My Own Drummer

Did I say I'd do the button band this weekend? I lied. Here's a sock for me:

Austerman Step, size 2mm needles, figure 8 toe, and a heel flap.

I'm no good as a KAL-er because I seem to be a month behind. I'm sure that by January I'll be deep in my Noro sweater, long after Norovember is gone.

I've also finished my son's alpaca socks:



I love that I've given my sons a gift of the socks of their dreams, but now it's time for me to shift my focus to myself.

Last winter I loved going for walks in the woods. I wish I could describe the peaceful white woods, with only the sound of little brook chortling along to break the quiet. I enjoyed getting dressed for these walks in my hand knits. I had a Celestial merino hat, Shedir,

a Manos neck warmer,
my Rogue (the second, pre-felting), my Koigu Latvian mittens,


and always a pair of wool socks. I felt like I was protecting myself from the cold, I was always comfortably warm on my walks, and it felt good to invest that much effort into taking care of myself.

But this winter, Rogue is felted, the Koigu mittens are wearing thin, and I've always felt like my Shedir was just a little on the small size for my big head. So, I'm going to focus on knitting for myself for a little bit. Because I want that feeling back this winter. Because no one else is going to do it for me. And because if I don't, I will begin to resent the gifts I knit for my loved ones and I think that would be a horrible twisting of what should be a wonderful expression of my love.

Speaking of marching to the beat of your own drummer, just look at what was at my house on Friday night:

Bless 'em. Every one.