May 4/25

My partner saw the socks that I made for myself so he put in a request for a pair for himself. This Loops and Threads yarn from Michaels was in my stash in the spare room so voila, he has his own pair of handmade socks which he says are the most comfortable socks ever. The yarn is acrylic and nylon so it should stand up to the abuse that he puts all of his clothes through.

 

Next off the needles was a pair that I rushed through to make in less than two weeks from the time I decided to knit my mom a pair to the day I put them on her feet at Easter. She wore them to bed that night as she has some circulation issues in her legs thanks to diabetic nephropathy and decreased mobility and her feet get cold at night. The Kroy brand wool blend kept her feet nice and warm and this purple is her favourite colour. 

Currently on the needles is a lovely merino and nylon blend from a Halifax-based company, Fleece Artist. I think that this may be my favourite sock yarn so far in my limited experience of four yarns and socks. The colour scheme is so rich and the yarn is smooth and lovely in hand. The yarn was purchased at what has to be just the most quaint store ever Wools on the Corner here in little Bridgetown, Nova Scotia. Shopping for yarn there is a beautiful experience of cozy and colour.

 Knitting socks has become an obsession for me these days. I love that I can knit up a pair of socks in about 2 weeks, the practicality the finished project and the beauty of the yarns as they move through my hands. I also love that my mind and hands are kept busy as a way to process the insanity of the world outside my door. Between the news from the country to the south of us here in Canada and our own recent election, I have needed knitting to soothe my raging heart and to help me maintain some calm when discussing politics with those who have very different and belligerent views than my own. Now that Spring is here, I am also using gardening as an avenue of both peace and resistance. Starting my plants from seeds, nurturing them and hopefully, getting lots of veggies and berries this season gives me great joy and hope for the future. Life goes on, nature prevails and a little sunlight and rain produce miracles.

March 4, 2025

I am enjoying sock knitting much more than I had ever imagined. For years, I was intimidated by the abbreviations and magic sorcery of the look of a finished sock. The idea that a few sticks and some yarn could churn out something so complicated looking to me was magical. With the help of video blogs and sitting down to read through the pattern as well as a few curse words and dropped stitches, a sock appeared on my needles. A matching one appeared a few weeks later and they are already a beloved part of my sock collection.

My partner kept watching over my shoulder and was fascinated by the sorcery that was appearing on my needles. Little did he know that by the time he asked for a pair of his own, I had already chosen a ball of sock yarn from my stash to make him a pair. With his pair, I am learning about the difference in the yarns. The Opal yarn I used for mine was a sport wool whereas the one I am using for his is a Loops and Threads 100% acrylic. I am interested to see how well his socks hold up in the long run because I know from previously experience with my handcranked socks how well the sport wool socks hold up.

In the mean time, I also took a fused glass class to create this rainbow heart which now catches the light in my kitchen window. The other people in the class did beautiful scenes of camping, birch trees and flowers. Unfortunately for me, I was sick for a few days before the class and forgot about coming up with a design until I was in the studio so I had a mad scramble scrolling through pinterest for any and all inspiration. We have had a grey and dreary winter so the bright colours of my rainbow have helped to brighten my mood every time I catch a glimpse of it in the window.

 The other project brightening my window sills are my seedlings. I have peppers and tomatoes sprouting at the moment as we dream of summer. We have plans to plant some berries out back as well this summer.