I finally finished the Broken Seed Stitch socks last week. I love how the dark green of the Knit Picks Stroll in Aurora Heather toned down the bright green, aqua, and yellow hand-dyed yarn.
The broken seed stitch looks like fish or mermaid scales that illuminate and glimmer.
The yarn color pooled a bit on the first sock (below left) that is more noticeable on the sole.
My tension changed with the second sock (below right) as I tried to tighten the stitches where the color changes. The seam isn’t as visible even if I can see it. Will it make a difference when worn? I doubt it.
I prefer the Eye of Partridge heel flap as I think it is more durable. (I must say that I’ve never had to reinforce or repair any of the heels on the socks I’ve knit whether it’s the standard slipped-stitch or Eye of Partridge heel flap so it’s just my personal preference.)
I found this sock “recipe” by Hanna Levämiemi to be a great stash buster for an ugly-duckling ball of yarn as it can be transformed into a swan with the right contrast color.
This month our Book Club is reading The Book of Lost Names by Kristen Harmel. I read it last August for my own pleasure but since I suffer from CRS (Can’t Remember, um, Stuff or sh!t), I am rereading it. Our next meeting is January 27.
The book takes place during WWII and the present day. I’m always astonished by the ways people helped one another during times of crisis be it war, natural or manmade catastrophes, emergencies, personal distress, or other devastating circumstances.
what I’m eating
After we devoured the Christmas ham, I saved and froze the hambone for later. Well, it’s later and we’re expecting some bitter cold temperatures by Monday. I boiled/simmered the bone for a couple of hours then removed the remaining ham from the bone and tossed it…the bone not the ham. I added a bit more water to the broth to make three quarts, a package of 16 bean mix, some seasonings and returned the ham to the ham broth. The aroma is wafting throughout the house and should be ready for a late lunch/early dinner. Homemade cornbread is also on the menu.
what I’m loving
Flannel sheets on the bed in the cold of winter were a luxury I loved as a kid. Today, most of the flannel sheets I’ve used slip off the corners and leave a messy bed. I tried these inexpensive jersey knit sheets a few years ago to see if we liked them. They are soft and warm, very similar to the feel of flannel and we only use them in the winter months. But the most important thing is they stay on the bed no matter how much tossing and turning we do!
The only complaint is that my pajamas stick to the fabric just like the flannel sheets. Last November I bought two pairs of silky, satiny pajamas. I love them! (One note: they run large.) No more sticking to the sheets like Velcro when I roll over. I get a great night’s sleep.
what I’m working on
I picked out some heavier fabric from my stash for my yarn swift drawstring bag. I still need to finalize the dimensions, cut it out and sew it together. It won’t be hard, I just have to do it.
We’re already two weeks into the year and I’ve been thinking and writing down things I want to get done this year. If they are good, I can keep doing them in future years.
Post at least once a week. And on a schedule. Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Pick a day and stick with it.
Knit at least one row a day though I tell myself it’s five rows a day. That’s not really hard when it comes to socks which I seem to knit most of the time. I’m joining a KAL this month and surprise, I’ll be knitting a sock.
Plan and finish one sewing project a month. The first project is a bag to hold my new yarn swift. Our church will have a baby shower in the spring with items donated to a local pregnancy center. I will sew burp cloths and perhaps knit a few hats.
Practice makes perfect (or at least improvement). I painted wooden sorority and fraternity paddles for pledges in college which it was quite profitable. My Old English calligraphy was pretty good back then as that was the most popular font style. I even designed and printed invitations for a wedding and parties many years ago. Now that skill has all but disappeared. Lindsey at The Postman’s Knock is my go-to for inspiration to get back into calligraphy. I have the materials. I need to sit down and do it at least 30 minutes every day.
Organize and declutter the basement is on my list Every. Single. Year. My grandson helped me paint one cinderblock wall one summer. I painted another wall myself. Two more walls to go so it’s brighter and cleaner looking. It’s cool in the summer but cold in the winter so this will be a warm weather project. Making zones might be best: craft zone, workshop zone, paint zone, storage zone, etc. Having rubber-type flooring would make standing on the cold, hard concrete floor much more comfortable, too. I could make space for a sewing room and get my sewing machine out of the tiny laundry room.
Speaking of cleaning and decluttering…this blog needs some major work. Posts, tutorials, and how-tos need updated tags and categories that include specific words about the content. All posts related to the Dots and Stripes Purse should be tagged as such so all posts pertaining to that sock would appear in a search for that particular project. That will be time-consuming with over a thousand posts but tackling a couple a day should make that go faster.
Include some self-care by relaxing and unwinding in healthy ways. I started getting a pedicure every month last fall and will continue this year.
Stop playing mind-numbing games on my iPadfor hours and use my time wisely. I’m pretty sure I have fewer days ahead than behind. I seriously doubt I’ll live to be 144 years old so I shouldn’t waste time with nonsense. Life is too short.
Learn something new.
Show gratitude.
Those are some goals,resolutions, things I want to do this year.
First: The Socks I am on track to finish the second Broken Seed Stitch sock by the end of next week.
I just finished the heel flap on sock #2 and am ready to turn the heel. Then the gusset (which I detest), the rest of the foot, and finally the toe!
This picture is the side where the colors change. You can really see the jog in the stitches on sock #1 on the right. I tried to tighten the yarn at the color change point a bit on sock #2 so it isn’t as noticeable.
Second: KAL Winwick Mum is having a Winter Haven KAL. (That’s code for Knit-A-Long) One doesn’t have to knit the same thing as everyone else but she’s included a free sock pattern if desired. She has other patterns as well. The requirements are easy to join the KAL: knit one of her patterns or use one of her yarns from West Yorkshire Spinners. The Easy Mosaic socks I recently finished is one of her free patterns.
I’ve never done a KAL before but I’m going to try this one and use her free pattern called Trailblazer socks. I have to finish the BSS socks before I start on these as I need the short circular needle from those socks. Plus I need to shop my stash for the right yarn.
Third: Snow Mother Nature dropped 6-7 inches of snow on us Sunday night and Monday. We weren’t surprised that schools were closed on Monday and possibly Tuesday. But Wednesday and Thursday?? The roads were clear by Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Aitch emailed a teacher friend about no school. Evidently the wind chill factor was so low, the powers-that-be decided it was too cold for the kids to wait for the bus. 99.99% of the kids ride a bus and sit in their parent’s warm car/truck/SUV when waiting for the bus. Whatever. We don’t have kids in school and we’re both retired so it shouldn’t concern me.
Pepper loves the snow but hates getting her sweater on. Is it because it goes over her head? It’s a struggle but I put it on her if it’s below 25oF.
Fourth: Door Our front door was bare after I took down the Christmas decorations on Monday. I thought this was perfect.
Fifth: Bread I took advantage of the below freezing temperatures this week and baked bread to help heat the house. Two beautiful loaves of bread warmed us inside and out.
In fact this was lunch the day I baked it along with a glass of wine. I still haven’t found the perfect “sandwich” type bread recipe as mine always seem to have a course crumb. Any help would be appreciated.
I had a home improvement hack and some other things to talk about but this post was long enough.
Knitting In Flashes 