So many socks and sweaters

My little ornaments are getting popular! Several people on Ravelry have posted projects. Wild Tomato made a bunch and had the funniest blog post about them. And yesterday I made it onto Lime and Violet's Daily Chum!

I've been making so many, and they'll soon start leaving, so last week I took some time and made a Flickr gallery. With the exception of two stripey socks, all of these are plain stockinette with no fancy techniques. Imagine what you could do with a little color work or cables. I'll have to try it next year.

I am hard at work on the socks for Dave's mom. I took pictures on Thursday and I was this far along:


By the time I went to bed Friday I'd gotten over half of the second foot done, but I wasn't able to work on them at all over the weekend. I need to get these done tonight so I can mail them off tomorrow, and I think it's perfectly doable.

I love the way the star toe looks, but I don't know if it'll be as comfortable because the purls make a ridge on the inside. Anybody have any experience wearing these socks?

The state of my Christmas

Christmas is coming. Are you ready? I... might be.

I've got my tree up now, and I seem to have just the right number of tiny socks and sweaters for the two sides that face the room. I'd like to cover the rest of the tree if I can, but I'm happy with the state of things so far.


Many thanks to my mom and Noricum for donating sock yarn scraps. I think I am set. Noricum sent me yarn all the way from Canada! In return, I'll be sending some her way that she can use in her beautiful sock yarn blanket. There are quite a few balls of varying sizes, but the smallest one was also my favorite. And just enough for a sock.


Any idea what this one is? It's so pretty!

Last year I wrapped garland around the balcony rail, but it didn't seem worth the effort this year. On December 26 Dave and I are moving into a new apartment together. I have gotten to the point in my academic career where I do not need to be on campus more than once a week, so I'm moving to his town an hour and a half away. It's been two and a half years since we lived in the same town, and I am really looking forward to seeing him every day.

But anyway, it didn't seem like I should put forth all the effort to put garland up outside, but I didn't want to just keep it in the box, so I got out one piece and draped it over my bookshelf. Festive, no?


I've helpfully labeled each section over on the flickr page, if you want any insight into my library.

As for gifts? I have two completed pairs of socks to give away. But the gifts I most wanted to finish are giving me fits.

I was going to make Dave an afghan. Over Thanksgiving he decided he wanted color work, so we picked out a second color and... it is backordered. Until December 21. Gonna have to think of something else.

I've been working on Tom's Comet Gauntlets on and off. Over Thanksgiving I got the hand done and knit the first finger, then stopped so Tom would have something to try on. The danged thing is way, way too small in the wrist. Still. Even after I frogged like halfway down the arm and reknit it, leaving out the final six decreases. This thing is going to need major surgery, and I am Not In The Mood. Any ideas what to get a seventeen year old boy who really would've liked a pair of knit gloves for Christmas?


With the failure of these two projects, I decided to go ahead and make a pair of socks for Dave's mom. This project had been on the back burner because I really wanted to do the other two, but since I was not destined to make either of those boys anything I decided to turn my attentions to something I already knew how to do and already had the yarn for. And I'd use a real pattern instead of writing one, because I have had enough of designing for a little while.


These are the Embossed Leaves socks from Favorite Socks, and I love them so. The pattern is relatively easy and the yarn is soft and lovely. I am so much happier knitting these than I was struggling with the gauntlets. The gauntlets will happen, for Tom's August birthday at the latest, but for now I am content to relax and let somebody else do the thinking for me.