Sleeping socks for saying goodbye

At last, a completed pair of these socks--one of the sleeping socks patterns from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage socks. I actually started these last summer and got just a few inches into them before putting them down for some reason. I found this UFO (one of too many, alas) when I was "cleaning up" my yarn room (my husband says I should put a sign out on the street and try to sell some). The yarn is just gorgeous--a Cherry Tree Hill "potluck" that I got from Simply Sock Yarn oh so many months ago. I love the way they turned out and sent them off to school with our oldest daughter--she's going where it's cold (a great knitting gift opportunity). Our youngest is back at school too, and now we hope things will calm down, at least a little bit! I also started a pair of socks with this cool new Crystal Palace "Maizy" yarn made from corn. I'm adapting the pattern and will post more on that one soon. Happy knitting, all.

Sock Pal Socks Arrived!

We are home from vacation--the pink "baby thujas" are the only finished knitting I have to show for it, but I hope to have a shawl to post soon (more on that then). The big news is that my Sockapalooza IV socks were waiting for me when I got home--they are so beautiful, and it was so exciting to put a hand-knit pair of socks on my feet that I didn't knit--and they fit! I drew a real expert as my sock pal, and I am very, very happy with these socks-- a much more complicated pattern than I would attempt. So thank you, Knit One, Purr Too, and thank you to Alison of The Blue Blog for coordinating all this again!

The last socks of summer?

I hope not, actually (last socks, that is). It is finally vacation time around our house, and we are heading out to the beach (yes, it's 103 in the shade, but at least we'll be close to water!) I finished this pair, what I am calling my "Lemonade Socks" just in the nick of time to post before we go. This pattern is actually based on a pattern I found on Knitting Daily, the "Ambrosia Socks" by Ann Budd. I adapted the pattern a lot, actually; it was written for toe up with short row heel and I changed it to cuff down with a flap (square heel). I really like the "Butterfly stitch" pattern, but I'm not entirely sure how they'll wear--they are knit on size 3's (3.25 mm) because of the stitch pattern pulling in so much, but the sole of the foot seems much too loose to me. But they did go a lot faster than when I knit on my usual 0's and 1's! In any case, they were a fun knit, and I am happy to have tried both a new stitch pattern and what is for me a totally radical adaptation of a knitting pattern (I am finally getting brave enough!). I now head off with a car full of bathing suits, sand toys, and of course, yarn and needles enough for a month--you never know! For all of you heading back to school this week, good luck!