I wish I had met my grandma, I always knew we had a lot in common.

My grandma was creative and an avid crocheter and stitcher. In the year that she visited my parents here in Melbourne, she was prolific in her making.

Yesterday, my mum showed me the suitcase of things grandma made and left for us to treasure; this is only part of it, mum has already given me crochet makes that I’ve tucked away for safekeeping, as I’m sure my other siblings have also received.

Mum said that Grandma would stay up late crafting every night. And in the morning she’d be up before everyone else with her light on in her room crafting away. I loved hearing this from my mum, because I do that! Well, the staying up late part, not so much. But the getting up early to craft, most definitely. When Damian is away, I also get to do this in bed with a cup of tea.

Whilst seeing my mum, I had her try on her first sock, and it’s perfect. The second one is not far off being finished either. I’m so pleased to be able to give my mum something she will love and wear. My mum has cold feet, just like me.

This past weekend, I did some travel knitting…

I hopped on my first plane since forever … Christmas 2018 (New York) I think…

I travelled to Queensland to visit Damian for the weekend. I was that excited to be on a plane again, anyone would have thought I was going to New York or Japan or far, far, away. I felt quite emotional and happy to be in the air again.

And Queensland is only 2 hours away.

I always go for the window seat, can you see my excited face beneath the N95 mask?

Of course flying again was just one highlight of the trip, the other was spending time with Damian.

Eating delicious food…

And knitting in airports and on the flight itself. I enjoy sock knitting most when I’m travelling, it is the perfect project! All that waiting, is not wasted time.

I’ve finished knitting my mum’s first sock, and I cast on for the second sock for my flight home. I’m hoping they’ll be a good fit for her, how suspenseful!

2022 did not begin the way I intended or expected, but I’m going to do my best, to make sure the rest of the year doesn’t suck as much as January did. Here’s hoping.

When I was growing up, my mum had to deal with the proclamations of her children (me) “I’m bored”, I remember it vividly. To which her response was “read a book”, and then the wails got louder!

Fast forward to today, and I have to say, not a lot has changed. The world certainly has changed, but how I react to the obstacles hasn’t. I bought a new kindle at the start of the first lockdown in 2020, and I still haven’t lifted my reading game! But I digress. Back then I would sew, knit, stitch and colour; and this is where I also get some of my joy now.

So my plan is to be joyful.

Joyful in my making. I’ve decided to make my mum 5 pairs of socks this year and it is going to be fulfilling. I’ve made so many pairs for myself, I certainly don’t need anymore right now, there’s just no space in my sock drawer for one more pair! Visiting mum and having her show me the state of the socks I knit for her maybe 5 years ago, pretty much confirmed my mum needed more of my hand knit socks. The pair are very well-loved and very well-worn. I’ve thrown out my own socks with much less wear and fewer repairs!

This is the first pair in progress, I’m using a favourite pattern by Cookie A called Xeriscape. Gosh she is/was a great designer, I miss her patterns and her sock clubs. The yarn is by Stranded Dyeworks, it is a merino / cashmere / nylon yarn. It’s really lovely. The colour way is one of her old ones called Funfair.

Don’t worry, I’m still knitting for myself this year, but it just won’t be socks!