Progress!
Woohoo! These are the proof copies of my new Project Super Socks notebook which went out for road-testing and now, with all the feedback in, the PDF has gone to the printers so that the final version can be printed up. Progress indeed … I love it when an idea in your head starts to come to life!
You can see from this photo that the book is called Project Super Socks (because it’s part of the Super Socks series), but also “Master Plan” and there’s a space to write your name – I used to love books that you could claim as your very own when I was little, but more than that, I wanted to celebrate the skills that we have as knitters and create something that is indeed our master plan, our blueprints for knitting socks for anybody that we choose to knit for. I don’t think we should ever underestimate the skill involved in knitting socks (or anything, really). We are fluent in another language (if you don’t believe me, ask any non-knitter to tell you what a pattern means and you’ll see exactly what I mean), we have excellent hand eye co-ordination, we have above-average dexterity with our hands, we have the ability to see a finished project in our mind’s eye and we are able to choose styles and colours based on what we know about someone – and that includes ourselves; you never knit something for yourself that you don’t think will suit or you don’t like the colour, do you?
If that’s not a skill-set to celebrate, I don’t know what is! Far too often, I hear of people who are sad that others don’t see their knitting as something of value, but I want you to know that I see it, and I have a created a book to remind you that whatever others think, I think you’re amazing ❤️
It’s going to be a couple of weeks before the Project Super Socks books are ready to go. I’m looking at a launch date of early December but I’ll be able to let you know the exact date for sure soon.
I realised when I was looking through my photos that I hadn’t shown you the yarn that I bought from Purl and Jane when I was in Skipton the other week. Ooh, I can’t stop with the purple! 💜
I don’t really know what I’m going to do with it but there were just two balls of it in the discount basket and I couldn’t leave them there. I’m thinking of some fingerless mitts for when it gets colder – it’s chunky yarn so I could adapt my Split Mittens pattern and just carry on knitting instead of making the split and closing in the top. It feels unlikely that I’d need them at the moment as it still feels warm for November, but I may be glad of them as the winter moves on so it makes sense to get started now – and I have just finished a pair of socks! I also need to get a new pair of Emergency Socks on the needles so that’s something that I could think about this weekend.
We’ve had a couple of much nicer days recently – not the crisp, sunny days with the sun shining through the branches onto the colours of the fallen leaves that you like to imagine in autumn, but dry days at least which have made walking much more pleasant.
I loved the way the swans were swimming in a stately line. That’s Mr or Mrs Swan in the front followed by cygnets that look fully grown apart from some last grey feathers. I think it’s some time in January when they leave – one day they’re there with Mr and Mrs Swan, the next they’ve gone to find their own patch of water – so it won’t be long before Mr and Mrs Swan are empty nesters and ready for a new brood in the spring.
I finally got round to mending the cat scratching post this week. It hadn’t occurred to me that you could do that until I was looking for something online and saw that you could buy sisal rope exactly for that purpose. Hattie and Astrid have been big fans of the scratching post right from being tiny (our other cats wouldn’t touch it, preferring instead the carpet on the stairs, the piano stool and the curtains) but since the thinner paler rope started to turn into fluff and not be much use for keeping claws in check, they’ve been more interested in the door frames and the stair carpet instead. It was time to do something about it!
As you can see, Astrid is helping. Or more truthfully, rolling about on top of the cat tree swiping at the hanging ball and my hands and rocking it alarmingly whilst I was trying to wrap the sisal around it. When I bought the rope (paid link), the upsell was a hot glue gun but I knew that not so small daughter had one of those so I didn’t get one, although it was useful to know that’s what people had used to stick the rope to the tree!
It turned out that whilst not so small daughter did have a hot glue gun, she’d used it extensively for all kinds of creative things and there was only a little bit of glue left. I’ve never used one before and boy, it doesn’t half go through the glue stick quickly! I ran out well before the end; just about where I am there, in fact, so I decided to risk wrapping it tightly and hoping for the best. I thought that as long as I made sure the end was secure, there wasn’t anywhere for the rope to go so it should be OK. I asked the supervisor what she thought, but she was too busy waving her paws in the air.
This is what it looked like when I’d finished. I’m very pleased with that!
Apologies for the fuzzy photo, it was quite late at night and I couldn’t get a decent photo without a shadow.
Anyway, hopefully you can see the general idea of what I’ve done, and I’m delighted that I’ve got enough rope left over for more repairs another day, and it’s cost me far less than it would have done to replace the whole thing. It lives in the utility room where the cats and the dog sleep and eat, and the cats use it to bounce off onto the working top to get to their food dishes and beds (all high up because otherwise, the dog would help himself) – it’s not too big to fit in a small space and now that I’ve repaired the rope, there’s still plenty of life left in it. I do like being able to repair something! The cats seem to be happy that it’s back in use again now as vigorous scratching usually results in the tree being bashed against the radiator and we’re hearing a lot of that again!
I hope you’re having a lovely Saturday, whatever you’re up to. I’m going to go and have a root through my stash now to see what I can use for my next pair of Emergency Socks, and I’ll show you what I’ve found next time!
Just in time for Christmas!
Yes! I didn’t plan it that way but it will work out very well for an extra gift – and it’s not going to be too expensive either! 🙂 xx
I love the purple wool and hope that any mittens you make with it will make you happy every time you wear them.
The mending of the cat scratching post would make me happy too – I love mending things. Astrid is gorgeous.
I can’t wait for the new super Socks book – perfect timing for winter knitting.
Beautiful autumnal photos and the Swans are lovely – ours are back after a summer spent elsewhere – if you follow our river downstream through the village towards the Thames there is an 18th Century park/garden and I think they have been on the lakes there hiding from vandals who destroyed their nest a few years ago. This year the sites of previous nests have all been flooded in recent weeks. I just hope they stay local.
I hope your swans stay around too! I’ve definitely noticed more of them over the years that I’ve been out with the dog so hopefully you will see more in your area too. Thank you for your lovely words about the book – and I’ve already cast on for the mittens! 🙂 xx
What a good idea. So far, I’ve penciled all my notes at the back of the Super Socks books, but this will be really useful. Thanks!
I put the extra pages into Super Socks specifically for that, but this book is very definitely for writing notes in – there are tick boxes and everything! 🙂 xx
Hi Christine, glad you mended the scratching post surprising the info on Google now. Love the purple yarn but I would as I am Aquarius which is an amethyst so I have to watch myself else I would only buy purple.
Ism having a go at a jumper myself the Whitmoor by Ami Lowden first time I have tried a garment for a long long time.
Still have some socks on the needles as well never be without a pair of socks.
Take care look forward to seeing your new book 📕 when it comes out xxxxx
Margaret xxxx
Ha ha, I also have to be careful not to buy everything that’s purple – I already walk the dog in a purple coat and purple wellies, and I am resisting not so small daughter’s offer to dye my hair purple too! 🙂 I hope you’re getting on very well with your jumper! xx
Love the book, love your purple yarn and I think you should go with your daughter’s suggestion and get purple ends to your hair 💜 I’ve long wanted that but I’d have to bleach out the dark brown so will wait a few years till I’m maybe lighter, and in the meantime do purple accessories (& def socks!), the more the merrier!!
Oh, I’m going full on for the “When I am older, I shall wear purple” as the poem goes – and I’m glad that I’m not alone there! 🙂 xx
I’m looking forward to seeing the super socks book! My knitting has slipped down my priority list recently so it’ll be good to have the inspiration to pick up my needles again.
It must just not be the right time for you to be knitting, but the lovely thing is that it’s like riding a bike and when you’re ready, you’ll be able to get back into it straight away. I’m looking forward to showing you more of my book! 🙂 xx
Bargain purple yarn what’s not to like! I found a few bargains on Thursday at Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate 😍 had a lovely day, some of the exhibition pieces are stunning works of art. Our elderly cat likes his scratching post covered in carpet! Love your pictures with all the autumn colours, have you started the new wool yet – emergency gloves sounds a plan
Liz x
Ooh, I hope you had a great time at the Harrogate Show – it’s always a good day out to see everything, isn’t it? You’ve reminded me that we did cover a post in carpet once, many years ago, but then I think that encouraged our cat to use any carpet to scratch and that wasn’t the plan! 🙂 xx
hi Christine .Love your pics of the trees losing their leaves .Not good for me as I live in a tree line road .So the leaves like to hibernate in my little patio. I’ll look forward to purchasing your new book when it’s out
Oh, I bet it feels like you’re disappearing under leaves at this time of year! I hope you like the book as you see more of it, thank you! 🙂 xx
Congratulations Christine, another fabulous publication. My current knitting journal is almost full. I think I might need to treat myself. 😁😁😁😁😁❤️❤️❤️❤️🌺🌺
I’ll be showing you more photos soon and you can see if it’s what you would need – but that would be wonderful, thank you! 🙂 xx
I so look forward to your blogs. Is it possible to order yarn from you. Is there a store I should look for? You have beautiful yarn. I saw your Christmas yarn, I was staying at the Hospital with my daughter who is dying. I wasn’t able to purchase it at the time. I have two of your knitting sock books, one to learn how to knit socks. I love it and the next one, sock patterns, terrific. Since I spend lots of time at the hospital, I only knit socks. They are small to carry so no fear of spreading germs from home as a big project would do. I’m allowed to bring my hobby to pass the time with her. I love your socks and your blog. You are so fun. I could just picture your kitty helpers too. I laughed.
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter, Jacqueline. I am glad you are allowed to knit when you’re with her – I am certain that it helps both of you and you’re right, socks are the perfect project to take. I don’t sell yarn – I will have a small shop attached to the blog when I finally get round to uploading everything but it will only be patterns and my Super Socks books. For yarn, I’d take a look at Wool Warehouse as they have a huge range of sock yarns but also most of my patterns (they’ve definitely got the books and some of the patterns from the WYS as single downloads). You can download the WYS Christmas patterns from my blog if you go to the post page – eventually, when I get the shop up and running I’ll be able to list them in there. I hope you find what you need! xx
My boys have a favourite party of the post to scratch and are down to cardboard. I’m going to buy some sisal… and a glue gun!
Yes, do it! It was really easy and you can cover the cardboard up so that it lasts longer 🙂 xx
Morning Christine, the cat tree banging on the radiator is such a familiar sound from childhood it made me laugh to hear you’re familiar with it too. It drove Mam to near insanity, until she had the lighbulb moment of making a small knitted pillow that she attached to the offending end of the cat tree. I can see her now knitting the pillow furiously while muttering about “that bloody spoilt moggy” moggy being a Northumbrian cat! Thankyou for bringing back heartwarming memories ♥
Oh that’s very funny – and I think lots of us have “bloody spoilt moggies” in our houses – we certainly do! 🙂 xx
I look forward to your new book. I do hope it will be available in the US.
I’m going to put it on Amazon so as long as you don’t mind buying from them, it’ll be available 🙂 xx
Hi Christine, loving the glimpses of your new book. I’ve nearly finished my present one. so a new one is on the cards. our’ bloody spoilt might’ won’t entertain her cat tree, but does love her cardboard scratch bed thing she’s got. As well as the carpet on the last step. Astrid is gorgeous, and I bet you find her assistance in valuable. love the blog. x
What is it about that last step of the stairs? Ours was hanging in strings until we got a new carpet and fortunately, our cat decided that he didn’t like the smell of it – thank goodness! I’m really glad you like the look of the notebook, thank you! 🙂 xx
The cover looks great, I look forward to seeing the finished note book.
Being able to repair things is great! I’m going to store that bit of information at the back of my brain for when we’ll have cats one day.
Thank you, I’m glad you like the look of it! Yes, being able to repair the tree was a big relief as they’re expensive to replace and there isn’t anything wrong with the rest of it. I hope you do get cats one day, they’re lovely furries to have in your home! 🙂 xx
O so excited about this one Christine. And the purple my favourite colour. I will be able to have a good clear out. I have bits of paper notelets all over the shop. What a great way to start my new year. Thank you xx
Oh fabulous, thank you! 🙂 xx