Wool Socks for Winter

Last time I mentioned how I do not do well with long-term projects. I really want to knit complicated cabled sweaters and intricate lace shawls, but about 60% in I end up wanting to burn the thing. Of course when it's finished I'm glad I put in the time and immediately want to start the next big project.

Sometimes, though, I need to knit a pair of socks in 4 days. The way that happens is to find some bulky yarn and big needles (it also helps to have small feet) and cast on 32 stitches. 32!! (A regular sock has about 64 stitches in a round.) I just made up the pattern as I went along, because after knitting about 50 socks so far I could probably do it blindfolded. I used Istex Alafoss Lopi, which is from Iceland and as close to an actual sheep as you can get. The wool is pretty "rustic," as they say, so these are better if worn with other socks underneath. That's ok, because it's 62 degrees in my house and they match my House Hat and House Scarf and House Long Underwear. Is it 62 degrees in your house?

A Year of Possiblities

I love this week, which seems fresh and new, like anything is possible in the coming year. I love reading and hearing about everyone's resolutions and projects. Even though I am cynical royalty and know that 90% of these projects will be abandoned (just ask me about my Project 365 that lasted two months), for this week and this month we will indulge ourselves in optimism.

• Knit from stash: I was the happy recipient of much gift yarn this year, and dropped a couple Benjamins on yarn for myself (whoops). This fall I reorganized my yarn by weight into 3 plastic bins, which lasted about 4 seconds before they started to overflow. My goal is to fit all of the stash back into those bins.
• Get the house in order: We've entertained the idea of moving to a different house this year, which means that all of those projects that were scheduled to happen someday need to happen now. I have a 2-page list of all of these projects, ranging from cleaning out drawers to minorly remodeling bathrooms, that I will spare you from.
• Complete photobook pages monthly: Each year I put together a book of pictures from the year, so they can live somewhere physical outside of my computer. Well, this (last) year I took over 1,000 pictures. Wading through them has been a monumental task. This year, I'm going to upload the pictures from each month and complete a few pages so I don't have to do it all at once.

Despite having a terrible name, dutch babies are delicious. Alton Brown's recipe is a winner.