Foot Steps

out of autumn . . .

Published on December 18, 2020May 18, 2021 by Jen8 Comments

jenjoycedesign© birthday socks 5 (2)

I am not doing holiday knitting this year. . .

jenjoycedesign© birthday socks
but these are for a birthday coming up next week, my oldest niece will be 21!
I will give these lovely pair of Walking With Emma socks to her when I give both nieces their sweaters some time before the year is over, when we will meet at the castle for a spontaneous photo shoot.

(( I can’t imagine being with them and not smothering them in hugs! ))

jenjoycedesign© birthday socks 4

So close to the winter solstice, I go stepping out of autumn, walking with tender foot steps so I am careful not to wake nature from its much needed wintery slumber. Waiting, waiting, waiting . . . and staying creatively immersed and thoughtful while we get through another shelter-in-place for the remainder of the year.
Everybody, please stay home and stay well!
xx

good-bye summer

Published on September 21, 2020May 24, 2024 by Jen10 Comments

jenjoycedesign© good-bye summer 5

Walking along my trails, going a little further up the ridge now, making my way around, over and under so many falling blackened trees, carrying the weight of that time almost three years ago, wishing to outgrow the sadness that lingers in the landscape, however robust and magical is the resilience of nature! Goodbye summer.

jenjoycedesign© good-bye summer 7

jenjoycedesign© good-bye summer 6

jenjoycedesign© good-bye summer 10

Tomorrow is the Autumnal equinox, and finally I will be walking into Autumn, a season which seems to be more forgiving of endings, fresh and open for verdant return of moss, of life renewed from rain. And on my bare feet I’ll be wearing the comfort of the season, new verdant green mossy boot socks, plush and double thick, two yarns held together merino socks that I cast on at the June Solstice, and knit slowly & purposefully all summer long, while oppressed by sweltering heat and choking smoke. Soon the air will clear and crisp and be again glorious!

(Click 1st image below and see slideshow my walk from the afternoon. )

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Fresh off the needles, a very simple boot sock, for hiking . . .

Pattern: Walking With Emma socks

Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll, charcoal and bamboo, held together throughout.

Project Details: Solstice Socks

Foot steps, and paw steps.

Published on January 29, 2020April 30, 2025 by Jen15 Comments

jenjoycedesign© striped socks 1 Wow, January is nearly over. So much is going on, with Spring really just around the corner! I have SO much I want to do, I’m feeling a little naturally overwhelmed, so I’m forcing myself to rein in too much excitement, and keep it to a dull roar.

jenjoycedesign© striped socks 2

Finished a pair of socks, in unexpectedly fun self-striping sock yarn I found at Michael’s Crafts, not believing it could be so beautiful of a colorway. I’m really attracted to the ochre stripe, that deep mustard, next to the grey. I think I’m ready for something mustard yellow & grey colorwork, which is a stellar color combo and yet perhaps already a bit tired in the fashionable trends, but I was never one to care about trends.

Pattern: Another pair in Walking With Emma, modified with rib chart A and stockinette leg.

Yarn: Kroy Sock Yarn in color 55102

♥ ♥ ♥

And speaking of Walking with Emma, she’s three months away from 15, indeed a very old girl. She naps a lot of the day in her car cave, which is her very own hermitage & safe place of contemplation, complete with electric heating pad, and she tolerates being out of it only for short intervals. With the help of a good harness, together we have four good paws and so she comes in for the morning , and again mid-afternoon, sometimes evening for a snack if she’s barking for something. Here she is just now finished with her home-cooked dinner. Each day she’s still here is a good day, um, even if she is not squarely on her bed!

jenjoycedesign© Emma Jan 28, 2020

Footsteps

Published on August 20, 2019May 24, 2024 by Jen2 Comments

jenjoycedesign© Walking With Emma socks 3

I am revisiting footsteps ~ a journey of finished samples from my own sock patterns ~ this one being my favorite and most recent sock pattern, “Walking With Emma”, and which I submitted two months ago today. In recent days it has been refreshingly cool, a sort of “eye in storm” of typical scorching heat of August, so knitting up the second sock from the original stack of ten-at-a-time was quite pleasurable, and the perfect thing to be doing it seems, while the house rebuilding crawls through the summer months.

Anyway, this was really fun self-striping Kroy yarn that I picked up at the local Michaels store, and I’m pretty sure this very pair is my favorite of the ten. Must finish up more of these to keep my spirits up ~~ so watch this space!

♣ ♣ ♣

Pattern: Walking With Emma in the 2-stitch cable variation.

Yarn: Kroy Socks

Details: on Ravelry HERE.

Sox Box

Published on March 22, 2019May 24, 2024 by Jen11 Comments

On the vernal equinox I found myself running over to Lolo’s, a great little thrift shop in St Helena, and I found this nifty wooden thing. I thought it especially nifty because the compartments can be put to use in a very knitterly way, and so it is now my official Sox Box !

This is in fact, my latest pair of St Andrews Harbour Socks, from the March Into Spring KAL that I’ve been posting about. I worked chart C over 60 stitches, and simply worked stockinette instead of the moss stitch. To me they look so like the knee-high socks I wore as a school girl.

I did knit an awful lot of socks last year when I was making samples for St Andrews, but gave most of them away for holiday gifts. However, I did keep two extra pairs for myself, so adding the latest finished pair with Miss Babs Northumbria sock yarn, I am ahead filling the Sox Box by three pair!

Three compartments filled, and a dozen to go.

Yarn: Miss Babs Northumbria Fingering, in color of “Adobe”.

Pattern: St Andrews Harbour

Project details on Ravelry here.

♣ ♣ ♣

Aside from sock knitting, we’re having a lot of Spring rain here, and its forecast to continue probably through the remainder of March. The surplus of water is a gift from the planet in our drought prone area, so I’m feeling somewhat rain-restored. Life is good.