Exciting news!

A Highly Commended award banner for the British Knitting & Crochet Awards on a yellow background with the words "Thank you for voting for me" and "Social Media Superstar" on it
Wow, wow, wow!

Thank you so much to every who voted for me in the British Knitting & Crochet Awards 2021 – I’ve been highly commended in the Social Media Superstar category!  I am absolutely thrilled and must tell you that I nearly fell off my chair when I found out as I might grin and tell people I wanna be a sock star (sorrynotsorry, Nickelback!) but never a superstar! 🤣

It means a huge deal to me that you appreciate my sock-obsessed ramblings enough to take the time to vote for me and although that just means that you’ve let yourself in for more of the same because there’s no stopping me now, I hope you’ll think that’s a good thing!

Coming up in a few short weeks … the Winter Haven KAL 2022 and a brand new sock pattern … let the obsession continue!

I’ll be posting more about the KAL (KnitALong) shortly but for now, let me tell you about something else incredible that happened this week …

There – do you see that?

A tarmac path between trees, lined with fallen leaves and silhouettes of trees. There is a golden light in the distance where the sun is shining

Up there, at the top of the path.  That golden light.  That magical, wonderful, golden light that we haven’t seen for what feels like weeks and weeks and weeks … oh sunshine, it’s fabulous to see you again!

Looking across the brook to where the sunshine is golden behind the leafless trees. It's a cold morning and the brook is steaming

I could have stood here for such a long time, watching the light and the mist on the water.  It was really beautiful and I felt my heart lift to see it.  Then I realised the dog had gone – he’d run to the other side of the brook – so I headed over there after him …

A view of the misty brook from the other side. There's a long grassy path leading towards the sunlight with the water on the right.

and just after I took this photo, had to haul him out of someone’s garden where he was scavenging for scraps in their skip.  Talk about spoiling the moment! 🙄

There was more sunshine this morning at the Nine Arches, and I was almost beside myself.  This time, there were no skips for the dog to go dumpster diving in (although he did disappear into a stinky puddle) and I was able to take my time enjoying the brighter morning.

The sun is behind the brick arches of the Nine Arches railway bridge. There is a tarmac path leading towards the bridge, a grassed area to the right and the sky is blue with white clouds

It’s hard going when the sun doesn’t shine for a while, isn’t it?  I’m a Winter baby so I generally enjoy this time of the year but I have found the near-constant twilight of the last few weeks to be quite a mood-suppressant and I’ve had to work quite hard to remind myself that there is always something magical to see if you look around for it.

I saw this on one of the dull walks this week …

Fungi attached to a tree

That seems kind of magical to me.

I don’t know what sort of mushrooms (I think they’re mushrooms) these are and I know that one of you will probably be able to tell me, but I stood and admired them for quite a while, thinking that this really was something extraordinary in the everyday.  They look like something that should be on a coral reef to me, something almost other-worldly and if they’re edible, they may well have gone by now but I am glad that I saw them.

I’m on the home stretch of the Christmas gift socks – I’ve just turned the heel of the second sock so I’m hoping that the foot will be speedy knitting this weekend and then I’ll be done in plenty of time.  Yes, I have changed the colour of the stitch marker for this sock (you can see the first sock here 🙂 ) just because I can, and no, that mince pie didn’t last a lot longer after the photo had been taken.  The candle smells amazing – it’s a Festive Spice one from Next that I didn’t quite finish burning last year (I loved it so much I wanted to save it for this year too!) and that blend of Christmas smells is definitely a favourite.

A wooden coffee table with a half-knitted rainbow-striped sock, a candle, an orange mug, a mince pie, a tea pot and the ball of yarn on it. In the background is a paper-covered lampshade on a floor-standing light

Last time I wrote, I was quite behind with my Christmas preparations despite my best intentions, but I’ve got plenty done this week and I think I am just about finished.  Hooray!  There are a few more presents to wrap but the real time-consuming stuff like wrapping stocking gifts (yes, my girls still have a stocking, I don’t care if I’m soft!) is done and all the Christmas cards are written so tonight, I feel justified in celebrating with my sock and a glass of wine – yes, there is tea in that photo but now the sun is well past the yard arm and the next refill is a glass of white!  I have no idea how anybody copes with another celebration very close to Christmas as well as Christmas so hats off to you if you’ve done that this year, or you’ve got another one coming up soon!

I’m going to love you and leave you now … I can’t quite believe that it’s Christmas Eve next Friday so I hope everything goes well with your week and I will see you later! xx

 

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38 Responses

  1. Sally says:

    Well done. You brought us knitters think in thin. Have a nice Christmas

  2. Sharon Beauclerc says:

    Hello Christine
    I only found you a couple of months ago through a comment on Lucy’s Attic 24. I had a bag of 5 balls of sock wool. From 3 years ago. I hadn’t given up till I found you. Now I have added 11 balls of sock wool. Your two books. Wow. Love your blog. I haven’t completed a sock yet first too small and second sock up to the gusset. Loads of shirt circular needles different sizes. Congratulations on your awards. You are inspiring not just for socks. Love Lucy’s Attic24 to. Christmas blessings to to you and your family. 💓🥰🌲🌲🎄🎄

    • winwickmum says:

      Ah, thank you! It sounds like you’re getting on really well with your socks – it doesn’t matter that the first was too small as you got all the way to the toes, and you’ll sail through the rest of the second one in no time once all the busy-ness of Christmas is over, I’m sure! It’s lovely to have you around, thank you for reading the blog! xx

  3. Gretchen says:

    Congratulations! Well deserved! The photos of sunshine are gorgeous, and the antics of your dog never fail to bring a smile to my face. Thank you for sharing bits and pieces of your life with us; it’s always a pleasure to read your posts.

    • winwickmum says:

      Thank you! There wasn’t much smiling going on as I was wrestling the dog away from whatever it was he was eating but I’m glad the story got better with the re-telling! 🙂 That sunshine absolutely made my day, I can’t tell you how pleased I was to see it! 🙂 xx

  4. Charlotte says:

    Still on my first sock and have no hopes to finish the second one by Christmas Eve. Have asked for your second book for Christmas. So glad that you are so far along with your Christmas preparations. Merry Christmas!

    • winwickmum says:

      There’s enough going on before Christmas without giving yourself sock deadlines as well (says she, with a sock to finish! 🙂 ). Thank you for putting my book on your Christmas list – I hope you and yours have a lovely Christmas and New Year! xx

  5. Christine says:

    Congratulations to you Christine on your award. I found you a few months ago from following Lucy of the Attic 24, and I still haven’t knitted a sock but I am determined to start learning how to in 2022 ! I have one of your books and suitable yarn so no excuse not to try. I am a knitter anyway but mainly shawls and scarves. I love seeing your photos and reading your news. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and please stay safe in these crazy times.
    24

    • winwickmum says:

      Ah, thank you – and the socks will be on your needles when the time is right – those socks are always very patient and will wait until then 🙂 I hope you have a lovely Christmas and New Year too! xx

  6. Mary says:

    Congratulations Christine! So we’ll deserved! Because of you my sock journey began a few years ago and I can honestly say it’s one of the best skills I have ever learnt. Still knitting socks regularly, can’t really keep up with demand!! So thank you, sincerely. Merry Christmas to you and your family🎄🎄xx

  7. Sandra says:

    Waiting eagerly for your KAL never done one before. I have knitted quite a lot of socks from your first book think it is time to branch out and put a pattern to my socks. Congratulations on your success. I am also at this moment crocheting a blanket of Attic 24. Between you and Lucy I have learnt a lot of skills during this shutdown xx

    • winwickmum says:

      I am delighted that Lucy and I have kept you occupied – and hopefully staved off some of the lockdown madness! The Winter Haven KAL is lovely, it’s all about re-charging after Christmas and the new sock pattern will be a good one for a next-step pattern so you might want to give it a go 🙂 xx

  8. Julie Axtell says:

    Congratulations. Love the photos, especially the one with the sun and the moon. Looking forward to your winter haven KAL announcement. Best wishes to you and yours for a merry Christmas and a happy (and healthy) new year.

  9. CJ says:

    Congratulations, and it’s very well deserved. Gorgeous photos, I do love the winter landscape. CJ xx

  10. Andrea Magill says:

    Congratulations 🥳 I do like your ramblings, photos and most importantly your socks. Have a lovely Christmas 🎄🧶❤️

  11. Julie says:

    Hi Christine, many congrats on the award, very well deserved. I live in the country and see so many amazing sights each day and I love it that some one else is as cheered as I am at these sights, and a bit of sunshine is the icing on the cake. I’ve really taken to making the DK socks, but finding suitable yarn proved a bit of a challenge, so I doubled up on my favourite sock yarn – Marriner’s Cosy Toes – and had such great results – both pairs sold within days! Thank you so much, and I look forward to seeing the new designs soon. Have a great Christmas!🥂

    • winwickmum says:

      DK socks are great, aren’t they – they knit up so quickly! There’s a link to Snufflebean Yarn on the right hand side of my blog – they have lots of Novita DK yarn and you can get 10% off with the code WINWICKMUM so that might be worth checking out to see if it works out to be more cost effective for you (I need to tell you it’s a paid link, I get an affiliate fee if you buy anything but there’s no charge for browsing 🙂 ) I hope you have a lovely Christmas too! xx

  12. Bernadette Chandler says:

    Many congratulations Christine, you fully deserve it.
    Your teaching and blogs are great.
    I too have struggled this last week with constant dark, grey skies.
    I’m about to start my next pair of socks, I’ve made 2 pairs already, first on magic loop, which I found difficult. Second on dpns which was marginally easier but the finished result was not as smooth 🤷‍♀️ I’m going to try the loop again following your instructions. I didn’t have your book before.
    Wishing all the best for a happy festive season xx

    • winwickmum says:

      Thank you! I think you might find magic loop easier this time just because you’ve already done it before so you won’t have the learning curve of both the needle and the socks to contend with. Good luck with them – and a happy festive season to you and yours too! xx

  13. Karen says:

    So well deserved! I can’t thank you enough for teaching me how to knit socks!! I had been desperate to learn and had dragged my heels and procrastinated for such a long time, having convinced myself it was all too complicated and beyond me. But, your fabulous book told, and showed, me so clearly what to do that I could not have been more pleased and proud of my first pair of beautiful handmade socks. That was a few years ago and I have made many, many pairs since then and just love the whole process. I always have lots of patterns and gorgeous yarns lined up so, plenty of lovely projects to look forward to. Thank you again for taking the time to teach us all this wonderful skill. Happy Christmas xx

    • winwickmum says:

      Ah, thank YOU for taking the time to write to me, Karen! I am so pleased that I have been able to help you and it sounds like you are well and truly a sock knitter now! 🙂 xx

  14. Christine Knowler says:

    Congratulations on your award Christine! I am very behind on preparations
    but hopefully the tree and decorations will go up today. Then present wrapping.
    Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

  15. Ann Collins says:

    Congratulations Christine, you deserve this award. Wishing you the best for 2022.

  16. Maggie Boazman says:

    Congratulations 🎉
    Love reading your weekly news.
    Happy Christmas 🎄

  17. Ruth Howard says:

    Congratulations & Well done for winning the award – you do deserve it after all the time you spend knitting socks and encouraging us all with ours plus your countryside walk & garden flower photos – always look forward to them
    Have a lovely weekend
    Ruth x

  18. Helen STEPHENS says:

    Congratulations, so well deserved Christine!
    Your patterns are loved by family and knitting friends here in Brisbane. We don’t wear our socks as long as you might but they are out in a flash when the short winter finally arrives.
    Thank you so very much for sharing your talents and skills.
    Love the sun and moon photo. Wishing you all a Merry and safe Christmas.
    Helen x

  19. Kathy says:

    I have a kitten so now I knit my socks outside wherever I can ! Happy Christmas from the Isle of Wight and thank you xx

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