Today is the official halfway point for month o’socks. I am evaluating my progress today and trying to get a handle on my goals. While I had extra knitting time this past week, that will end tomorrow. Progress will now slow down majorly. I think it is reasonable to expect to finish Nick’s socks, the Wanida socks, and the Christmas stocking. I will then be forced to work on the Lissajous stockings, but it will take a small miracle to actually complete them. Not to mention my avoidance due to the possibility of running out of yarn. It will be interesting to see where I stand at the end of month o’socks.

Nicks Wedge socks are coming along swimmingly. I’d like to have them completed and in the mail tomorrow, not sure I can make it, but I’ll try. I finished the toe of the first and am about to start the heel of the second.

Obviously this is where the bulk of the progress has been made.  Meanwhile, though I promised I’d knit a heel flap on the Wanida socks, that didn’t exactly happen. Mostly because I did not have the pattern book with me, and couldn’t figure out the heel flap without it. I thought I could, but I was mistaken. So instead I began the heel flap on the Christmas stocking, but quite frankly, that really is only a few rows long itself.

I did make decent progress on the Lillia Hyrna shawl though, managed to get to the second contrast color section. Already the rows are very long, but I think it will be both stunning and rustic once it is complete.

OK-back at it, I’ve a wedge sock to complete!

I’ve strayed from the course a bit, in interest of keeping my poor hands healthy. They are actually feeling much better today, and I think we can thank the size 10 needles and this:

A sixth falling snow stocking, which is quickly becoming the traditional Christmas stocking for new family members. I suspect this is one of two that I will have to knit this year.

I also pulled out a project which I have previously kept quiet. I started it quite some time ago, but needed to finish more spinning so I could continue. It is the Lillia Hyrna shawl from Knitters Book of Wool.  The lighter color is my handspun alpaca/cormo/silk 2 ply, and the darker color just added is 100% camel handspun 2 ply. I’d say the lighter color is about a sock weight, so I say it counts for month o’socks.

And finally, I did do a bit of work on Nick’s Wedge socks. Which are awesome! The construction thrills me, a very interesting knit.

I am saving the rest of the Christmas stocking until my hands ache again. I need to make the heel next. So the wedge socks are the socks of the hour today.

And on that day, there was a finished object:

My handspun lacy baktus scarf is complete. It has all the charm of noro if you ask me, thick areas, thin areas, but the colors are good.  Oddly it is also a little “cottony” feeling even though it is merino wool.  I believe that the wool top originally came from Lorna’s Laces, colorway circus. At 5oz. and then some, it makes for an ample scarf even as a 3 ply yarn.  This is my second baktus scarf, but neither are for me. So the color I have on the wheel right now? That one will be all my own.

I also began my Rock and Weave socks. I’ve finished both linen stitch cuffs. This is the first time I’ve done linen stitch, and while knitting it, all I could think is that the pattern would make a fantastic scarf.  I intend to consider that in the near future. After month o’socks of course!

It really is a fantastic stitch pattern for busy hand dyed yarn.

I spent a good long time spinning yesterday, so less progress overall for a weekend day. And now that we are back in the work week, and because my schedule this week is busy, I suspect my socks will slow down considerably.

First up, the lissajous sock. I’ve chosen to show the back side again, since that is where all the action is taking place. I’ve finished all the calf decreases and have about 4 inches of pattern knitting to do before starting the back of the leg/heel diamond motif.

Now that the week has begun, I’ve taken up my wanida socks again. I have finished the leg of the sock and gotten everything prepared for the heel. And those of you who have knit the wanida know full well this is the most difficult part of the entire sock due to some undocumented errata.

And just for consistency’s sake, I’ve added the prerequisite handspun scarf pic.

I cannot deny it, mad progress made on my stocking. I am showing off the back since I managed to finish the entire calf gusset area and it is too pretty to hide. I am now working on the decreases for the remainder of the leg.

Now that I have a picture, I can see that there is subtle striping in the colorway. I don’t think it is at all noticeable while I am knitting it.

I also finished spinning a hank of laceweight yarn. This is camel fiber I picked up at IA sheep and wool festival. It is gloriously soft, indescribably soft. I am very eager to knit with it!

I haven’t counted yardage yet but it is 2 ply. It was a slippery spin and needed some very fast twist, but the results are stunning!

I did make a few rows of progress on the baktus, but it really has been put on the back burner for the stocking

Fortunately, I’ve limited the scope of my projects to two today and have less to show you!

The big progress has been made with the lissajous stocking. In fact, the first diamond motif is complete. Which means tomorrow I can show you the calf gusset on the other side!

And again I’ve worked a bit on the handspun scarf. Slow and steady wins the race. Or so they say. As usual I’ve added a stitch marker for where I left off yesterday

I did get a bunch of spinning done today. Or rather plying. So if I am ambitious this evening, I could get a skein of 2 ply camel done to show off tomorrow. But no promises…..

Not as much progress as I had hoped due to a pact with myself about deep cleaning and a child in a bad mood. 3 projects made some progress.

I cast on and knit 2 rows of the Lissajous socks. Let me tell you, that alone took hours. Seriously.   Not a pattern for a quick sock.

I did a few rows on the handspun lacy baktus, I put a marker where I was yesterday in order to track progress.

And I finished one of the Wanida socks and started the second.

After looking at these pictures, I realize my earlier frustration is probably unwarranted. Much was accomplished after all.

This is the third year of month o’socks and the rules have changed a bit to accomodate an evolving group of knitters. This year, we can knit socks, we can knit with sock weight yarn, and we can knit christmas stockings.  I intend to do all three.

My other goal is to post progress pictures daily. It will be interesting to see how these projects grow from day to day. So to begin with, I will post each project I intend to work on during this month.

First up is the Wanida socks from the Cookie A. book “Sock Innovations.”  I started this month, and almost have sock 1 complete. The yarn is Koigu KPPPM.

I’ve got one sock complete and another started in Austermann Step, the pattern is Hermoine’s Everyday Sock. These are my easy knitting. Cheater socks. I am not sure they will get completed this month, but progress will be made on them.

I decided I wanted to knit with handspun this month, and so I will be working on a lacy baktus scarf out of navajo plied merino. I’ve begun the decreases, so it is just over halfway complete.

My pair of stockings for this month will be done out of wollmeise 100%. I’ll be knitting lissajous.

I needed to work on some socks that rock mediumweight yarn, so I thought I’d pull out the faulty dyer colorway and knit it into some rock and weave’s.

And finally, the stocking. Bulky wool of the andes from knitpicks will be used for yet another falling snow stocking, of which I have knit 5 already. There is a new family member expected and he/she shall need a stocking.

We will see where all this leads me and what I’ll manage to actually finish. During this time I have designated spinning time as well, and it would be just lovely to complete a hank of yarn too!