in which there was balance

Do you ever have one of those days where you just have the perfect balance of relaxation and busyness? Where every conversation with someone new feels worthwhile, and you're reminded how much you love your family? I am in the midst of one of these days. I am so lucky to have days like this, I wish you all days like this too with your loved ones, whatever you choose to do.
And me? I'm making dog toys.

in which there was much yarn

I had the pleasure of meeting with one of my best friends Tiffany this past Saturday down in Oceanside. She is an expert foodie and we had a lovely brunch. But the weather wasn't very kind to us, and it ended up pouring while we visited the pier. So, as any good yarn addict, I suggested we go shopping down in nearby Encinitas. I visited two gorgeous yarn stores there, only half a mile from each other!
I had a wonderful time at the Black Sheep and Common Threads, there was so much yarn I was in heaven! I could have spent hours in there, but I had to consider poor Tiff, who braved a cat (she is allergic) so that I could shop as long as I wanted.
Here are a few tantalizing peeks at my purchases:

Mmmmmm amazing Noro Sock Yarn from the Black Sheep

Delicious Handpainted La Jolla Sock Yarn from Common Threads

I can't wait to turn these into amazing socks! May 2013 bring us all love, adventure, and of course, yarn!

in which there was a plan

2013 will be a welcome year for me. There have been several events among my close friends and their families that have made 2012 a less than pleasant year. I am blessed to have not been affected personally, but seeing those that I love in pain and sorrow has affected me deeply. I feel that a new year will bring a fresh template with new things to look forward to.
In the spirit of new things, I have chosen to challenge my new found knitting skills. In 2013, I shall be starting a Self Imposed Sock Club! I'm taking inspiration from the Yarn Harlot on this one (if you haven't seen her website please give it a visit if you are a knitter, thinking about becoming a knitter, or even have a love of wool and handknits. She is hilarious.) Basically I will be knitting one pair of socks a month over the course of  2013. Twelve months, twelve pairs. I have chosen the patterns from Ravelry, and they are all free. I will also be choosing sock yarns that I have heard of on various blogs, or have never knit with before. I love this because not only do I get to try new and interesting yarns, but the various patterns I have chosen include new techniques (like the Magical Magic Loop) that will add to my librain (library in my brain).
I can't wait for 2013 to cast on!! In the meantime I will be finishing up my Christmas gifts that I gave half finished. I plead finals.

In the meantime, here's some pretty yarn. :)

in which there was a first

 I'm so very excited to introduce, my first socks!!  They are too big,

have wonky holes where I picked up the wrong stitches for the gussett,

 and have two different styles of heel shaping, but they are MINE ALL MINE! I had actually intended to give them as a gift but after realizing that they were going to be less than giftable, I claimed them as my own (this is quite an advantage of knitting things for the first time, and perhaps I made mistakes subconsciously in an act of knitterly self preservation).

I have to admit that I wasn't planning on making socks so very soon after getting back into knitting, but since I finished a whole sweater (gasp!) I wanted to give it a go. There may also have been some influence due to excessive enjoyments of the yarn harlot's wonderous fantastical world of white winters where wool garments are valued and used (unlike here in Southern California), knitting (and beer) are celebrated with the highest of honors, and the traveling sock is an entertaining traveling companion. I have not yet had the courage to take my sock out into the wide world and introduce it to fantastic nouns (people, places and things), but I believe with time I will do so with great gusto.