This is only my second full year of knitting so bear with me if I am still a bit too excited about my accomplishments.

I give you the 20th pair of socks I knitted in 2009. That’s 40 socks and probably a combined total of over 250,000 stitches! Assuming an average of 70 stitches per sock, 30 rows for the leg, 35-stitch-35-row heel flap and another 40 rounds for the foot and toe. Rough estimate of course.

Anyway, who’s keeping score, right?

This particular pair was modified to allow for my fat feet. I added an extra column of cables since the pattern is designed for narrow 9s. So I cast on 72 stitches and my charts have 36 rows. I did a bit of stitch-wrestling when I got to the heel flap, but it went alright. I did end up with a higher than usual heel flap but it was still alright.
I finished the second sock while waiting for my husband at Costa’s at the City Centre. I just knitted away and sipped my enormous cup of Mocha Flake and between bites of the carrot cake I decreased for the toe and kitchenered it shut!
I even took these shots right under my table! I quickly took off the Mossy Leyburns I had on, put these cherry babies on and posed. If anyone was giving sideways glances then I was oblivious to them. I was just so happy to finish these socks. They were a very enjoyable knit and Star Athena is an excellent designer. The pattern was simple and enjoyable. Freshman all the way!
Project: Cherry Cables
Pattern: Freshman Cable Socks by Star Athena, published in Knitscene Fall 2009
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids, colourway Cherry
Needles: 2.5mm
Cast on: 22 Dec 2009
Cast off: 31 Dec 2009
Notes: Added one more cable panel so my rounds have a total 72 stitches and 36 rows.

This next project was my last one for 2009, the very last one. I cast off at 11.30pm on Dec 31! I have no photos a la Brooklyn Tweed but will try to get some done.
This is also the project that took me the longest time to complete! Took 4 balls of yarn, much frustration but in the end I enjoyed working on it. Will I knit this again? Maybe, but I will cast on less stitches and also use a different yarn. I am not a fan of the scratchiness.
Project: Striped Noro
Pattern: Noro Striped Scarf by Jared Flood
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden,
Colourways: 2 skein each of 244 and 82, 2 skeins of 249
Needles: 4mm
Cast on: 15 Jan 2009
Cast off: 31 Dec 2009
Notes: Finished size is 65.5 inches long, cast on 35 stitches and mixed and matched the colourways to get the colour stripes I wanted. Still not happy with it but it works.

Will I knit this again? I don’t know. Not sure I want a project to languish for another year in my knitting bag. If I do knit this again, I would make it skinnier. And I would not use Noro. Even after a soak it is still scratchy as hell.