Just A Bit Big

My first Sport Ankle sock is done. Which is great news, the bad news is that it is just a bit big. It fits but the foot is a little loose and a little long.

The heel does not position accurately because of the foot length. But the cuff is good. The even better news is that sock #2 is almost done as well. So these are not in a good spot to rip out and redo.

I’m going to ignore the voice in my head and finish the pair. They will then get a good wash and dry. At that point I will try them on and do sock surgery if I decided I can’t live with them. Such is the life of a knitter who doesn’t swatch or measure on the go!

Happy Knitting!!

Almost Another Advent Pair

The 2023 Advent Leftover Socks are ALMOST done. Heel #1 is in and I’m starting on heel #2.

I just love how neat and tidy socks look on a sock blocker. The fit on the first sock is pretty good. I have been doing my own “recipe” for an afterthought heel for awhile where I add a number of extra plain rows in between my decreases to add depth to the heel. Works pretty well for my foot shape.

I also try to knit at a pretty tight gauge to improve longevity and wear on the fabric. Does take a toll on my hands after a bit. Happy Knitting!!!

Steel Heels

It took a hot minute but I finally I decided on and found a heel color for my 2023 Leftover Advent socks. During my 2019 trip to Oregon, I have a stash of Knitted Wit smarties and it was perfect.

This photo of the actual socks is older from my camera roll but the only one with the mini skein in it. I think the dark neutral will work nicely as the heel color. It’s not a color that exists anywhere in the skein.

The tubes are done and ready for the afterthought heels to be inserted. Should only be a couple more hours and I will have finished socks!

Yarn On The Slopes

We took the kiddos for a little fun and the first time skiing. I had to tuck some knitting into my ski bag. So my ankle socks got a little mountain time! This is the toe of the second sock as I finished the first one last week. The weather was warm enough to knit without gloves for the most part. But alas, keeping track of two kids on the family slope didn’t give me much free time.

And sometimes, I got lost in the views. It really was a nice trip and a break from work stress. Though, at almost 40….I am not as in shape as I need to be for downhill skiing, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Tubes On The Go

My leftover socks got some windshield time during a recent spring break vacation. We took the kiddos skiing for the first time and they had fun and I discovered I am SUPER out of shape for skiing.

These will definitely be shorties. I have 4-5 stripes left before I run out of yarn. After some quick math, I will do one more round of plain stockinette and then finish the rest of the yarn in ribbing. I do like working these in tandem so that I avoid second sock syndrome!

I still haven’t done any stash diving to find heel yarn. The plan is to cut in afterthought heels with a contrast. The original advent socks used white but I will see what I have in stash that is comparable to this base.

Happy Knitting!!

Coffee And A Wee Toe

It’s a Friday morning after a long week. I needed to recenter so I set out my Ankle socks and my favorite coffee.

I did end up deciding to go up to 64 stitches on these US 2 needles because 60 just looked too small of a circumference. As is my normal operating procedure, these will be toe up vanilla socks….just ankle length this time.

I have also started adding unflavored collagen powder to my coffee for a little protein and hair/nail boost to my morning. I realized that I don’t always get enough protein so I am going to work on some ways to beef up that part of my diet. Did you know that Sams Club makes the most BOMBTASTIC grilled chicken? I could eat that at any time of the day, hot or cold.

Happy Knitting!!

A Good Morning

I’ve had this skein of KnitCircus Opulance in a prototype colorway that will make super cozy and soft socks thanks to the 10% cashmere content. It’s honestly been wound up into two equal balls for weeks but I didn’t have the gumption to start the socks.

But I had the opportunity to get this started on the perfect morning. Early morning appointment for one of the kiddos, no work and a hot coffee. I unpacked my purse on a clean table and had a glorious 30 minutes to myself.

I am casting on 60 stitches and following the same “recipe” as my Emotional Support Socks. I just don’t plan to make them as tall. Maybe ankle height? I need more of those in my rotation for ankle boot days.

Happy Knitting!!

Tubes For Jellybean

Jellybean really hit my heartstrings this winter by asking to wear my handknit socks. Like full commitment….to school and everything. Even to the point I had to pull them off his feet to wash them. Now, he’s a kid so I don’t trust him with just any pair but I found a few that he could keep as his own and he was delighted.

Admittedly, my socks aren’t perfect for him. But his feet are still growing so it’s hard to invest too hard in his current size. I settled on finding some already cranked sock snakes on Etsy. These are 64 stitch tubes in hardwearing sock yarn. They are Jellybean approved colors and I just need to find contrast yarn for heels/toes/cuffs. This way we get to finished socks for him without hours and hours of knitting by me. Win win.

They are really long tubes so I should be able to get a few pair out of each tube. I tried to get Jellybean to tell me if he liked long/tall socks and how he wanted the finished pair to feel. He didn’t 100% understand what I was asking, so I will try again another day, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Gotta Catch Up

My advent leftover socks got a little lopsided this past week. I got so caught up in the conversation I was having that the one on the right got much farther.

I think the red one is stripe 14 so that sock is halfway and the other is just shy. I still really enjoy this yarn and this knitting project lives in my work bag for meetings and doctor’s appointments.

I am making these over 68 stitches instead of 72 like my December advent socks. My other socks fit but have neutral ease instead of negative ease. I don’t feel time pressure with this project so I just let it ebb and flow.

Happy Knitting!!

Book Time Machine

Part of my 2024 plan for wellness is more reading. I joined a book club last year and picked up some new books at the library sale as well. I am trying to incorporate fun and professional reading as a part of my self care.

And I thought it prudent to clear some of the books off my night stand before starting new book. First up is #IMOMSOHARD. I think I started this book in 2022? And I only had a few chapters to go. So Duke and I turned off the TV and wrapped this one up this week.

And we found treasure. I found a printed knit hat pattern that I never made, a tooth fairy note about Jellybean and a crumply post it. Apparently I store things in books?

Happy Reading!