Hello and sorry to have been absent for most of November. Things with Toby have been a bit intense and we’re not quite sure why he’s finding life hard at the moment, but it is taking lots of energy to keep him happy, relaxed and occupied. Still, there has also been a lot of knitting going on, although it’s been of the dis-organised type, which has meant lots of projects started and in progress, but nothing finished.

As I’ve sat here knitting, I’ve been contemplating how useful knitting is as a way of coping with life’s harder patches. There’s something soothing about the rhythmic action of wrapping the yarn; something comforting about the stillness of your body while your hands are busy; and something meditative in the way that part of your brain is fully focused on the task in hand while another part is free to wander and ponder. I been wondering too about the nature of what I knit, and what it says about me that I seem to knit mostly the same kind of thing. Are you the kind of person who likes constant variety and the excitement of something new, or are you someone who sticks to what you know and is happy with a tried-and-trusted familiar? I think that I must be more in the second camp, as my sock draw shows all too well.

I came late to sock knitting – only making my first pair 2 years ago, but since then I have always had at least 1 pair on my needles. Currently in my work basket there are 3 single socks waiting to be knitted a twin and be united into a pair, and of the pairs that do exist there are a couple that are still waiting for ends to be sewn in and trimmed. I do though have lots that are wearable and my feet are very much enjoying the cosy comfort of them and wondering why it took my fingers so very long to get around to sock knitting.

The other day I was rooting about in my sock drawer for a warm pair and realised that I must be a creature of habit, as you can see…

Above are 3 pairs made from Helen Stewarts ‘fragment’ pattern.

The dark pair on the left are knitted in ‘loam’ Bien Aimee tough sock, the middle pair in ‘well water’ Madeline Tosh twist light, and the pink pair on the right are in ‘tea smoked’ The Uncommon Thread Tough Sock.

These 3 pairs (and the 2 on the left in the picture below) are from This Handmade Life’s ‘Wildflowers and Honeycomb socks’ pattern.

The pair on the left are knitted in alpaca sock from The Wool Barn, the middle pair in ‘tea smoked’ The Uncommon Thread Tough Sock, and the pair on the right are in ‘ lime mortar’ Ainsworth and Prin classic sock from The knitting shed

The light blue pair on the left are knitted in ‘memory’ Madeline Tosh twist light, the middle pair in ‘space oddity’ The Uncommon Thread Tough Sock, and the pair on the right are from Hermione’s Everyday socks by Erica Lueder, in ‘surf’ The Wool Barn Cashmere Sock.

Both the 3 pairs above and the 3 pairs below are made with Emily Fodens ‘Emily’s Favourite sock’ pattern

The pair on the left are knitted in ‘limpet’ crush sock yarn from Skein Queen, the middle pair in ‘mellow monster’ sock set from Studio Meez, and the pair on the right are in a one-of-a-kind dyed super sock yarn also from Studio Meez

These 3 pairs are all knitted in beautiful shades of twist sock from The Wool Barn

Above are 3 pairs made from Lucky Me Socks by Sofia Kammeborn  and all are knitted in The Uncommon Thread Tough Sock ‘attic room’, ‘cobble’ and ‘peat’

The 3 pairs above are all made from Skein Queen Crush DK in ‘limpet’, ‘dreamcloud’, and ‘highclere castle’ with the pair on the left knitted from Emily Foden’s Snowshoe pattern and the other two from Cabinfour’s Laule’a pattern

Well, I do hope you’ve enjoyed the tour of my sock drawer! Though I know that’s most likely not the reason you visit me here, so please be assured that along with sock knitting I am working on lots of knitted little cotton rabbit animals and some new patterns too 🙂

Before I go, I want to send love and best wishes for a joyful Thanksgiving to all of you friends and family in the USA,

‘Til next time, keep well and happy and thanks as always for visiting xxx