I know, I know – I disappeared again! It’s finally spring here in MA, and my allergies have been killing me – combined with not sleeping, and the usual work, work, work, and it means I haven’t been online much & definitely haven’t been very productive! But I do have some things to share with you today: I can finally share my two Mother’s Day gifts!
First, a simple pair of scrap cotton socks
toe up, 64 stitches, cotton / bamboo / soysilk blends.
My pattern: my own version of “blended” socks, where you work one color for a round, the next color for a round, then color a for 2 rounds, color b for 2 rounds, etc., with the occasional fair isle round or two (k1 with A, k1 with B).
I’ve basically given up on the idea of ever finishing the sock yarn afghan – it’s on my bed and is definitely large enough to be used, even though it’s not finished or even “evened out”. So I’ve been knitting through my sock yarn stash. If I ever get motivated to work on the sock yarn afghan blanket again, I’ll just have to do some new swaps or knit more socks for scraps!
My second project is the above granny square slippers. There’s a bit of back story to these slippers.
I had a very, very small bag of very, very small yarn scraps (acrylic & cotton), inherited from my grandmother when she passed away a year ago March. I wanted to make something “special”, but something “usable” as a tribute to my grandmother – and I wanted to be able to make something for my mother & something for me. We went through the list – afghan – way not enough yarn for one, let alone two afghans or even a small throw. Hat – mom doesn’t really wear hats, & I’m not going to wear an acrylic one. Gloves/mittens – same thought. Scarf – same thought. Shawl – same thought.
So I sat on the idea for quite a while (a year actually), every once in a while bringing it up to Jon & brainstorming, when he came up with the brilliant idea of making slippers. And I immediately thought of making granny square slippers, from the granny square book – the first ever crochet book I owned, and one given to me by my grandmother when I was 14 & first obsessed with crochet (though I was taught when much younger). Perfect for using up the small scraps, something we’d both actually wear & use & love, something that would remind us of her.
I grabbed a skein of red heart super saver for the soles so there’d be enough yarn for 2 pairs.
I started working on these in January, planning on making them & finishing them & giving them to my mom for Mother’s Day. I sort of forgot about them for a couple of months, but dug them out & finished them the first week of May & gave them to her last week. I ended up with not enough scraps to make a pair for me, but the remaining scrap yarn went into charity 12″ squares, and I know my grandmother would be pleased with that.
What did you make for Mother’s Day?
Boston Jane: An Adventure by Jennifer L. Holm
