I agreed to join Regina @CosmicKnitter in a Self-Imposed Sock Club for 2027. Read more about it here.
The saying, “you can never have too much/many fill in the blank ” applies to lots of things. I am at that stage in my life when that is not true.
I have too much yarn.
And fabric.
And it’s time to use it or get rid of it.
Sorry, do you need some smelling salts?
So I’m on board with a Self-Imposed Sock Club in 2027. The plan is to gather the yarns and patterns for 12 pairs of socks, put them in an opaque bag, then pick one bag each month and knit those socks. I could sew a project bag for each month!
I subscribed to a club a few years ago that knit one pair every two months. The pattern was released at the beginning of the month so you didn’t know what it was until then. Sometimes I liked/loved the pattern and sometimes I didn’t.
I will choose patterns I like along with the appropriate color so I will have no one to blame but myself if I don’t like the outcome.
I’ve got the yarn…
Don’t judge.
The 64-quart tub in the middle is full of fingering-weight/sock yarn.
Leftover hand-dyed and other miscellaneous yarns.
Yarns purchased for various projects that were never begun.
Needless to say, I have enough yarn for twelve pairs of socks to continue this for a few years.
I got hooked on some mindless games on my iPad and phone instead of doing something constructive so during Lent last year, I gave up two games that I was addicted to.
Except I found two more that were so-so but also addicting.
After Lent was over last year, I had no desire to play those games, so I decided to do the same with the new ones this year. I really have lots of things to do but no desire to put down my iPad or phone and do them. This year, to keep my brain and hands busy and away from the tempting games, I decided to knit a pair of socks for my BFF. I needed to be accountable and she was delighted to help out and receive them!
I wanted to use stash yarn and knit something that required some brain cells but was not too challenging. Enter the Broken Seed Stitch Socks by Hanna Leväniemi. This is the second time knitting this recipe. I had some Knit Picks Stroll in Midnight Heather (a deep, rich blue) and just enough leftover hand-dyed yarn (31 grams) to use as the contrast color…leaving only one gram of the hand-dyed yarn in the end. That was close!
I cast on February 17 with my basic 64-stitch vanilla sock pattern using the German twisted stitch cast-on, as it is stretchy for cuffs, and knit the sturdy, partridge-eye heel flap. I have been known to knit a pair of socks in a week or ten days, but these were a relaxing knit with a deadline sometime before Easter. I finished the last of the 25,618 stitches on March 26.
Even though I still haven’t gone back to any of those time-consuming/mind-numbing games and haven’t taken up any new ones, I just might make a pair of Lenten socks every year.
As you probably noticed I didn’t post last Saturday. I was on vacation with my BFF in Hocking Hills, Ohio. I’ll talk about that another time.
This past week has been so comfortable with lower temperatures and less humidity. Mr. Aitch and I could actually work outside without melting into a puddle.
The tomato harvest is slowing down. I think we got over 500 Super Sweet 100 tomatoes this year on the two plants I grew in pots. I’m going to find bigger, heavier pots for next year so they don’t tip over in the windy rain storms we had this summer. Our soil, or lack of it, is the reason I use pots for my veggies. Our property is mostly shale and we are lucky to have grass growing let alone anything that has a deep root system.
My latest harvest — —- —- —- — —- — — — —>
This week is about book club, sewing video, awesomeness, and a finished object!
what I’m reading
Our August book club book was The All Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg. I read the book a few years ago but reread it or rather listen to it while traveling. It’s a fun read with the story line going back and forth between two different times but coming together in the end.
At age 59 Sarah Jane aka Sookie Poole discovers she was adopted. Her mother is a very strong-will, domineering woman and has ruled Sookie’s life as much as possible. Sookie has always felt she was a disappointment to her mother, Lenore. We learn about Sookie’s birth mother and her family and how that helps Sookie grow as a person.
“Here is Solvang, she wasn’t Lenore Simmons’s daughter. For the first time, she was just herself.’
“She learned that being a successful person in not necessarily defined by what you achieved, but by what you have overcome.”
what I’m watching
I’ve spent more time sewing than knitting this year and finished a Catch-All Caddy by Patterns by Annie. I want to make one out of canvas, denim, or other heavy fabric to use a a tool bag. I bought a cordless hammer drill and need a way to carry the drill, bits, battery, gloves, etc. when drilling into some of the tree stumps in our back yard. I’m “helping” the stump disintegrate by drilling large, deep holes and filling them with Epsom salts to speed up the decay.
I’ll use this one for some sewing or knitting supplies. I followed the pattern as written so I can make the necessary changes to fit my needs. Annie has Add-on videos for lots of her patterns and since I’m more of a visual learner, her videos have really helped with the tricky parts.
Check out her website if you find yourself needing a sewing project.
I lost my knitting mojo (how many times have I lost it?!) but needed to get these socks off my WIP list.
I played yarn chicken, meaning I didn’t know if I would have enough yarn to complete the project. And I didn’t. Of course, I didn’t realize that until I looked at the dwindling yarn ball the eighteen unfinished rows of the pattern. Enter yarn #2. Click here for more details.
I alternated about 3-4 rows of the original yarn and the new yarn so it would blend in better. If you look for the difference, you should see it*.
*It’s the sock on the right. But it’s close enough. For my feet.
I can’t believe it’s the end of the week already. Time certainly flies whether you’re having fun or not!
It’s been unusually cool here this week. Rainy, cool, and breezy. I think Mother Nature is messing with us. I even wore my “bed socks” to bed the other night. These are thick and heavy and I can’t wear them with any of the shoes or boots I own. They are perfect for keeping my feet warm in bed.
what I’m reading
Book Club was last Monday so I’m between books right now. I have several digital books “on hold” through my library so whatever becomes available first will be my next read.
what I’m watching
Mr. Aitch and I watched What About Bob? Thursday evening. Perfect casting and perfect acting. As usual, we could only remember bits and pieces from when the movie was first shown in 1991 but still thought it was funny.
what I’m loving
I just happened to look of the door to our deck when I spotted this hummingbird flitting from flower to flower. By the time I got my phone out to snap a picture of him, he perched on top of the Tiki torch holder.
what I saw on my walk
I had to text my BFF to find out what kind of bloom this was. It looked like a peony but I wasn’t sure as I’ve never seen one quite like this. She confirmed that it was indeed a peony. That iris was jealous and just had to bend into the frame.
