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!