Hello again and lookit this little caterpillar I found when I was tidying up some neglected knitting projects!
I found a lot of daunting things in the pile (SO MUCH DARNING in my future) but these cute socks-in-progress are still full of early potential and I hadn't even gotten them past their heel flap.
You're only seeing one of the two because the light was fading as I took this pic last night, and today it is rainy. Hopefully you will take my word for it that they both look pretty much like this now.
They didn't get there without complaint, though. Both of them gave me trouble over the decreases to make the turn, and negotiations were so bad with the second, the mohair/wool blend practically felted in my hands. Got pretty dicey, the last couple of times I had to rip back and retry.
Now that *that's* over though: I love my decision to strand the heel flap!
Not sure whether the emotional weight of the colour shifts is because of the natural evolution in their hand-dyeing, or because I held one colour in front for one row, and then the other for the next, but I like it. Fingers crossed I didn't make it so tight I can't fit into the sock in the end... yikes.
Let's leave that concept under a rock and dwell a moment on the cute cuff, which is the part of the sock least likely to wear out.
I love how this one pale smudge settled in, like a gauzy cloud.
Lately I've been wearing ankle-length pants, so this pretty pattern should show whenever I sit down, and it's so worth the exposure, don't you think?
While *not* sitting down, I've been out walking in the ravine again. Seemed like it took forever for the last of the ice to melt off the access slope, but now it's safe to get down there and we're seeing the effect of the freshly liquefied snowfall on the creek running through it:
Probably I should have taken this as video so you could hear the torrents of water pouring between the banks but trust me: the water level here is going to drop a lot by summer, and you'll be able to see through to the rocks and pebbles and occasional discarded microwave oven. Bliss!
Want to see the cute bridge I took this from?
Ha! I was going to show you anyway. I've seen people taking wedding pictures here, and engagement ones. It shakes when a lot of people are walking on it.
I know I've said this before, but one of the things I love the most about the ravine is how many people use it, in so many different ways, each of us making it our own... and then in more compressed places like the bridge, our personal experiences must be shared. I've exchanged so many smiles with strangers crossing this thing, as we're all influenced by the gorgeous view and peaceful water and bird sounds.
Again, BLISS.
Taking these pictures yesterday, I wasn't thinking so much that spring is really coming on now, but that winter is over. I love winter, but it gave me such a good feeling!
That said, the warm weather on the way isn't really mohair sock-friendly, so apparently I have time to finish this project. I can probably even take a break again, now that I'm over the worst of the heel flap and gusset setup, to remind myself how to do the stitch on my neglected crochet blanket, aiieee. I am not even kidding - if it turns out that the stitch isn't like riding a bicycle and unforgettable, I am in trouble.
Hope you have a marvellous weekend lined up, and that if you get rain like we are, you have a cosy chair and some crafty work to get to as you wait it out! See you next Saturday... and thanks for spending this time with me.
