Three Birds One Sock

You’ll never believe this.

Well, maybe you will.

Still not done those socks yet.  And do you know why?  I ran out of yarn.  AAARRGH!!

Sometimes, I really wish I was one of those anal people that counted every yard spun and kept a notebook of all the details of my spins.  You know..what wheel I spun it on…Whether it was worsted or woolen spun…What day I spun it on and corresponding temperature .  I’m just not.  Sigh.  I know there’s a lot of value to that.  But when I start spinning or knitting, it’s purely for enjoyment.  At least it is for now.  So, I just don’t want to have to worry about any of that.  Which is why I find myself in my current situation:  Not done.  So why do I have a huge ball of yarn sitting there?  Well, I had to unravel the sock and start over with an eye towards making these afterthought heel socks a heck of a lot smaller.  After all, it’s still a challenge.  So what if it was a November challenge and it’s almost Christmas?! Yikes. 

I really should have known.  With a little forethought, I could have remembered that this spin was not really evenly spun and it was a cable yarn using basically around the same amount of ounces I use to spin a standard 2-ply yarn.  The yardage was bound to be cut down significantly.  That really wouldn’t have taken a notebook.  Just some good, old common sense.  Duh, Stace.

The problem is I’m still waaaayyyy behind on my Christmas knitting.  I really don’t want to have to table another project just to get through Christmas (done that already)…So, I’m extending this project to do a few things.  Not only is it going to finally finish off that challenge, but it’s also going to be a Christmas gift for the Girl Child.  And since her daddy wants her to have a new pair of Uggs for Christmas, it will be a nice accessory to show off when she takes those boots out for a spin.  Let’s hope there are no more hiccups on these between now and then, lol.

To date, I have only completed one (as in, 1) Christmas gift so far and that’s a scarf that I kind of like for myself. I know, I know…

It’s really not my fault.  Ever since Weekend Knitting, I’ve loved that super long, very simple, yet very dramatic uptown scarf.

See what I mean?  It’s so simple, but lovely in every way.  Love that Melanie Falick!

This scarf was made with a bulkier yarn, but kind of comes close in simplicity and I was just thinking…who else in my family would appreciate that besides me?  ;)  Plus, it’s so soft.  I want it (whine).

Instead of gifting that I was thinking, I could attempt to fit one more pair of socks as a gift in after Girl Child’s socks from this book.

Knitted Socks East and West is by Judy Sumner and though I haven’t knit anything from it yet, I definitely will.  The photos are gorgeous!

I’ve seen a lot of sock books-and I own quite a few as well, so a sock book has to have some kind of hook for me to want to get another one.  This one actually works out because it has a pretty nice idea behind it…All of the socks are based on Japanese stitch patterns and culture.  That’s pretty different! Plus, the book is kindle-ized! So, I’m in heaven.  We’ll see if I get to try one before the holiday is over.

Speaking of Japanese culture…I decided to put my etsy gifts into rotation for this Christmas.  Maybe that will help me gain a little ground on my Christmas knitting?  Who am I kidding?  Anything would be an improvement on my GTD rate at the moment, lol.  One thing I love to do (and you may already know), is wrap my gifts in furoshiki cloths.

It’s an ancient Japanese tradition and a lot greener than buying papers that get torn off and thrown away. They’re a beautiful solution and can be embellished any way you like.  If you have the time to try it out this year (here’s a tutorial; here’s an app), make a wrap or two and see how you like it! I know the recipient will LOVE it! My recipients always do. :)