Happy Haunts Socks for Yohko

I've been in a knitting slump and the holidays are finally approaching.  I still need to finish up some holiday gifts but, I also needed something that would be quick, easy and most importantly, something to jump start my knitting again.  Since Halloween is coming up, there's been a lot of fall/Halloween knitting posts; when I saw this pattern (again) and it inspired me to make a pair of house socks for a friend who just loves Halloween as part of her Christmas gift.

With some mystery black and cream yarn and my Chiaogoos US 3 (3.25mm) needles, I based the house socks on my Giri no Haha tabis, casted on 40 stitches and essentially used the pattern as a guide (just like how the pattern maker suggested 😁🥰).  It took me seven (7) days to finish it:

09/24/23 - finished the foot of 1 sock - 2 repeats of ghost

09/29/23 - turned heel: 8 sts, 4 reg st, 8 sts; in final boomerang, k2tog fir the reg sts as you'll pick them back up when you go around the leg again

10/04/23 - had to rip out the 1st ghost repeat (after the heel) 3 times before figuring out how it should be spaced out.  Then had to rip out the 2nd ghost repeat and go up a needle size to a US 5 (3.75mm) because I couldn't get it over my own foot! & then to a US 6 (4.0mm) for the 3rd ghost for a roomier fit.  I used my US 8 (5.0mm) for a 1" 2x2 rib (5 rows). Finally finished leg of 1 sock with 3 ghost repeats on 10/07/23.

After trying it on, while it fit me, I thought it might be too snug for my friend so, I ripped it back to the first 7 rows of the 1st ghost on the foot, switched to my US 6 (4.0mm) needles and tried again.  Used my US 6 (4.0mm) through the rest of the foot and heel then switched to my US 8 (5.0mm) for the leg.  I finished the redo on 10/08/23. 

10/13/23 - finished the foot of 2nd sock - 2 repeats of ghost & turned heel.

10/14/23 - finished leg of 2nd sock - 3 repeats of ghost

I hope she enjoys her house socks and keeps her warm this winter!

I Love Yarn Day 2023

Yesterday was I Love Yarn Day.  I spent my day finishing a holiday gift for a friend of mine and getting excited again about knitting.  "Why were you getting excited about knitting again?  Don't you knit?," you ask?  Well, over the summer, I had a huge (restless) lull in my knitting where I tried to knit but, I kept making mistakes or was unhappy with how my knitting was moving along or was finished.  In the end, I pretty much abandoned my knitting for the last few months.  I simply binged read instead.  However, while I binged read, my "pile" of knitting was "staring" at me beckoning me to come back and reminded me how much I actually missed knitting.  Whatever did I do with myself prior to discovering knitting?! 🤔😳😔😱😭  So, I spent the day being excited that I was feeling the desire to knit again, as well as actually accomplishing a quick project.  I've even started going through my stash (& associated stash of projects!) and have felt that spark of excitement of trying another new pattern and the simple joy of knitting again.

And, this is how I spent I Love Yarn Day: actually knitting again, feeling the joy of knitting, being excited about knitting and enjoying the satisfaction of starting and finishing a project. 🥰💕🙌🎉🎊🥳