Slippers and socks, socks and slippers

Super goofy looking! But warm and lovely.

I finished my Christmas knitting on December 22nd, which I think was a first for me. I'm so often knitting a last-minute hat on Christmas Eve, and I hate that. I did a much better job of planning ahead this year, and to reward myself for such good behavior, I cast on for a pair of Ysolda's Cadeautje Slippers on the 23rd. She originally released this pattern as part of a subscription-based pattern collection, with one pattern released every two weeks in the couple months leading up to Christmas. Genius, especially because the patterns weren't available individually until December 15th, which isn't too too late for Christmas knitting, but it's close, so she gets you there. I wish I'd thought of that. 

All those white bits are fluff on the inside. Squooshy squooshy fluff.

Anyway, I bought the pattern the second it was available as an individual download, but didn't have time to start until the 23rd. I whipped that first slipper out in two evenings flat. I passed it around the couch for all the visiting relatives to try on, and every single person fell in love. The inside is so wonderfully fluffy and squooshy because they're thrummed, which is a fantastic technique, and I can tell they're going to be so, so warm. I immediately cast on for the second one, knitted the sole, then stalled. 

Can I tell you something? Knitting the foot part is a huge, giant, sucky pain in the butt. It's too many stitches for a set of double-points, but the angles are too harsh for a 16" circular, and I don't have a needle long enough to properly magic loop it. I struggled through the first one just because I wanted to make these so badly, but I'm having such a hard time convincing myself to just do it again and knit the second one. I tried last night (using 5 dpns and a 16" circular as a sixth needle... I'm so clever), and got all the way through the toe cap before I realized that I knitted the toe onto the heel. Fun. 

While I'm working up the fortitude to just finish the damn slipper I remembered that I knitted one Jaywalker sock a few months ago and put it away in the knitting basket. I'm a fan of matching socks (as I assume most people are, ha), so that one sock isn't doing me any good. I pulled out the project bag and started on the second sock, then got distracted with design work. So now I have one and a partial slippers, and one and a partial socks. This is helpful to no one, so I think I just need to devote some time this week to slippers and socks... which is better said than done when the yarn for 4 sweater designs is calling my name and I really, really want to paint my kitchen, but also I should really be submitted design ideas for some upcoming pubs, and the dishwasher needs unloading yet again. Life! So busy. Not enough time to sit and knit something just for fun.

So here's to finishing my first pair of socks in 2015, and sticking my cold tootsies into those fluffy slippers.