episode 121 | happy new year

EPISODE 121 SHOW NOTES

Happy New Year to you my lovely friends and may our 2022 be a darn sight better than our 2021.

I’m still in Christmas mode for this episode so please excuse my many pauses and much rambling, I’m pretty sure I’ll be back on track next week, probably.

I started off my day by watching the fabulous Pam Gregory talking about today’s New Moon in Capricorn (I filmed and am writing these show notes on Sunday 2nd January 2022). You can find the video here and I found it to be a very positive, uplifting watch (Pam is always positive and uplifting), good to know the iron grip of the current control system can be expected to crumble away this year, I’m praying on it anyway.

FINISHED

I finished Betsy’s advent socks and they are super pretty because she picked the unicorn themed yarn. Plus I put some of the more vivid colours back in the bag so they could be used in the second sock to, hence they look more pulled together and much less hectic than previous year’s socks.

I used a selection of sock yarn leftovers, put them in a bag and got Betsy to choose a colour each day without looking (no peaking)!

I worked these socks on 2.25mm needles over 60 stitches (10 rows for each colour) with a shadow wrap heel (using this tutorial) and they do work out a tiny big baggy on Betsy’s little hooves but I don’t mind so much because at least she can grow into them a bit.

CHRISTMAS SOCKS

I’m still working on my advent 24 Days Socks (really wanted to be finished but just didn’t manage it, gah) using my advent swap from Amy @noblecharactercrafts. I’m keeping these socks in my Coco & Flora ‘I think it’s Christmas anyway’ bag and I’m using Aloe Sockwool in White (100) for the main colour.

I finished one sock (so a half finished item I suppose) of my two colour version of the 24 Days Socks using a lovely blue called Petrol from Opal Uni 4ply and a club yarn from Woolly Mama Yarns in the colour Candy Floss. They are living in my Jibbyroo Sews Christmas ice skater bag.

You can buy the 24 Days Socks pattern on Ravelry or Etsy, depending on your personal preference.

My other pair of Christmas socks, and another half finished object, are my traditional West Yorkshire Spinners Christmas socks. I like to knit a pair of vanilla socks using one of their Christmas colourways every December and this year they had a new Vintage Tinsel colourway which I’ve paired with purple (weirdly). I’m working a plain sock over 64 stitches on 2.25mm needles and keeping them in my new bag from Made by Rachel.

WIPS

I’ve started a new Rib & Gather hat in the smaller size (just to see how big it worked up) using my gifted Christmas Lights yarn from Biffsugar Yarns.

It has turned out quite a bit smaller and I definitely can’t fit my giant head in it (boo) so I’m gifting this hat to one of Betsy’s friends for her January Birthday - I’m planning on adding a pink faux fur bobble to top it off and I think that will make it look super fun and pretty.

AND FINALLY

I decided not to take part in the #beesarefriendskal being organised by Kaci from @youngfolk.knits and her bestie Becky from @a.handknit.letter. They are making the Humlebi Shawl from Fiber Tales and I just couldn’t find the right yarn to make it plus I’m not sure about making a shawl from the bottom up because if it does turn out too small (as many have said on Ravelry), I won’t be able to fix it.

I’ve prepared a Make Nine grid for 2022 and I want to take part in Amy’s annual makealong using the #makenine2022mal hashtag but I’m going to try and focus a bit more on making things that I’ll wear (jumpers) or use (blankets) and limit the shiny, pretty things that I tend to get distracted into making during the course of the year. I’ll be sharing my Make Nine grid soon.

My favourite Christmas present this year was my Gardener’s World Almanac which is brilliantly UK focused and specific for all Blighty gardening matters. The almanac I used to use was this one but it tends to include a lot of superficial stuff from other countries that isn’t relevant to UK gardening and so I can’t get along with it anymore.

I did purchase one thing just before Christmas, the lovely Medici Minis set from Birdstreet Yarn, the colours are so pretty in particular that lovely Medici colourway.

In other news all my product launches and discount codes are sent via my newsletter so if you want to subscribe and be the first to know about pattern launches etc, you can do so by filling in the form below, I’m not the most prolific of newsletter writers so you’ll never be inundated and you can of course unsubscribe at any time.

Finally a reminder to let you know that Jayne Aspinall won the 20k giveaway and she wins a bunch of lovely things including the spectacular Betsy’s Socks yarn from Shannon at Blue Fern Yarns plus some free patterns from @catherinecrochets and @rowrowandkades.

Enjoy the podcast folks and remember that love conquers all. All the very best to you.