The Cursed Cable Socks have certainly lived up to their name:
This is the 2015 attempt at these socks, all in Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock Autumn Flame and each with its own problem: pair #1 the stripes on the foot were spaced differently from the stripes on the calf, pair #2 needed a gusset to go around the ankle but I didn't know about gussets yet, pair #3 (the 2015 pair) got its gusset but after one wearing the cuff lost its elasticity. While I'm not giving up on wearing them or the possibility of making another pair of socks, I am giving up on this pattern. I am also reading up on the perfect sock fit. To the last point, Kate Atherly's Custom Socks book has a prominent place on my nightstand.
Here in Pennsylvania, old man winter is trying to decide what kind of house guest he will be for the next 4 months. So far, I've found him to be incredibly indecisive; we've had a slew of warm days this November. I am, however, anticipating a biting chill in December, and it is in that spirit that I finished another accessory for my feet: Kate Davies Buachaille Baffies.
Everything about these house slippers is wonderful! They were a super quick and fun knit; I was able to knit one complete baffie during an Eagles football game! As an extra bonus, there is a clean, earthy smell to the buachaille wool…lovely! I think buachaille is now for sale on Kate Davies website.
To round out my month of accessories, I worked on the baa-ble hat sans pompom (thank you, Pat for passing alone this Shetland Wool Week project) While it's done and already worn, I am considering adding a fleece lining. I really prefer a snug fit, and, after wearing it twice, I've decided I was a bit over-aggressive with the blocking. Stay tuned for an update...
So what's next? As usual, my December knitting consists of finishing up Bill's Christmas sweater. I'm still slogging away on last year's sweater (St. Olav and his men), but I am determined to get the 2015 sweater finished before our surgeries, December 16th, so that Bill will have it for Christmas and his 8 week recovery. Without revealing too much, because Bill occasionally reads the blog, I will say that the 2015 Christmas sweater is light weight enough to wear while we recover at our friends' house (his wife lets him set the thermostat higher than 60), has a splash of color, and is made from woolen spun yarn with a social conscious.
I have lined up my R&R projects while I recover from the transplant surgery. Although my incisions, as the kidney donor, will be smaller and should heal in time for me to return to work after the Winter Break, I've been told working on a large knitting project will be uncomfortable... 'Tis the Season of the Shawl! Here are a few of the yarns waiting to be turned into squishy, warm, neck goodness:
Starting clockwise at 11 o'clock: Prado de Lana's Lincoln Longwool (white ball), Ginger's Handdyed Wensleydale (two greens), Baa Ram Ewe's Dovestone (slate blue), Tosh Merino Light (daffadil), Queensland Llama Lace (two browns), and Green Mountain Spinnery Mewesic (brick red)
