Warm hands and feet

One of the many great things about going away to mum and dad's is that I am waited on hand on foot and I can get on with some serious knitting. So serious in fact that I finished this mitten. They are very nearly - but not quite - a pair. The white stripe down the side of the thumb will annoy me forever, but not annoy me enough to frog the whole thing. Frog? Moi? Never!

Anyway, now that that is finished, I wondered what to make next. It did not take me long to wonder. I gazed at the top of the Stash Basket and spied lots of beautiful sock yarn. This is a mere representation of what my eyes beheld. So I decided very quickly that I would make socks. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is henceforth known as the Year Of The Sock.

I normally don't like making socks, rather I like making the first sock, but drag my heels over the second one. So I have come up with an idea that has left me feeling liberated, free, excited. I will make a sock and when I get bored of either that first sock or the second one, I will cast on another one. And if I then get fed up of that pattern, I will change my mind again and either finish the first or cast on for a third in a different yarn and different pattern.

I have decided that Startitis is an incurable condition, so rather than entering into denial, I will embrace the whole sorry situation. I will buy more sock needles. I will buy more yarn.... no, I didn't say that. I have plenty. (But a little Posh Yarn of a Sunday evening is always too tempting to refuse...)

So last night I wound this into a ball. It is not - for once - Posh. I was sent this over a year ago from Nathalie (the winner of the pink and blue Oliver blanket) and have stroked it ever since. Stroked it so much that it's probably wearing thin in places!

It is Hand Maiden Casbah, and oh my goodness, it's gorgeous. My little feet are getting very excited by the mere thought of being wrapped in this!

The next problem was pattern. I fancied the Embossed Leaves pattern, thinking it would be great in greens, but read the sizes and realised that my feet are much more humongous than the pattern. (7.5" circumference? my children have bigger feet than that). So I hunted around and came across this one.


Rib Fantastic from the latest sock book to hit the shelves chez Stash Basket. It's already got bigger than this photo (not done any housework today, but so what, I have a condition to embrace!)

Anyone out there fancy joining me on a sock fest? Come on, cast off your inhibitions, let's celebrate Startitis, let's recognise it for what it is (ie bloody good fun). Let's all go around with odd socks. After all, I'll be wearing odd mittens!