WIP Wednesday: Enough with the bad photos of socks edition!

The weather has been unseasonably warm of late. Ironically, it has been quite a bit warmer in the two weeks leading up to winter than it was in the two weeks before summer. Tragically, the political party in charge of my formerly great country don't believe in climate change. I cry; I weep; I despair.

I also knit! My year-long attempt to wrestle my sock WIPs to a reasonable number is finally drawing to a close. Thank God, because I am getting seriously sick of these stupid socks. I want to start new ones. Lots and lots of new ones (but one after the other. Not at the same time this time!)

At the beginning of today, there were three socks still left. These photos SUCK because they were taken very late in the day when the light was fading. I sometimes still surprise myself without how bad at this blogging malarky I actually am. I am a really terrible blogger. But I do do it with love...

First up, the boring burgundy socks.

Look at them, being all boring and burgundy. But, the good news is I am at the heel of the second sock so they are at least 50% done. Boring boring boring.

This sock is not boring - in fact, it's the complete opposite. The pattern is Austrian Socks from my all-time favourite sock book Favorite Socks and the wool is the lovely Patonyle.  As you can (blurrily) see, the pattern is really gorgeous.

However, I am just not going to get these socks done. There is cabling on every row which means I can't knit while watching television which means that I am never going to work on this project ever. I did these 24 rows over 12 months ago and I have not touched them since. I want these socks finished because I would love them but I am not going to be the one to do it.

Finally, another pattern from Favorite Socks: Go With The Flow. I'm up to the heel(s), so I just need a some time watching a movie so I can turn them both.

ONLY TWO SOCKS REMAIN! It's taken me six months but I'm finally where I like to be - working on one pair of lace socks and one pair of plain socks. Now, just to tackle the four blankets I have on the go...

Christmas knitting time!

It's the November 1 (already?), which means that it's the time of year to ... *dramatic pause* ... talk about Christmas knitting again! This year I am taking a zero-stress approach and only knitting three things. No additional Christmas knitting stress this year - I'm using knitting to reduce my stress instead!

The first is the Serenity blanket, which is technically not a Christmas gift but a blanket for a baby that's due on the 20th of December. You can't see it very clearly in this picture from the project's pattern page but the original pattern stopped the inner lace section by cutting though the leaves (Source of the photo).

I didn't like that so I continued the pattern so the leaves 'closed'. I really like how it looks now.

I just have to figure out what border I'm going to use now. Any suggestions?

The second gift is a pair of Rainy Day Socks for my stepmother, just like the ones I gave to Sam's grandma last year. I loved knitting them so much and they were so very quick and easy that this choice was a no-brainer.

Finally, and this should come as no surprise, a pair of plain boring huge stockinette socks for Sam. The colour is not quite as garish as it looks here - it's more of a dark burgundy that matches perfectly his old school colours. I know the school colours of his private boys school because still has a pair of boxer shorts that he got while attending there 10+ years ago. It seems strange to me that a) his high school gave out underwear and b) he still owns it, but apparently it's something boys schools do. Boys will be boys, I guess.

Of course while I was deciding what to make this year,

 Lucy was right there offering all the assistance she could.

Thanks Lucy. You're the best.