Ta da!

Yes, it’s a bit dark because the heavens were about to open and we had to put all the lights on, even though it wasn’t yet 5 o’clock.  But, less than an hour after the last post, the socks were finished and blocking, even if they are way too big for the sock blockers I have!

The Cat Bordhi pattern I used is fun to knit and creates a weirdly shaped sock which somehow fits my hero’s feet perfectly.  Deduce what you will from that. I think we’re talking high insteps or fallen arches or some such feature.  What makes these socks particularly well fitting is the area where most of the shaping normally goes on – where the foot turns into the ankle – and this pattern opens up that area very well indeed, making them easy to get on and off, because there’s plenty of room around that corner.  I guess that’s why they look as though they’re made for someone wearing a cast on their foot.  hmm.

No sooner had I completed the socks than I was casting on 220 stitches on a large needle and starting the Big Herringbone Cowl.  This requires more tenacity than knitting skill, but is shaping up fairly well after only two l-o-n-g rows, knitting two together and only dropping one stitch off the left hand needle.  Slow going but mindless knitting – and perhaps what’s required after two complicated socks?

As I was finishing those socks, I wondered why I’d left them so very close to completion?

I don’t like the colour.

Is that enough of a reason?  Or a mere excuse?

(As I type, the electricity keeps flashing on and off.  It’s really windy and rather squally today and it looks like we might be in for some fun – if you know what I mean!)

Back to..?

Even though it’s a few years since the start of term featured on our calendars, the first Monday in September retains all of those associations.  I began the day with a list and felt motivated to work my way through it, ticking things off as I went.

Don’t you think the ticking off is the best bit?

Having ticked off a fair few items, I decided I’d earned some blog reading time.  First up was Needled, which had a link to the new online Rowan magazine.  Five minutes of glorious colour, beautiful knitting and fantastic photography later and I can feel the knitting mojo coming back.  So, what’s it going to be?

Will it be the Honey Cowl?  I bought some soft-as-soft-can-be yarn in John Lewis sale earlier in the year and it would be perfect for this project.

or

Will it be the Shadow[]box?   The picture on the pdf of the pattern shows it knitted in black, which isn’t a great colour for revealing detail and though I remember being very taken with the design when I first came across it, my memory hasn’t recorded all the small points.  Time to go and take a look at Ravelry and see what others have done with it.

but

I clicked on a link and found this, which looks right up my street and could also work well with my softest of soft yarn.

except

in the sitting room is one of my fabric bags with an incomplete crochet wrap in it.

and

my hero is quietly awaiting the socks I’ve been knitting since...ermmm…and which need only the rib finishing off.  Knitted to one of those complicated Cat Bordhi patterns, once I’d done the “fun” bit, I lost interest.  However, unlike my friend Jordi, I avoided the second sock syndrome by knitting both socks at the same time.  How clever was that?

(I guess it’ll be the socks then)

Apples

We seem to have a bumper crop this year.  There’s already a bowl of stewed apple in the fridge (to which my hero turns up his nose) and the trees are shedding their fruit faster than we can pick it up.

At times like this, I get choosy.  This morning I went out and picked another bowlful, rejecting any fruit which were less than perfect.  I knew that some friends were going to be glad to share them.

Then of course, there were a few plums dripping from the tree.  They’re nearly over, but there’s still a few more which will hopefully hang on till I’m ready.

It being the first of September, it’s also the first day of Shimelle’s Learn Something New class and there are decisions to be made.  Will I construct my book traditionally with glue and scissors or set myself the challenge of working digitally this year?  Shall I create a book of pages or use envelopes in which to tuck in any related bits and pieces?  Just as I was thinking I’d wait and see how it goes, I came across a whole bundle of nearly fifty envelopes I made from magazine pages some years ago and when I looked closely at the subject matter of the very first picture, my decision was made.

Not only that, but there’s a suitable envelope there for later in the month too, because travel is planned ;-)

So, with a set of very fitting images there, it looks like I’m set to make an envelope book, though I plan to work digitally to create whatever is going to go into them.  This year, I have company too because Dorothy and Mary are signed up too.  I think it’s going to be fun.