It’s been a long time since I’ve been around. Life intervened and not in a pleasant way. While coping over the last twelve months or so, I rediscovered the knitting bug and started going to a local knitting group, who meet on Wednesdays. They enjoy a good laugh and are always interested in what everyone else is working on.

In case I don’t visit here again before the festivities, ‘happy holidays’ to everyone and a successful 2012

Link to book on amazon.com

Same book on amazon.co.uk

The highest price for a 2nd hand hardcover of the original edition on abebooks is $80 to $399  (50gbp – 260GBP).  I’m more than happy to pay $20 or 15GBP for the newer paperback!

(pic is from amazon)

The first project that will be finished in 2010.

I started these socks back in summer/fall 2009. They look like jaywalkers, but they’re aren’t quite. Can you guess why?

http://www.knittingwoolandyarnshop.co.uk/shop/products/wools_yarns/noro_collection/taiyo

Ok, they have deals on other yarns too, but Taiyo’s the one I’ve been eyeing recently

During 2009, I completed several pairs of socks, some of which I’ve mentioned here. Towards the end of the year, admittedly partly due to the minor sock obsesssion, I developed RSI in my left arm and the discomfort even now is to the point where I cannot grip sock needles properly or grasp/lift even light objects with that hand. Frustrating!

Only time and rest will heal the problem, leaving me to dream up more of my own patterns and write them out before trying them.

I also discoverered that as long as I’m careful, I can still do other crafts. So, I braved my first big DIY project. First? Well, I don’t count flat-pack furniture or putting beading round laminate flooring I brandished jigsaws and drills inexpertly, mangled the pile of wood on the left below and produced the floor to ceiling shelves on the right. They may be uneven, but they’re sturdy!

Over the next months, when life doesn’t intervene, I’m hoping to talk more about knitting again. We’ll see. Right now, I’m off to correct several hundred broken links on a website then go home and clear up the sawdust storm…

Ok, stress bunny moment over. Breathing deeply and thinking of the barbecue this weekend   Last time I was at my friend’s we were going to have a photo session and get pictures taken of all the socks I’ve made so far this year. The weather went and drowned that idea. So second attempt this Saturday.

I had most of July off, spent some time fixing things round the house, started another pair of toe-up socks (Rick from Sock Innovations) worried about the floods (there were more, but I was lucky) and went to Skye for a week. For the first three days I was there, I explored the coastline near Broadford, Portree and Uig. Admittedly, I found the easiest walks I possibly could! The last half of the week, I met up with some friends who were up in the area for a wedding on the Friday. Before we headed home, we went for a shopping spree in Portree.

But there are yarn shops on Skye I hear you say… Yes, there are. No I didn’t go them – just a little bit broke right now… I know they sell some lovely yarns though. One of my friends who did succumb to temptation bought some beautiful skeins from Shilasdair on Waternish.

Meanwhile, back to work and I’ve just started on the cuff section of one of my pairs of toe-up socks. The other pair (Sam) are languising for lack of yarn. Colinette Jitterbug doesn’t quite have enough in a skein for a complete pair of socks for my slightly larger-than-average feet.

This weekend I’ll be staying at a friend’s place, so I’ll take photos of all the socks I’ve been working on for the last wee while.  It’s handy having a willing model