Well, I’m making some headway on my Quickie socks for Euria! Let me tell you, for an easy pattern, they’ve been an absolute pain! It’s not the pattern’s fault though…it’s Euria’s big feet! I had to redo the heel twice because I made the sock too short, and then I had to bind it off twice because the cuff was too tight! I was originally going to do a garter stitch cuff, but that wouldn’t fit over his heel, so I just did half the rows of the rib pattern and used this fantastic bind off I discovered: Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. It’s just as magical as Judy’s Magic Cast On and it really is incredibly stretchy! I’m so glad I’ve found it, because my number on problem with socks has been that the cuff is too tight! So now I’ve got the first sock done, the second one should be a breeze to knit up.

the first sock--absurdly long!

the absurdly long sock

Trust me, it looks a lot better on his foot. This sock caused me a lot of trouble! (Euria is anal about taking his shoes off–once they’re on, they’re not coming off for anything!) But now it’s finished, the second one will be easy. Although this technically took over half a month to make, there was an entire week during which I wasn’t working on these, because I need him to try them on again, so really this took about a week and a half to finish. Note bad, considering my past history!

Sydney's square

my square

I also finished two of my afghan squares for my Year in Afghans project! I finished Sydney’s and mine, so I just have Euria’s and Kayleigh’s left. I am really happy with this yarn. It’s Knit Pick’s Swish Worsted Yarn, which is soft, has a nice sheen, and above all, cheap! I was a little hesitant because I’m really picky about wool, since it’s often scratchy, but this is just soft enough for a blanket, while still being durable. And the colors are gorgeous! Sydney’s square is–like many of the colors–heathered, so on top of the ultramarine blue, there are hints of purple and deep blue in the fiber. And the photo doesn’t show it, but the red is eye-popping!

"Autumn Harvest"

"Autumn Harvest"

And, saving the best for last, I finally finished editing Amy’s novel, so this past weekend, while pub knitting with her, I received my payment: two delicious skeins of her own handspun! I named them myself, since she didn’t. “Autumn Harvest” is a gorgeous DK/Worsted weight yarn, with shades of pink, orange and green plied together! It’s absolutely stunning, the kind of color that makes you want to walk hand-in-hand through the park on a breezy fall day, sipping hot apple cider! I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with this skein yet, but I’m picturing a simple, slouchy

"Blue Damask"

"Blue Damask"

beret. “Blue Damask” is fingering weight, because Amy knows I love socks! Shades of blue plied with pale peach, and a nice halo give this skein a really vintage feel, I think. So instead of socks, I’ve decided to go for something that will really show it off, while retaining the Audrey Hepburn feel I think this yarn gives off! So I’m going to be knitting this into Abby, a simple lace cowl which was originally designed for a precious skein of handspun. I think it will be perfect for this yarn!

Now, off to class, and that second sock!