Darn It!

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Mom LOVES the bedsocks I've made for her...she has 4 pairs. However, her absolute favorites are the first pair I made for her. They've been darned in the about 1 1/2 years ago to repair HUGE holes - and we're talking holes in excess of 2 inches in diameter!










It seems that her well-worn, well-loved socks again need some repair. So, tonight, I spent my evening darning her socks...again. I've photographed both sides of both socks so you can see the general condition of the socks themselves (VERY well-worn!), as well as the repairs.

Once again, I used my improvised darning egg of choice - a metal soup ladle. It's absolutely perfect for darning these socks - stick it up the leg of the sock, steady it between your legs, and voila! I was all set to go!



The sock on the left was the "most needy". It required two separate "repairs" this evening. Poor thing! I thought a closeup of the sole would be appropriate. Geez...I can't believe how much use these socks get!






On the knitting front, I finished my sister's scarf yesterday. Now I have two completed projects before the close of the second week of the new year! I only had one more pattern repeat to do on Monday night, but I opted for sleep instead. The variegated yarn really doesn't show the cabling, but I still like the result. The cables make the scarf "thick and warm"....and the Malabrigo Yarn makes it so incredibly soft! I still have to block it and ship it off to her. I'm thrilled that I'm finally able to make/give her something she truly wants! (She'd been lusting after mom's scarf for weeks!)

Oh...tonight, I dropped in on a knitting group that meets at the Peru Library. They're a very warm and welcoming group and I felt instantly at home. The group tonight was small - probably because of the weather - I think some folks decided to stay home and stay warm! If it's not snowing, it's blowing...with zero or sub-zero temperatures! None the less, I had a fabulous time chatting and knitting. I definitely intend to drop in on them the next time I'm in town!

I'm even going to participate in one of their projects. It's the 100th anniversary of the Peru Library...and to celebrate, they're covering a chair in knitting and/or wrapping it in yarn and then adorning it with 100 felted flowers. Mike, one of their members and a key organizer, showed me a picture of the chair they're modeling theirs after. I think it's a fabulous idea - and very unique! So, I'll be knitting and felting at least 2 flowers to be incorporated into the "chair-art" project. The completed chair will be on display in the library as part of the 100 year celebration.

While chatting with the members of their knitting group, I got the "scoop" on where all the local yarn shops are. Unfortunately, it's just as I suspected based on my internet search - most are an hour or more away. BUT...there are a few nearby quilt shops that also carry yarn - and not just the acrylic yarns either - so there is hope!

I've been very disappointed with the offerings at both Walmart and Hobby Lobby here. Both seem to have reduced their supplies of both wool and wool blend yarn significantly and are displaying even more acrylic than last year. Walmart seems to have significantly reduced the size of its yarn section! This is all very sad because these are the closest sources for your supplies and yarn...and even that seems to be dwindling!