Bits and Pieces

The garden is coming up beautifully, albeit a little fast. I've been enjoying watering in daylight every morning.

I spent part of Memorial Day weekend thinning out portions of the garden, including the lavender. I should have snapped a photo before I began, but I didn't think of it. Lizard was the lavender expert. He wanted to have a small lavender farm one day. He studied how to care for them. He's the one who knew how to prune the plants at the end of the season. I hoped last October I hadn't killed it by cutting off too much and too deep.

The main plant started looking pretty dead, although even dead, it's the best-smelling growth on the planet. Most of it looked as if it wasn't going to come back this year, and I'd been wanting to trim off the old wood ever since the weather began warming up.

I spent more than two hours trying to gently trim the old seemingly dead branches because there was growth deep inside the main plant. I accidentally cut off two branches with live growth, and I put them in a mason jar with water to see what will happen. I don't know if you can start a new plant with cuttings, but I intend to find out. Plus, for now, the branches are still alive. And they smell so wonderful!

The result of my lavender hair cut isn't very pretty right now, and my back was so sore by the time I got done. But man, there is nothing more pleasant than trimming lavender! I could have stayed down there on the ground with those dead branches all day!




I often see baby bunnies scampering from the garden as I begin watering. I guess there's no getting away from the garden terrorists.

One morning last week, I found a deep hole in the flower raised-bed garden. It appeared someone dug all the way to the bottom and all through the mouse tunnels. Bulbs were not eaten but tossed aside, as if that wasn't what the digger wanted to digest. We assume it was a fox, and I was happy to replant my bulbs, hoping the mice were at long last gone.


No such luck. Three days later, a mouse was right back in the same place, with new tunnels, and chewed bulbs. Argh!!!

I went right back into high security mode, layering the spices on my garden and digging the soil every day.

Two days, three days, four days... no mice... Perhaps this time, they realized this wasn't a safe place to nest.


blink, and you miss it
Then I found one again. He (or she) had moved into the tomato and pepper garden, which also is loaded with onions and spicy oregano. And carrots, which is what this particular mouse was feasting upon. I used up all the rest of my cinnamon, cayenne pepper and black pepper layering both the veggie gardens, and I'm digging up the chewed up carrots. But I think I'm losing the battle.

I don't have a whole lot more energy left to fight them!

So I looked up kittens available for adoption in the area. They wouldn't be mousers until next year, but perhaps we would have so much fun with new members of the family, we wouldn't care so much about the mice and the bunnies.

I'm waiting to hear back from two different kitten parents, and I hope I have a big announcement soon. However, what we're looking for seems to be in high demand, so perhaps it won't be in the next week or two. I think, once our filed adoption applications are approved, we'll likely be put on a waiting list.

I think a new family member (or three) will be just what Lizard needs right now to restore hope and optimism. He took a turn for the worse about 17 days ago and is having difficulty walking now. We haven't given up hope, and he's working as hard as he can to regain his skills. We're hoping these latest changes aren't permanent.

Due to some balance issues, we've had to make some modifications at home. I'm still not going out much, and we needed supplies, so I ordered them.

I picked up some primo wash cloths rated very soft and thick. The manufacturer supposedly supplies hotel chains. The new stash arrived last weekend, along with more men's socks. We washed everything before putting them away, and I forgot about the comments some buyers made about the "incredibly soft and thick but high quality" cotton in the face towels. Many people said there was a ton of lint after the first wash.

No kidding.




I spent nearly an hour trying to hand-pick the lint off Lizard's new socks. Packing tape didn't work. I tried.

When I first pulled the wash cloths out of the packaging, Lizard commented, "Oh, you can dye those!"

Oh, how I love this guy!

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Change of Pace

I was getting a little bored with socks, having made 22 pairs as Christmas presents (a few years ago). I longed to productively and purposefully channel creativity brewing deep inside.


First, I made smaller socks from leftover sock yarn. I intended these mini socks to hang on the Christmas tree.




My friends insisted these charmers would make wonderful baby socks if I made two of each instead of just one.


So a bundle of twins were born. Once again, even mini socks get boring after 10 pairs, so I decided baby socks need something else to keep them interesting. What else besides soft, cuddly lizards?!? Named after the places they were born! (Because I often crochet in the car while The Lizard takes me to awesome, eye-popping, jaw-dropping Colorado venues.)


One sock yarn I liked so much, I decided to try designing a baby sweater to go with the baby socks. A neighbor was having her very first baby, and I'd bought some Onesies and blue baby stuff for her first son. I used the Onesies to size the sweater. I remember thinking at the time maybe I wouldn't have to buy baby gifts from now on. I can make my own!


Most socks don't leave enough yarn for a baby sweater, so I decided to try designing a baby hat to match a pair of baby socks.


Then, of course, I had to do a matching adult hat. Because I had to. That meant a couple pairs of Christmas socks included a bonus to keep some very special people warm head to toe! (One even got gloves, too!)


I then decided adult socks should have matching hand warmers. My next craze was fingerless gloves. I personally think they are silly because MY fingers need warmth in the depths of winter, not exposure to cold air! One of my friends explained the love of fingerless mittens: people can't operate their hand-held devices with their fingers, particularly their thumbs, bundled up!


Monster socks, a.k.a Frankenstein socks, made of leftovers from a variety of projects, were the rage at the time, so I had to try my hand at the fad.


Of course, no winter set is complete without a scarf or cowl, so I designed a monster cowl, too, made entirely with leftovers...


...and then after that, a monster vest!




Oh, and somewhere in all that sock madness, I decided to see how small I could go. I made thread sock key chains. I knitted the cuffs with toothpicks. Yes, really. On the bumpy train!


I have a ton more ideas up my sleeve, but my sleeves typically are attached to the collar of working stiff. Hmmm... maybe I need to make a working stiff sleeve. Could always use it as an arm warmer on the bicycle!


the unmade warm silk sleeves (and sweater) await

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Old Dogs and New Tricks

It had been more than a year since I'd learned, from scratch, to knit two socks at a time on two circular needles. Long enough to forget exactly how it's done.

I later was forced to frog one crocheted sock with a finished knitted cuff back to the foot because in my rush to finish the pair in time for a friend's birthday, I accidentally made the foot of the first sock too short. For a couple of days, I juggled the options of frogging the first sock, complicated by having already finished the afterthought heel and not knowing whether I could undo that, or just making a third sock. I had ample yarn to make another sock. Making a third sock might be easier and more time efficient than trying to undo the heel on the first sock. But then I'd be stuck with a third sock that wouldn't fit anyone because the size was so odd.

After finally deciding to try unraveling the first sock, just to see if I could, I decided I'd knit the cuffs of both the first and second socks together at the same time so I wouldn't have to count rows, thereby making up the time lost to ripping out work already completed.


I was so thrilled when the first sock graciously returned the superwash wool I had gently and lovingly given it. I hadn't expected it to be so easy! The frog was done in less than one bus commute. I finished the four extra foot rows and refinished the 10 ankle rows in another day.

Finally, the two-socks-at-a-time portion of the project could begin!

Except, I had forgotten how to do it! I was on the train and didn't have a way to look up the process, plus, I hadn't used a tutorial the first time around, so I wasn't sure a tutorial would help me undo the mess on my lap.

Finally it came to me. Knit the same sides with the same needle. Don't try to knit "around" and get all four sides onto one circular needle!

After undoing that serious screw-up, the replacement socks were completed in two more bus commutes, to the delight of nearby passengers who marveled I could knit "a dog's sweater" so well.

A dog's sweater?!? I haven't tried that yet...

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Susie Socks

I finished these socks three years ago today and asked The Lizard if I should name them Tax Socks or Susie Socks. The Lizard's stomach turned at the sound of the word "tax." Who wants to memorialize an annual deadline that makes people sick to their stomach???

My youngest sister was born on April 15. My mom put my hair in pony tails that morning before she realized the baby was coming. Just a couple of hours later! To this day, that momentous occasion is still the family joke. "Don't let Mom put Deb's hair in pony tails! Someone will come home with a new baby!"

We lost my sister in 1991, and I miss her still. Last year, I created a snowflake in her memory. This year, I finally set out to write the pattern to the socks to post here on my blog her 41st birthday.

These socks were designed to coordinate with my Fall Blaze Hat, Cowlin' Around and Spring Stripes Fingerless Gloves. My initial pair of socks was made with Felici, which, sadly, was discontinued this year. I recently dug out another couple of skeins of Felici in a colorway my sister would have loved for a new pair. She was a purple fiend.






You may do whatever you'd like with socks you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: With Felici fingering: 8.5 inches across bottom of sock from tip of toe to tip of heel, 7.5 inches from bottom of sock to top of cuff; 8-inch circumference around foot, 7-inch circumference around ankle; with Valley Yarns Franklin fingering: 9-inch circumference around foot
Materials: Approximately 400 yards of sock or fingering yarn; optional small amount of contrast color for toe, heel and cuff, if desired; size B crochet hook; size 2 circular or double-pointed needles; optional stitch markers
Gauge: With Felici fingering: 12 dc=2 inches; 9 rows of pattern stitch or ldc=3 inches; 18 stitches in k2/p2 rib=2 inches, with adequate ease; 12 rows of k2/p2 rib=1.5 inches; with Valley Yarns Franklin fingering: 10 dc=2 inches; 10 rows of pattern stitch or ldc=4 inches
IMPORTANT NOTES: These socks are crocheted in the round, toe up, with a crocheted afterthought heel and a knitted rib cuff. I did not and do not plan to write an adjustment for a crocheted rib cuff because I prefer the look, feel and fit of a knitted rib. However, crocheters are welcome to independently adapt the ribbing to meet their own specific needs and preferences. A crocheted ribbing video tutorial is available here.

This pattern is designed to fit a woman or girl with size 6-7 feet, and crocheters are encouraged to try the sock several times during construction to check fit. Making the socks smaller or bigger is easiest to achieve by using a smaller or larger hook and perhaps even a thinner or thicker yarn. For instance, Felici is on the very thin side of fingering. Using a thicker fingering yarn with a size C crochet hook will increase the size of the sock. I started a sock in thicker Valley Yarns using the same size B hook I used with the Felici to compare the size difference, and just that small adaptation is making the sock big enough for size 8-10 feet. I would have to adapt the pattern to make it smaller to fit my feet if I used a thicker yarn!

The pattern may be adapted for larger or smaller feet by swatching, checking gauge and adjusting the number of stitches in the sock, adding or subtracting linked double crochet stitches on the sole of the foot, shorter or longer feet by decreasing or increasing the number of rounds in the foot section, or shorter or longer on the leg by decreasing or increasing the number of rounds in the leg section. To make the leg section thinner or thicker is more challenging due to the stitch count required by the pattern repeat, as each horizontal repeat measures approximately 1 inch.


Felici fingering compared to Valley Yarns Franklin fingering


Felici fingering compared to Valley Yarns Franklin fingering


Check Fit Often
Susie Socks Instructions

With contrast color if making sock in 2 colors or in main color if using one color, ch 10.
NOTE: This pattern may be worked with a variety of starting chain techniques. My initial pair was worked with regular chains. The second pair was worked with foundation hdc, which I now like better because it provides more loop support and strength to stitches worked on both sides of the chain. The starting chain also may be worked with foundation sc.


Regular Chain Start


Foundation hdc Chain Start
Round 1, forming toe tip: 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in each of next 7 ch, 3 sc in final ch; working on opposite side of ch, 1 sc in each of next 9 ch for a total of 20 sc; do not join on this round or any of the following rounds until instructed to do so. Mark rounds if desired.

Round 2: 1 sc in next sc, 3 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 9 sc, 3 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 9 sc for a total of 24 sc.

Rounds 3-8: Continue working sc in each st around, increasing 2 sc on each end of toe oval on each round for a total of 28, 32, 36, 40, 44 and 48 sc respectively. If working the toe in a contrast color, join the sock color here.
SIZING NOTE: To make the sock larger, continue working in the same manner until you achieve the desired size. Additional stitches will be worked in ldc for the bottom of the sock and will not be added into the lace pattern on the top half of the sock unless a total of 16 st have been added, which will provide enough additional stitches to add a complete pattern repeat and the same number of stitches on the underside of the sock, but this will make the circumference of the sock an additional 3 inches around, for a total of 11 inches. That's a BIG sock. If making the sock larger than these instructions, additional stitches will be evenly divided on each side of the bottom or solid sock bottom.
AESTHETIC NOTE: Because crochet in the round migrates clockwise, I work my increases into the 3rd sc instead of middle sc of each increase group on every 2nd or 3rd round, but this is not necessary, just more aesthetic, in my opinion.

Round 9: 1 sc in each of next 2 sc (you should be at edge of toe oval; adjust as necessary if not); to begin solid sock bottom, ch 2 (does not count as dc on this round or on following rounds until otherwise instructed), insert hook into 1st ch and draw up loop, draw up loop through next sc, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 2 times (linked dc or ldc made and forces the ch 2 to become part of the ldc fabric instead of standing alone), insert hook into middle of dc just made and draw up loop, draw up loop through next sc, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 2 times (ldc made); 1 ldc in each of next 21 sc (or adjusted number of st if making sock larger); for lace sock top, 1 dc in next sc, [ch 1, sk 1 sc, 1 dc in next sc] 12 times, sl st in starting ldc.

A linked double crochet video tutorial is available here.




Round 10: [[Ch 2, insert hook into 1st ch and draw up loop, draw up loop through next sc, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 2 times (ldc made)]] (repeat this step on each succeeding round of solid sock bottom rounds throughout and until beginning shaping for afterthought heel); 1 ldc in each of next 22 ldc (or adjusted number of stitches on this round and each succeeding round throughout bottom of sock); continuing with lace pattern,[1 dc in next dc, sk next dc, 3 dc in next dc, ch 2, 3 dc in same dc, sk next dc] 3 times, 1 dc in next dc, sl st in starting ldc.

Round 11: 1 ldc in each of next 23 ldc, [1 dc in next dc, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 2 sp, ch 3, sk next 3/dc group] 3 times, 1 dc in next dc; sl st in starting ldc.

Round 12: 1 ldc in each of next 23 ldc, [1 dc in next dc, ch 1, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in next sc, ch 1, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp] 3 times; sl st in starting dc.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 13: 1 ldc in each of next 23 ldc, [1 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next ch 1 sp] 11 times, 1 dc in next dc; sl st in starting ldc.

Round 14: 1 ldc in each of next 23 ldc, 1 dc in next dc, [ch 1, sk next dc, 1dc in next dc] 12 times; sl st in starting ldc.

Rounds 15-26: Repeat rounds 10-14, ending with Round 12 of lace pattern. To make foot longer, continue working in pattern until sock reaches base of ankle and start of heel pad. Adjust following round according to pattern if making sock longer.

Round 27: Ch 2 (does not count as dc); to form heel opening (which will be left open for now and closed at end of project), ch 22 (may be regular ch, foundation sc or foundation hdc); sk 23 ldc over entire solid foot bottom to lace st pattern on top of foot, 1 dc in 1st dc of lace stitch pattern, [ch 1, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in next sc, ch 1, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in next dc] 3 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; link final dc of lace pattern to starting ch 2 by drawing loops through ch to form ldc and forcing ch to become part of final dc as shown.




Round 28: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc on this round and each succeeding round), 1 dc in each of next 22 ch, [1 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next ch 1 sp] 12 times; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 29: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), * sk next dc, 1 dc in next dc, ch 1; repeat from * around for a total of 24 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 3.

Round 30: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), * sk next dc, 3 dc in next dc, ch 2, 3 dc in same dc, sk next dc, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * around; omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 31: Ch 5 (counts as 1 dc and ch 3), 1 sc in next ch 2 sp, ch 3, * sk next 3/dc group, 1 dc in next dc, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3; repeat from * around sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 5.

Round 32: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), * 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in next sc, ch 1, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * around omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 3.

Round 33: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in next ch 1 sp, * 1 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next ch 1 sp; repeat from * around; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Rounds 34-37: Repeat Rounds 29-32 1 time or repeat Rounds 29-33 until sock is desired leg length. If continuing to make sock significantly longer and calf is much wider than ankle, increases may be necessary to achieve fit. Remember to increase adequately to maintain pattern, which is a multiple of 8 stitches. If working cuff in contrast color, join contrast color prior to sl st.

Round 38: Slide loop onto circular needles, draw up loop through each st around for a total of 48 loops (or a multiple of 4 stitches to maintain ribbing pattern if sock size has been adjusted).

Rounds 39-51: Work k2, p2 around for desired length of cuff; bind off, weave in ends.

Afterthought Heel

Round 1: With crochet hook and contrast color if making sock in 2 colors, 1 sc in 2nd ch (or foundation sc or foundation hdc) of heel opening, opposite of dc in same ch. 1 sc in each dc across to joint between ankle and foot, 1 sc in top of joint dc, 1 sc in middle of joint dc, 1 sc in bottom of joint dc, 1 sc in each ldc across to opposite joint between ankle and foot, 1 sc in top of joint dc, 1 sc in middle of joint dc, 1 sc in bottom of joint dc, 1 sc in next sc; do not join on this or any of the following rounds.
AESTHETIC NOTE: If the number of dc stitches and ldc stitches is not equal, you may decrease just 2 stitches on each joint in the following rounds until both sides of opening contain the same number of stitches; however, this is not required. The opening will be folded in half and whip-stitch closed at the completion of the afterthought heel, so the number of stitches on each side will not matter. I equalize the number of stitches on each side of an afterthought heel for aesthetic purposes. But who closely inspects the very tip of the heel of a sock?!?

Round 2: 1 sc in each sc across to joint between ankle and foot, draw up a loop in each of 3 joint sc stitches, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook (sc decrease made), 1 sc in each sc across to joint between ankle and foot, 1 sc decrease across next 3 stitches.
NOTE: I draw up the second loop in each sc decrease through the middle of the middle sc of the preceding round to form the diagonal chain shaping, as shown.


diagonal decrease chain


diagonal decrease chain


how to diagonal decrease
Rounds 3-9: 1 sc in each sc across to joint between ankle and foot, 1 sc decrease across next 3 stitches, 1 sc in each sc across to joint between ankle and foot, 1 sc decrease across next 3 stitches.
NOTE: If you have increased the size of the sock, work this same decrease round until you have 8-10 stitches remaining on each side of the opening before binding off.

Finish: Bind off, leaving about a 4-inch tail. Turn sock inside out, fold opening in half and whip stitch across opening with tail, then whip stitch back across, further strengthening the seam. Weave in ends.
NOTE: Do not be tempted to sl st or sc across heel opening. This leaves a ridge that can be very uncomfortable to walk on.

Make another sock just like the one you just finished, and even if you used only one yarn color, there should still be enough yarn left over to make fingerless gloves!

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Ride the Sockies

This is how far I got on my socks this year during Ride the Rockies. I bought the yarn last year to make socks during the 2012 Ride the Rockies, but I was so exhausted every day, I didn't get much done. I frogged the project, and the yarn balls waited until this year.


I finished the last tiny bit of the second heel on the train on the way to work three days after I got home from Ride the Rockies. I love my new Sockies!

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Eye Candy

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