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I was experimenting with SIL’s socks for Christmas.  He likes a “cushy” sock so I worked the soles in Eye of the Partridge stitch for extra padding.  It turned out great for the padded factor, but overall it was a disaster.  Because the row gauge was so much shorter on the sole than on the instep, the sock was laughably misshapen.

Next time through I tried alternating a row of Eye of the Partridge with a row of stockinette.  It was still pretty cushy but you could feel the slipped stitches very plainly.  Definitely not fun to walk on with sensitive feet!

With Christmas coming far too rapidly and more gifts and shop models to knit, I decided to stop experimenting and go with my standard sock pattern.  Sorry, SIL dear, but I really did try!

Time to knit for Christmas.  Every year I try to make everyone something.  One year it was felted slippers in several styles; another year it was hats or mufflers.  This year it’s socks.  New Son-In-Law (SIL) has only one pair of handknitted socks so I have some catching up to do with him. Why not socks for everyone?

Daughter’s will be made from HPKY’s Sock Superwash Merino Donegal and they’re finished.  The colorway is Tannhauser Light.  They’re just stockinette stitch because I love the way Bjorn’s hand-dyed colors swirl around the foot.

SIL’s are charcoal gray Socrates from Alpaca With a Twist. He’s a conservative dresser so I just did a 2×2 rib.  Also he likes “cushy” socks so I’m experimenting with doing Eye of the Partridge stitch in the sole of the sock for extra padding.  So far it seems to be working, but I’m only halfway along the foot section of the first sock.  I’ll let you know in a couple of days how it works out.

Now what to use for Husband’s socks?

All finished!  What a wonderful day!

If only I were a better photographer!  Daughter’s shawl has around 1000 pearls in it.  It was knitted from Fiddlesticks’ Zephyr (wool and silk) in Ivory which was a perfect match for her dress, which also had pearls on it.  The pattern was in Vogue Knitting Magazine in the Holiday ‘07 issue.  I really enjoyed knitting this and each stitch holds love and hope for a wonderful future.

This shawl started out to be for Daughter but found a happy home with her Maid of Honor instead.  It is Fiddlesticks’ Peacock Feathers pattern made from Fiddlesticks’ Zephyr (wool and silk) in Ivory.  It was a joy to knit this, and the picture simply does not do the pattern justice!