2013 is the Year of Sock Knitting!

     Well basically my blog went stagnant in 2012. Things got so busy for my family. Between my knee surgery in June, to my recovery and our general lifestyle things just got away from me. Something had to give, so I would be able to focus on other things. The blog was sacrificed for the time being. But now as part of my "Goals for 2013" ( we don't use the word..resolutions.. in our house, somehow they always get broken! ) I wanted to start blogging again. It truly coincides with my goals and honestly, I've missed it.

So an update is definitely needed here!

     First off, our son Henry became so active in his attempts to "escape" from his playpens that we were changing the "set-up" to try and keep him contained every month! He is a sneaky lil' guy and keeps us on our toes. We finally have a setup that keeps him happy, and allows me to clean/cook/do chores without worrying that he will hurt himself or get into trouble. At the end of September we had to move him to a toddler bed because he was climbing out of his crib. The transition has gone well and we have a very happy, cuddly little boy. =D
     Gwen started kindergarten this past Fall. She is doing well in school and seems to enjoy learning new things. Though, she has recently admitted to disliking her ballet classes. To the point that she argues for days when I mention she has ballet. So we are taking a break and seeing if she is a happier kid without dance classes. Currently, she seems to be a much happier child without dance classes. But now that means we need to find her something else to do.

     My knee surgery went well, though my recovery at first was slow going. I am now to the point were I need strength training. Overall, I am pleased but wish I could run or at least speed walk. The strength just isn't there for that yet. But, eventually I'll get there. For now I am just happy that I can do household chores and take the kids to the park without significant pain in my knee. =D It is an improvement to say the least.
     Lastly, as a family we have been trying to ( slowly ) become more organized. My husband and I have been picking one area at a time and working on finding better ways to arrange furniture and ways of dealing with clutter. One big change we made was our dinner table. We brought a smaller table down from my craft room so Gwen has a designated "arts & crafts" space that doesn't hog the dining room table. Now, she can have crafts-in progress going that I don't have to move around everyday. It has made a huge improvement. Also we re-did the family room. And I have to say it feels so much better to have a space that works for Henry and all of us. Though, I can't leave out any knitting, because Henry attacks it. lol


     Speaking of knitting... =D ( Finally getting to the good stuff! ) I have set one of my major Goals for 2013 to be the year of handknit socks! To help with my motivation we bought a pair of Peek-a-Boo Viewz boots. I have so much sock yarn that I had intended for socks last year...and the year before. But I've literally knit and finished 1 pair of socks in the last 2.5 years. How sad is that? So the last few days have been full of sock knitting and I am happy to say I am halfway done with a pair of socks!

     These are knit out of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in Nodding Violet and Boobie 1. The Nodding Violet colorway has been in my stash for years...and while I used part of the skein to knit a baby hat last year I saved the rest of the skein for socks. The pattern is Longjohn Socks by Anne Hanson of Knitspot. And I cannot say enough about this pattern. Her patterns are always well written with a vast range of sizes but the stitch used creates a stretchy fabric that works well with high contrast variegated yarns. I plan to knit this pattern again since it is so enjoyable. I did change the heel to a Cat Bordhi Sweet Tomato Heel. The fit is amazing and looks very cool knit up. It is the first well fitting heel I've knit and I will be using it for all of my socks in the future.

     Another way I am going to jump start my motivation with sock knitting is to include it with my exercise schedule. So whenever I use my recumbent bike I'll be working on a pair of "workout" socks. I've seen a number of knitters doing this over the last 6 months and I've been inspired to do the same. The idea is that the "workout" socks will only be knit when working out. I chose a lovely skein of Trekking XXL in colorway 415 which is a bright and happy rainbow colorway. I cast on for it yesterday and put in a 40 minute session on my bike. Though, I only knit a few rows because I became engrossed in a video podcast. lol Either way it is potato chip knitting at it's finest. =D

     I am planning to write a new blog post every other week. Sometimes every week depending on what is going on in my life. It seems like it is a reasonable schedule considering other plans/goals I've got going on. I will share more details on the rest of my "Goals for 2013" to come.

Wishing you all the best in 2013!

Happy Knitting,
Kate