Hats for the holidays

Pat and I both know we've been lucky, especially when we compare our lives to the whole rest of the world. That's not to say everything has always been perfect, and we've had our share of stresses and sadness, but we've never had to live on the street, and we've never had to raise our kids in a war zone. And the list goes on. That's one reason we both like to knit for people who have less. . . so when we found the web site for Hats for the Homeless, we both cast on immediately for hats.

I took a bag of yarn I'd stumbled across -- bought I'm not sure when, probably for mittens, and made these:

Fast, easy, and very very warm.

Pat found some leftovers at her house and made these:

(Please note, I used a highly paid model!)

They went to New York in yesterday's mail. We like to think they'll make a few people's lives just a little easier.

Sure don't feel like love

Pat and I have been starching our upper lips every morning and trying valiantly to soldier on. . . the fact is, the sock love has gone AWOL. So in a chat this morning we agreed that the year of socks came close enough, and we have freed ourselves to work guilt-free on whatever knitting speaks to us until at least the end of December.

Ahhh, that feels better. . .

You will still see great and wonderful things!! But they may not be foot-shaped. Off to knit without that nagging little voice in the back of my head. (I am wearing, by the way, the green January socks -- and yes, they still seem to radiate green light.)

simplify, simplify, simplify

The category for November is "holiday" socks. So far, I've got to the point where you print out the sheet of graph paper you need to chart the design. . .

I just read the Process Pledge on a quilting blog, and it seemed to apply to us too. So, here's the very beginning of the process, represented by the yarn I plan to use (click to make it bigger to see the sparkles):

Yes, it is green and sparkly (Black Bunny Fibers, Stella, colorway UFO). But -- it is not the green and sparkly yarn I meant to use. That is in a Safe Place, from which it will emerge when it's just a little too late for this pair of socks. (Yes, I can see the future.)

I want these to be festive, but I did not want them to be socks that can be worn only at Christmas time. So I've eliminated all plans to add red, and probably even gold, and have to rely on this yarn alone for the design. I'm trying to chart something out -- my original idea was way too complicated, because I would have had to follow a graph for every single stitch. In that case, I would have finished one leg of one sock and then put the whole thing away for some imaginary time in the future. I'm hoping to do better than that with this pair. So I'll be off to print out another sheet of graph paper (I just made an awful mess of this one) and try to formulate a more rational design.

without further ado -- the end of September

I know, I know -- what can I say? Sometimes I have trouble letting go. . .

Socks That Rock, medium weight, 24-Karat

Only I would make lacy boot socks. But I do think they came out well. I'll be using this stitch pattern again (right after Christmas, not before) on thinner yarn, where I think it will show to better advantage.

Christmas socks

No, I'm not making these socks, but one of you might like to. Check out this one (of many) of the free patterns over at Drops. They're on my Definitely Someday list.

when September goes

I, too, managed to finish my "September" socks before Halloween. Camera is downstairs and I am not, so picture will come tomorrow.

Meanwhile, we seem to be well into November. Perhaps I should use tonight's extra hour to cast on my November socks. The category is "holiday." That can be any holiday, of course, but for me it's Christmas, and I have a great idea. Can't find (oops) the yarn I originally intended to use, but I have a close second. Just have to work out the design. . . watch this space. And send extra hours!

September Socks

 I finally got around to photographing my September Socks...took me long enough!  The yarn is Blue Moon's Socks that Rock, knit on size 2 needles using the Dublin Bay Sock pattern (only I knit it from the toe-up).  What I know now is that I'm not very good at lace patterns, I have several errors in these socks, but nothing that will effect the wearing of them.