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?

Wednesday FO Post: Greg's Requested Socks

Hello there! I'm just going along as usual around here, so believe me, you're not missing anything too thrilling happening. But on the plus side, I do have an FO post for you today.

When I put out the call over the summer to family members asking if anyone would like knit socks, Greg responded really quickly! He asked for socks in the team colors of the Baltimore Orioles, and in the weight like another pair I'd knit for him (worsted weight). Greg is married to my niece La Liz, and is one of the most knitworthy people on the planet.

Project: Greg's Requested Socks

Pattern: Plain Vanilla Sock pattern that I usually use

Yarn: Berroco Vintage, in the colorways Orange and Cast Iron

Needles: US size 5/3.75 mm

Notes:  When I started this pair, I wanted to try something different somehow. I started with corrugated ribbing, but it just didn't look good to me. So I did a couple of knit rows in black, then did a few rows in "colorwork," alternating the colors. Then I did some rows of ribbing in black for the rest of the cuff. I thought that looked a whole lot better.

I didn't get them to him before the end of baseball season, but he said he didn't care, he was wearing them anyway! He actually sent me a photo of him wearing the socks, and the Musselburgh Hat I knit for him a few years ago! Apparently, they fit just fine, and he sounded really pleased, all the way around.

I told him he is always more than welcome to request anything, anytime. When someone gives you such happy feedback, it's not a slog to knit for them, if you ask me.

*****

Right now, I'm at the end of the body of a cardigan I've been knitting. Actually, I'm knitting the bottom ribbing again, because I ripped it out yesterday. I had bound off, using the Tubular Bind Off as suggested in the pattern. But it just looked incredibly crappy to me. So I decided to take it out and either do something else or try again and hope my results were better (I've had much better luck with that bind off before). Well, between it being a sewn bind off and the yarn being really stick-to-itself, I ended up taking out all but the first row of hem ribbing. No big deal really, it won't take me long to re-do it. As a matter of fact, I'm halfway there already!

But I also want to make something for myself that is kind of holiday-ish. I have a couple of things in mind, but first I need to find the yarn in my stash, and then wind it before I can start. So I'll likely do that over the next couple of days.

This morning I put all of the ingredients for chili into the crock pot, so I am pleased to say that dinner is sorted for today. That's always a nice feeling.

So now you're caught up. I hope this week is being kind to you, and that you are working on something that makes you happy. See you next time!

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!

Friday FO Post: Waffles Puppy

Hi there! It's still too hot here, and humid, and icky, but on the plus side, my incision on my back from my surgery is not as bothersome as it has been, so that's good! I hope you're doing OK wherever you are, since it seems like everyone everywhere is having some kind of extreme weather.

I wanted to show you my completed Waffles Puppy! I know I've been taking you along on my knitting trip with this project, but to review, first you knit and stuff his head:

And it was fairly simple and straightforward, but I gotta tell you, adding the safety eyes and the nose were one of the hardest parts of this whole project! Making sure to get them snapped so that they would not be able to be pulled out took me about half an hour! I kept thinking I'd have to wait until The Tim got home from work and ask him to help me. Fortunately, I managed to finally make it work on my own.

Next, you added the ears:

Again, the pattern is extremely well-written and understandable. but the hard part here was not just picking up the stitches to create the ears, but the first few rounds of knitting. It's hard to knit when the stitches you've picked up are not kind of free-standing, so to speak. This was the most difficult thing every time it was needed in the pattern.

The body was next, and because it was a larger piece, not too fiddly.

And then, of course, he needed his feet!

And finally, his arms and little tail:

GAH! He's so stinkin' cute!

Here are the details for anyone interested who may wish to make a puppy of their own.

Project: As yet unnamed puppy stuffie

Pattern: Waffles Puppy, by Susan B. Anderson

Yarn: Home Bulky Twist Marled Yarn, in the colorway Folkstone Twist, from Barrett Wool Co. 

Needles: US size 8/5.0 mm and US size 10/6.0

Modifications: Are you kidding me???

Notes: I bought this in a kit years ago from Barrett Wool Co. It's still listed as a product in their "Kits" section, but says it is currently out of stock. Anyway, I put it away and when I was doing a stash review earlier this summer, decided that I would knit it as a good summer project. The yarn was already wound (so clearly at some point I thought I'd start and then did not), so all I needed to do was collect the needles and get going. 

This is the first time I've ever knit or even attempted to knit a stuffie. I think it was a good idea that I started with this project, because it only has a few pieces, and it is larger, so although parts were fiddly, it was not working the entire time on a very small, fiddly project, which I'm not sure would have been that agreeable to me. 

Anyway, for the most part, I worked on one section per week - which really amounted to working on it for a few hours one day a week. At the time, I was working also on my late Relax Tee, and that was getting most of my knitting time. It wouldn't have taken long at all to complete it if I'd worked on it as my primary project, but it's not like I had a deadline or anything.

The pattern was very very well-written, with good photographs to help with needle placement, etc. The yarn was lovely, rustic looking, but very nice and pleasant in your hands. And it seems like it is also sturdy, so if say a kiddo had this toy, it would be quite durable. 

As I said, the hardest parts for me were the safety eyes and nose, and knitting in the round for the ears, etc. for the first few rounds after you'd picked up stitches. 

Now, as you may have noticed if you looked at the Ravelry link or the Barrett Wool. Co link, the puppy is wearing a hat and a sweater. My puppy currently has neither, and likely will not have them for a while. I will probably knit his hat when the weather gets cool, and decided that it's more likely I will turn the sweater into a vest if I do decide to knit that for him. But right now, I'm not interested in him having accessories, and it's too  hot for him to wear them anyway! So for now, he can bask in some puppy nakedness! 😊

This was such a fun project, but I have to say I'm glad I made it now, and not when I first got the kit. I'm a much more confident knitter than I used to be, so I knew I could do it and even if it wasn't perfect, it would be close enough. If I had started this when I first bought the kit, I have a feeling that when I first started with the ears, I may have given up. I would have been sure that the stiches shouldn't be so hard to maneuver once they were picked up. But now I understood why that was the case, and knew it would get easier to do one a few rows were underway. 

I finished knitting him this past Monday, and am still contemplating his name. I decided he is a "he" because all the dogs I've had in my life were male, so that makes sense to me. I have a few thoughts, but I need to live with them for a while and see which one he seems most like. 

If you are in the mood for something different but fun, I would find some yarn - you could probably use just about any weight - and knit yourself a Waffles Puppy. It's so much fun to see him coming into existence, and at least for me, it was a different enough project to keep my interest, but not so involved that working on any part of it was a slog.

And then at the end, you have a puppy! What could be better??

*****

No specific plans for the weekend. I think I mentioned when I posted last week that we were going out to dinner on Friday to a Mexican place in our neighborhood (or maybe I didn't ... I'm too lazy to check). Anyway, it was really enjoyaable and delicious. We even had margaritas, and boy were they good! One thing we especially enjoyed was a salad we'd shared - we asked our server what kind of dressing it was, and he checked for us and said it was a coriander vinaigrette. So now I'm on the search for a recipe.

This weekend, really the only thing I'd like to do is go to the Lowe's near us. I want to see if they have any garden pots, etc. on end-of-summer clearance. I have some ideas for next spring/summer, and if I already have the pots or planters, I'm more likely to make it happen.

And that's all the excitement around here. I hope you have a good weekend, and if you are in the throes of any extreme weather, that you can stay safe. 

See you next week!

Friday FO Post: Yule See It Every Year

Hello and Happy Friday! I wanted to share a major FO with you, as I get ready to pack it away until cooler weather comes.

You may remember seeing this starting point:

And then when I finished the colorwork yoke, and was proud of myself, I had to show all of you!

Once I got to the point where I had a little bit of the body done after separating for the sleeves, I decided to knit the sleeves next. 

And then, it was an FO:

Project: Yule See It Every Year

Pattern: Yule Do, by Isabell Kraemer

Yarn: Kelbourne Woolens Scout in the colorway Natural; Life In the Long Grass DK Twist in the colorway Wolf Green

Needles: US 2.5/3 mm; US3/3.25 mm

Modifications: I ended up making the sleeves slightly longer than the pattern called for, and added three rows of the green on the bottom of the cuffs, just because I thought the sweater needed a little bit more green.

Notes: I had seen this pattern when it first came out, and had wanted to give it a try, because I do love me a Christmas sweater. But I'd never done a colorwork yoke before, so I kept saying that I needed to wait. Then at the beginning of 2024, I told myself that my goal for the year was to try knitting a sweater with a colorwork yoke. 

Then, as you may remember, we took a weekend trip to NYC in March for my birthday. We visited a little shop in Greenwich Village - West Village Knit & Needle - and I saw the green yarn. Well, it was St. Patrick's Day, and Life In the Long Grass yarn is from Ireland ... and I realized that I could use it for the colorwork yoke in this pattern, so that would be my plan!

I originally started at the end of October with this pattern, but was having trouble with the it (user error, the pattern is actually very clear). So I ripped out and started again early in November. I finished the yoke and realized there was no way in the universe this sucker would be finished by Christmastime. So I put it away for a while. News flash: when you don't work on a project, nothing happens! 🙄

I picked it up again around the end of February, and decided to try and finish by St. Patrick's Day. Knitted on it a bit, and then put it down again. (See News flash above. Sigh.) But then I picked it back up again after about 10 days and decided that my new - and hopefully final - goal would be the end of March.

I finished all of the knitting on March 31! And I was really proud of myself! Then I tried it on, and ... the sleeves were too short. Not ridiculously too short, but short enough that I was worried it would just bother me. So I ripped out the cuffs to the end of the main color, and then knit them longer, still adding the three rows of green at the end. Then I tried it on again, and the sleeves were just right. So that part was finished by April 2. 

I wove in the ends and blocked it, and then it sat folded on my dresser until I could get The Tim to take a photo of me wearing it. Then we got stupidly hot days, all in a row. The thought of even putting it on for ten minutes made me feel sweaty. So the other day, when I was putting away my heavy winter things, I just added it to that. If you want a "modeled" photo, you'll just have to wait until fall/winter to see it.

I loved making this, and love the finished sweater. The Kelbourne Woolens Scout is such wonderful yarn, and I absolutely love the Life In the Long Grass yarn. If I could afford to knit with them every time, I would!

I will likely wear this sweater for the first time next year at Christmastime, just because that was the original intention. But I'll also wear it after that too, since though I'm calling it a Christmas sweater, it's not so in-your-face-holiday that wearing it in say, February, would be weird.

And here are my "technicalities" - 1. Technically, I did fulfill my goal of doing a colorwork yoke sweater - and the yoke was finished during 2024; and, 2. Technically, it was finished by the end of March ... there was just a little bit of tweaking that had to be done after that.

In any case, now I have a new sweater to wear later this year, and it will be one I knit myself! I'm ridiculously proud of myself, and though I will definitely try a colorwork pattern again, it probably won't happen right away. 😃

***

This weekend is of course Mother's Day here in the U.S.  And I've already been told "Happy Mother's Day" about ten times this week, which annually irritates the living heck out of me, because why does being a female automatically mean you are a mother? The Tim says that leading up to and on Father's Day *no one* has ever wished him a "Happy Father's Day." 

I could go on, but won't.

Anyway, if you are someone's mother/grandmother/stepmother/mother figure, I do sincerely wish you a Happy Mother's Day, and I hope you get to enjoy the day and not have to do everything for everyone just because. 

If, like me, you are not a mother and your own mother is no longer with us, I hope you have a lovely, enjoyable weekend, and can spend it doing things you enjoy. 

Happy Weekend to all, no matter who, what, or where you are!

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?

FO Post: Burgundy and Blue

Here's a project I finished not that long ago, but am just now getting around to posting about. 

Two things I hoped to do during 2025 were: 1) knit from my stash, especially using amounts that were relatively small, but still worth keeping, and 2) knit more things for charity. This project is part of both of those!

Project: Burgundy and Blue 

Pattern: A mishmash of several things

Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted in the Burgundy colorway (#999), and Baby Blue (I don't have the band, so don't know the colorway number)

Needles: US 8/5.0 mm

Notes: I had small amounts of these two yarns left (31 grams of the burgundy, and 44 grams of the blue), and thought it would be enough for a hat, as long as I inserted some color changes throughout. So I took a look at a couple of different worsted weight hat patterns I had, to see what needle size worked best, and how many stitches to cast on, etc. And then I just got started and hoped for the best!

I love the way to crown decreases worked up!

And here's the yarn I had left - 7 grams of the Burgundy and 3 grams of the blue! Not bad, I was happy that I had enough for the hat, and that how I decided to start worked out in the end.

While I had the hat on a medicine ball blocking a bit, The Tim said, "What a great-looking hat! That should look nice on you." I told him that I had actually made it for charity, and he said, "Well you should save that pattern, because I really like the design." Which was nice to hear ... except, well - I didn't write anything down, so although I have a decent idea of what I did, I don't have any specific instructions for myself or even for anyone else to duplicate it. 

I mean, I'll likely be able to figure it out if I try, but right now, it's just floating around in the universe somewhere, perhaps never to be found again ... 😀

But the best things are: 

1. It's finished and looks nice.

2. It will keep someone warm and cozy.

3. I used up most of two scraps that were leftover.

4. The yarn was from my stash.

Any of those would please me, but all of them together make me feel pretty good. 

Small victories, people. Small victories.

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.