My home, like many others at the moment, is full of sick people – yuck!  I myself am currently trying to get over a cold, the second virus in four weeks.  Touch wood, there is no infection anywhere, so I’m assuming my immune system is just having a spot of trouble fighting it off, on account of it being suppressed by my RA medication.  You can’t take your injections when your ill, so I’ve missed three so far, which isn’t helping with the underlying condition, but it could be a lot worse – at least I’ve still been able to knit, while I’ve been awake that is ♥

My job for today, is this lovely pile of yummy things.  Having completed the pair of socks I cast on for Christmas Eve, I resisted starting something new.  Instead, I decided to finish a couple of small projects and pull out a few of the ‘Naughty Little Buggers’ that were hibernating too.  Everything here is in need of it’s ends sewing in, a wash and block and then they’re ready to keep or become gifts.

Most of them are for me, there’s three pairs of socks, a hat, two shawls and my Vitamin D Cardigan, but there is also a hat for the hubby and a cowl that I knitted for Dina a couple of years ago.  There’s a pair of fingerless mitts on that pile and I have another pair, that I’ve almost finished too (just one thumb to knit) – ideal for gifts.

Talking of gifts

I went a little crochet mad and made a good few of Carmen Heffernan’s Boho Christmas Stars from the latest issue of Olann and.  They made an ideal gift to pop into friends Christmas Cards and after I’d made the first couple, I found them fairly quick to make.

In total, I think I made about twelve stars, three of which I gifted as my Secret Santa pressie at our knitting group Christmas meal.  Personally, I think they would work all year round and would therefore make an ideal ‘Just because’ gift.  I defy anyone not to feel happier giving or receiving a little something for no other reason than ‘Just because’.

My pile of ends are calling, especially if I want to get them all sewn in before 2017 begins, but I’d like to share one more finished object(s) before I take up my sewing needle.

One of my secret Christmas knitting projects was this pair of socks for Dina.  I bought the hank of Trailing Clouds  Mind the Gap yarn earlier this year, specifically to make a pair for Dina.  I’m not going to lie though, it was tough going there for a while as the thought of owning a pair myself, is more than just a little appealing – I am a Londoner after all.

It’s a twelve colour repeat, made for a 60/64sts sock.  These ones are 64 stitches, but I think my tension must have been a little off, as you can see in this close up, there’s a bit of jog, where the colours change.  You’d only notice it if you specifically went looking and most people will just be completely taken aback by the rainbow of colours.

Cuffs, heels and toes are all knitted in undyed sock yarn, to try and keep the uniformity of the stripes in place.  The heel is my usual slip stitch affair but….

I knitted a traditional circle toe – my first.

As they have 64sts the toe is as follows

*K6, k2tog repeat form * to end

knit 6 rows

*K5, k2tog repeat form * to end

Knit 5 rows

*K4, k2tog repeat form * to end

Knit 4 rows

*K3, K2tog repeat form * to end

Knit 3 rows

*K2, K2tog repeat form * to end

Knit 2 rows

*K1, k2tog repeat form * to end

Knit 1 row

*K2tog repeat form * to end

As you can see the toe is much longer, ideal if your daughter has long toes and apparently, it does fit better.  Which means she could cut the extra long end I’d left just in case I needed to re-knit them.

I’m off to begin tackling that pile of ends, here’s to saying farewell to 2016, it’s been a strange one – I’m never going to get to see Wham play  😦 and unfortunately, the world seems to be going just a little more mad than usual.

See you in the New Year

xxx