Socks for Me, Socks for You

I made the socks pictured above for my sister for Christmas. In case you can't tell, they are mauve with dark purple toes. They are so thick they're more like slippers than socks, really. But she went to Alaska for Christmas, so extra-warm socks may come in handy...or footy, actually.

The socks below are for me!




I finally did it...I finished a pair of socks for myself. The first sock sat, half-knit, languishing on my coffee table while I worked on other projects. Then we had a week of subzero temps and man, were my feet cold! It motivated me to finish the pair so that I could enjoy them all winter. They are super warm. I used Sugarloaf yarn, a machine washable wool blend that is cushy and smooshy.

It's almost Christmas!

I've really been enjoying my Christmas decorations this year. Even the curtains look festive!


I always wanted a Nativity set and a few years ago my mom got me this one. I love putting it on display every year.


Here are my stockings. The one with the cardinals on it is the one Santa fills. He is smart and knows which one to fill. I did not knit that one. The red one is just for decoration and I did knit that one.

The snow is snowing...

This was the view from my living room window during the snowfall the other day. I like this picture because the snowflakes look so twinkly and magical. Since this photo was taken, we've actually gotten a lot more snow. It's pretty deep now!

Warm Woolies

I'm working on getting a box of stuff to send to Warm Woolies. So far I have finished 5 sweaters, 4 pairs of socks, and one blanket. I have one more sweater that is nearly complete; it just needs a sleeve.


The little cardigan below is my favorite. It looks a lot cuter in person. The pattern is from the Warm Woolies website and the yarn is Knit Picks Cadena. I modified the pattern a little bit by lengthening the sleeves and doing 4 buttons instead of 3.

These socks and the green and tan sweater and socks above were originally for CIC, but since they are backed up, I'm sending them to Warm Woolies.

Oddball Blanket

I just finished knitting this blankie for Warm Woolies. I made it using no new yarns, just leftovers from my yarn stash. There are actually 19 different yarns in this blankie! In the past, I've hesitated to make "oddball" blankets because I was scared that the finished product would be ugly. When I realized that I had so many leftover yarns in blues, greens, and neutrals, I figured I could use them to make something cute. It turned out even better that I had imagined. And I had no guilt about relaxing and knitting it because in a way I was "cleaning" - destashing is a form of cleaning, right?

Socks for Akkol

I have joined another knitting group, Mittens for Akkol. They send warm woolens (not just mittens) to orphans in Kazakhstan. I was pleased to find a group that focuses on the older kids, not just the little ones. I made these socks, which are ridiculously warm. They are made with one strand Patons Classic Merino (100% wool) and one strand Berroco Ultra Alpaca (50% alpaca, 50% wool).

My Puppy Sasha

Here are a couple photos of my poodle/bichon mix puppy, Sasha. Unfortunately, I had to return her to the breeder because I am allergic to her. It was a heartbreaking situation. I only had her for a few days, but we really bonded during that time.

The top photo shows her after her bath, so she is all fluffy. The blue puppy next to her is her favorite toy. She was wrestling with it right before I took the photo.