socks for MJ

I'm still doing a bit of catch-up with the last FOs of 2011. If you're getting sick of seeing socks on the blog, well, too bad, because I've got more to show you! The FO post for these socks has been a long time coming, actually, because I finished them at the beginning of November. I finally gave them to my sister-in-law, MJ, for Christmas, so I've kept them off the blog until now.

I took these pictures on the back deck as soon as the socks were finished two months ago, hence the pretty fall leaves. Now the leaves have been mulched into the lawn and front garden, and the deck is covered in treacherous, frozen slush. Winter is off to a slow start...

But I digress. The socks:



Pattern: Waving Lace Socks by Evelyn Clark, from Favorite Socks
Yarn: I dyed the yarn myself with Kool-Aid a couple of years ago. I don't remember where I got the bare hanks (elann.com, maybe?), but it's standard fingering weight sock yarn with a bit of nylon. I could still detect faint whiffs of "grape" flavoring as I was knitting. My brother Joe tells me that MJ is fond of purple, and this seemed just right.
My only modification was to use the eye-of-partridge heel instead of the regular slipped-stitch heel called for in the original pattern. I just prefer the look of this one, and I find the garter stitch edge makes for a cleaner gusset with no holes:



What did I accomplish in 2011 knitting-wise? 8 adult sweaters (7 for me, 1 for Stuart), 1 sweater for Anya, 6 pairs of socks, 5 hats, 2 pairs of mittens, 1 scarf, and a community blanket for Afghans for Afghans (I didn't do all the knitting on that one, but I organized the project and assembled the squares). There's a pair of socks I finished on my birthday that hasn't made it to the blog yet. I also designed a hat for Anya, which is still her current favorite. I keep resolving not to buy yarn, but it happens anyway from time to time, not in a way that is out of control, but it's enough to keep my stash from shrinking much, despite all the knitting I do!

I should make some resolutions, you know, the standard ones about knitting from stash only and starting the Christmas knitting now...but it seems to me that resolutions are made to be broken. I half-heartedly tell myself that same stuff every year, and every year at some point I buy yarn I don't need or plan half a dozen baby gifts, only to start a sweater for myself instead. And you know what? The world hasn't ended. And if it does, I don't think my knitting-related resolutions will be to blame.

So, here's to 2012, whatever it may bring.