I am finishing the February socks today

 ... but as anticipated, probably not fast enough for a timely Hug, so you are getting pictures of the In Progress.

I know it doesn't look like much, but check this out:

The first sock is done, so all I have to do is get the second one done and run in a load of ends. Trouble is I finished the toe on the first one so long ago I no longer remember how many rounds I did before starting the decreases. So I'm having to squint under bright lights to count the stitches.

 

And this my friends is why one does not knit black yarn!

Okay to recap: I started these gift socks in FEBRUARY thinking, get a head start on Christmas this year. I truly believed they'd be done by spring, and I'd have time to make a second pair for myself, maybe even three, and work through more of my lonely yarn stash. 

This did not happen. A lot of Instagram happened, and loads of walks, and tons and tons of writing and rewriting, but knitting? not so much. Even on car trips, of which there have been some, I did not feel like knitting. I wanted to look out the window instead. And I remembered from past experience that when I do that, I drop stitches, and it is hard to pick them back up in a moving vehicle in the dark.

(especially when you drop one in the middle of a black stripe!)

Weirdly though, I am really missing yarny stuff. I think I need to swap socks for something with a bolder payoff at the end. Like an Icelandic sweater, or some kind of granny square blanket, or an interestingly-shaped vest? something I either haven't knit before (blanket) or haven't knit in ages and ages (Icelandic sweater.) I have no recollection of knitting a vest before but I was one hand-me-downed a handknit Fair Isle vest that I looooved so much and wore constantly. A new Fair Isle vest might be fun, right?

Be that as it may: I have Christmas to prep for and that is starting tomorrow with the tree going up, swiftly followed on Monday with the measuring of dry ingredients for several batches of cookies, which I will store in Mason jars. 

 Yep, after many years of chaotic food prep I realized recently that I can pre-measure in bulk, thereby washing the cups and spoons more efficiently and less. Also, pre-measuring lowers the barriers to actually baking. As does clearing space in the freezer, so that you can pre-bake and store for future cookie deliveries.

Basically I'm determined not to have a repeat of my February socks, as I go hard into Christmas prep. But I was also determined not to be knitting these socks at the end of November so we'll see how that goes...

Hope your weekend is looking good, and that whatever hopes you have for it pan out with bells on. And thanks as always for stopping by to spend a little time with me.

See you next Saturday!