Second Year of Projects Week 27

I think the most important thing to say is that I hope everybody had an amazing Christmas, or other winter holiday. I have to say, all the Christmas present I made were received with joy, and all of them fit perfectly, which was amazing!

I cast on for the Octarine Socks this week, and I have to say that I've had a few problems, some of my own making! When I looked at the pattern, I thought that it looked like an easy lace pattern that I could knit during a busy time, as it wouldn't need all my attention

I have to say, it helps to read the *entire* pattern before starting knitting. I'd completely ignored the back charts, which were definitely not simple lace at all, in fact, they're complicated lace and cables.

Though it is a gorgeous pattern, it is definitely not mindless knitting that I can do whilst holding a conversation. The other problem is that according to the pattern, my feet measurements mean that I should make a size large, which involves casting on 80 stitches. I thought that that sounded like a lot, but I decided the pattern knew what it was talking about, and so, of course, the socks are way too big. I just can't face ripping out all that work right now, so they're in time out for a couple of days, until I'm ready to frog hours worth of work.

We're currently in Cardiff, visiting Connor's parents, so I've been travelling round local yarn stores, looking for yarn and beads to make a Celestarium. Out of 5 yarn stores and 2 bead stores, I have no yarn and no beads, 3 yarn stores were closed, one bead store was close, one bead store had every colour of beads except the ones I wanted, one yarn store was really rude to me, and one didn't have any suitable yarn, but they were totally lovely, and I got some locally dyed Jelliebean Yarns Stardust Sock, in the colourway Tardis Blue, which is gorgeous.

I don't think the universe wants me to knit this pattern!

I hope everyone has a lovely New Year, I'll probably spend New Year's Eve trying to reknit these socks!