sometimes I don't know what to write about

I have been feeling very uninspired around these parts lately. It has been very quiet and I have cleaned out my sock drawer. Other than that, I can't think of anything of consequence really to write about. Not that my socks are of much consequence anyway?

Summer has pretty much abandoned us reminding me that fall is almost here which reminds me once again that we are still here.

Am I the only one over here crying for summer to stay? Don't leave! I didn't get to wear shorts enough! I don't care about pumpkin flavored anything, all I want is more of your bountiful summer produce and a popsicle or two. 

But it's gone. You can tell when the wind blows. It's a fall breeze a-blowin'.

We've had a few partially cloudy almost 70 days and then we've had a lot of horribly balmy with zero sun days. I have never really experienced those before. This is not Seattle humidity, this is Alabama in the middle of summer humidity. But it's so confusing because there is no sun! I'm too cold if I wear shorts, too hot if I wear pants. I drip sweat if I do any type of light aerobic activity but I shiver unless I have a blanket when I sit still. The temperature changes by about 15 degrees when the sun peeks through but my confused body does not really appreciate all of this no sun but so muggy you'll die with air-conditioning business.

Anyway

I've been knitting again!

I kind of took a break for a while mostly on accident, because, you know, summer and traveling, but also because my hands were tired and I made way too much last October-February. This post didn't really do what I did any justice. In Novemberish, I started a pair of cabled socks that I had planned to use as a Christmas present. But when I was working on the second sock, I noticed that my finger kept falling asleep. Strange right? I guess it was because of the way I was holding the needles and cutting off my circulation and probably because I was knitting for like six hours a day or more, whatever. So I stopped knitting them because it's really weird to not be able to feel your fingertip (but I can feel it now!). And I started or finished some other project and forgot about the lonely sock.

Then a few weeks ago, I heard a small voice coming from my knitting basket. "Finish me," it cried, "finish me so you'll stop feeling guilty about everything in your life" and then that dang half-finished sock wouldn't shut up so I gave in and now I have a pair of socks and some owl mittens. 

And you know what? It feels good to be creating again. It feels good to be done with a project I started eight months ago.

But then I remembered that knitting just makes me want to make everything. So I have two or three finished projects and 37 more that I found on Pinterest while still working on those two or three. It's a really vicious cycle and I wouldn't recommend it unless your husband really likes it when you spend lots and lots of money on wool. Mine sure does.

So now, I knit.

I still haven't accepted in my heart that summer is ending but I'll keep knitting so that I have something to wear in the fall.

Holiday Knitting

Now that Christmas is over, I can finally post some of the things I made for my lovely family. I forgot to take pictures of a couple of things (Ugh, owl mittens)  because I was so excited to wrap them! 

I made these socks for my dear old dad. He is a huge Auburn University fan so I thought he could wear them around the house while he watches football games. They are HUGE. They go halfway up my calf and are so comfortable and warm. If I had a bigger foot, I would have been really tempted to keep them for myself. 

These cute cabled mitts were for my mom. I love the thick alpaca that I picked up the last time I was in the states. I wanted to keep these babies for myself as well, but I took a deep breath and  asked myself, "Do you really need seven pairs of mittens?" I didn't think so either. I don't actually have seven pairs of mittens, but I have about that many pairs on my to-do-list. 

This is a scarf I made for myself out of a wonderfully soft wool from knitpicks. It only took a few hours using my JUMBO knitting needles.

These are the only pair of mittens I actually kept for myself out of the six or seven or eight pairs I made everyone for Christmas. I made these specifically for when I take pictures in the cold. They were just so cute I had to have them.

My first pair of socks was actually a trio. I made the first experimental one a tiny bit lopsided on the seam and couldn't live with myself. The first sock became a partial sacrifice in order for me to complete the final one. These socks were the source of much blood, sweat, and tears on my part. I gave them to my mom because I love her so much.

This beauty took me a week of almost constant knitting to complete. I started out on needles two sizes smaller and was about a third of the way finished before I realized that it would only fit a small child or maybe a dog. I still have the partially made hat on needles waiting for the day when I can find the courage to complete it for my niece or nephew.

This hat is probably my most wonderful creation to date. I also made one in purple (which I blogged earlier on my head) that I wear almost constantly. It's really floppy and so warm since it is double layered from the color work.  

 I made this adorable little cardigan for my sweet new nephew. I think it's probably still a little big for him, but I can't wait to see him wear it. I couldn't stop squealing over it after I finished. It's just that adorable. 

I am now in the midst of making these mittens. I've waited for weeks to make some for myself because those grey mitts don't keep my fingers very warm when I'm not taking photos. I've finished one already and cannot wait to wear them. I also have about three or four hundred other things to knit (including a few other belated Christmas gifts, oops) and will try to remember to take pictures so that I can blog them! 

Off I go to finish my mittens!