CrocSocks

I finished this pair of socks to be sent away as a gift for my son who is away at boarding school. They were meant to be done for his birthday in September. I am only a few months late! Not to worry, they will be a wonderful Christmas gift.

I used Jawoll Sock Yarn purchased at Cloverhill Yarn Shop in Catonsville, Maryland. It is a nice little yarn shop off the beaten track, in a suburb of Baltimore. Be sure to mapquest directions before you go so that you don't get lost! The staff is really friendly; and, as an added benefit there is a quilting store next door, the Seminole Sampler. (Check out their website's free patterns !) You know it is a good day when you can do yarn and material in one trip!

I am particularly fond of JAWOLL Cotton Jacquard by Lang. It knits up great on size 2 needles. This is imperative for me, as I just can't go any smaller in needle size due to muscle strain in my hands. Also, as an added treat, there is a little thimble of reinforcing yarn tucked away within each skein! If you use the reinforcing thread on heels and toes, it makes your socks extra-strong but not too bulky. And, it matches your yarn perfectly!

This is my very own sock pattern. I am going to have it available for free in PDF format very soon! I named them CrocSocks because I thought they would look great with the Brown Crocs that my son wears. He does not take them off his feet - ever. My 16 year old son has big feet - Size 12! I used two skeins completely to knit them to fit a men's foot. Now that the weather is finally getting colder, I hope they will keep his toes warm and look great at the same time!

I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Mattie and this is a new blog for me. I decided to switch over from a knitting blog I had for some time, Nature Knits. During my hey day, I was an avid spinner and knitter. I dyed my own yarn, accumulated a huge stash of raw fiber and yarn, and blogged pretty regularly. However, about 1 1/2 years ago, I developed a bad case of repetitive stress injury in my hands and wrists. I compounded the problem with tennis stress and too much computer at work. There came a time when I just had to stop. So, I quit knitting for about a year (I did sneak out some socks though). I still love tennis but, as my doctor advised, I "stick with players my own level". That eliminated my 13 year old son who hit the balls too hard to me in the first place! My hands and wrists are better, but I have learned to STOP when the pain starts and I follow some of the suggestions in an older Knitty article by Bonnie Marie Burns.

One thing that has really spurred on my interest is the crafty revolution. I love to look at all the blogs and follow the tutorials. I have also found that doing different things (like knitting, sewing, crocheting, etc...) does not stress out my muscles as much. So, here I am. Poking along. Trying new things.