projects. It's doable, I know - I just have to pay attention! (Easier said than done.)

In other news, a friend I have made through knitting is not just a knitter, she is one of those people who also weaves, spins, and does about ten other things.  Last week she posted a photo on Instagram showing some Halloween-themed pins she had made. I commented how much I loved them, particularly ones she had made featuring black cats. So imagine my happy surprise when I opened the mail yesterday.

Adorable, right?? It was such a nice thing for her to do, and a wonderful and unexpected gift.  I showed it to the kitties, who were - as is mostly always the case - unimpressed.

So now you up-to-date on things in my knitting life. What are you up to these days? Let me know in the comments!

Friday FOs - Twofer Edition

Hello on the last Friday of September, which is sounding like it will be a rainy one here in Philadelphia. But fortunately, it's just rain, not like the terrible hurricane/tropical storm that those south of us are facing.

I have two FOs for you, and I'm combining them into one post for a few reasons. Firstly, they took way too long to finish. Not because they were hard, but because there were weeks when I didn't knit a single stitch, so they just kept sitting there waiting for me. Second, I decided I wanted to finish them before the first day of fall, and that was able to happen. Finally, I decided I wanted to do the FO post for them before the end of September. I know I could have saved one for Monday, which is the last day of September, but I decided to show you both in one post instead.

First up, a pair of socks.

Project: Scrappy Shortie Socks

Pattern: Vanilla sock pattern, just shorter in the leg

Yarns: KnitCircus Spectacular Sock, in The Orange & The Green Speckle colorway (the variegated yarn); and, Yarn Addict Co. Free Range Fingering in OOAK (the green yarn)

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Notes: I originally started these because I thought it would be nice to have shortie socks for the warmer weather. And it will, but it didn't work out for this year. But I've been wanting to get rid of some of my scraps - I was able to use every little bit of the variegated yarn, which made me very happy. I have about 50 grams left of the green, which I know I'll use for things, so no worries there. If I was a conscientious knitter, I would have weighed my yarn and tried to use equal amounts in each sock. But I am not, and did not, so one sock has more green than the other one. Since they are my socks, and the foot part will be inside of shoes anyway, I really don't care.

I did decide to put a little cable motif on the cuff of each sock, just for something different. 

So into the sock drawer they go!

Next, a hat.

Project: Two Color Ribbed Hat

Pattern: Classic Ribbed Hat, by Purl Soho

Needles: US size 3/3.25 mm

Yarns: Purl Soho Cashmere Merino Bloom in colorways True Turquoise and Red Mulberry

Notes: Months ago (a lot of months ago), Purl Soho was doing a hat-along, and offered this yarn at a discount. At the time, I truly thought I would participate, so I ordered the yarns, and then of course didn't participate. But I had wound it a while back, and every time I would grab something from my knitting supplies, I would see the balls of yarn. So near the end of July, I decided I would start the project and then have it for when the weather was cold.

The pattern is very straightforward, and I did wonder why I had decided to knit a 1 x 1 rib project again, but to be honest, since it was just a hat, it didn't bother me as much as with an article of clothing. The pattern is written for a wide range of sizes, and gives instructions for stripes, colorblocking, and of course just a solid color hat. 

If I had not had my non-knitting hiatus, this would have flown off the needles, but such is life. The yarn is lovely - I mean, it does contain cashmere! - and the resulting hat is just luscious. One of the best things: I have enough of each color if I want to make another in reverse colorblocking for myself, The Tim, or someone else!

Of course, you can use any DK weight yarn you may have, but I would say to keep an eye on Purl Soho's sales, because this yarn does make a really nice hat. It would be an especially nice gift for you, a family member, a dear friend, or anyone who is especially knitworthy.

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So there you go. The last "summer" projects that I had, now officially done and dusted. I have already started two of the projects with the yarns I showed you in the post where I did a lot of winding all at once, so my fall projects are underway - I just hope my knitting mojo hangs around, since I would really love to get them finished.

Nothing else much to report. After I post this, I'm going to scrub the bathrooms, so it's done and out of the way. I'm meeting a friend for lunch today, which should be a nice way to end the week. It hasn't been an awful week, but it's been one of those weeks where I've just felt off the whole time, so I'm glad it will be ending on a good note.

Enjoy your weekend, and I hope wherever you are, you can stay safe if you are faced with bad weather.