Thank you for all the birthday wishes. We celebrate birthdays around here in a big way. I think it's important for everyone to get at least one day each year when they feel extra special. There is (almost) always crepe paper and balloons. I say almost because Kate and Elanor have summer birthdays and sometimes it is just too humid for crepe paper. These flowers were waiting for me on the table at the Inn. That is my Aunt Elsie. She is in her 70's and is still a kid. She keeps saying maybe someday she'll grow up. She is a great inspiration.

I finished my lacy mock cable socks and they are beautiful. Now, the dilemma. Do I put them away for a christmas surprise for someone or put them on my feet? The devil on my shoulder says "wear them, you know you want to" and the angel on the other side says "now wouldn't one of the girls just love these socks?". The answer to both is yes.

Another woman at work today suggested I sell my socks. I gave her the spiel about the cost of the yarn and how no one would pay what the socks were worth. She said "what if they buy the yarn?". I told her what good sock yarn costs and she cringed. So, once again, I only knit socks for the joy of the project and the joy of giving them away (or wearing them myself).

I started a new pair in a pattern from Knitpicks called Lily of the Valley socks. (I have tried to link to the pattern but for some reason it is not working. It is on knitpick's website under patterns.) Lily of the Valley is one of my favorite flowers. I love the little bells and the smell is my favorite of all. So, with great anticipation I started the pattern. And I don't like it. I'm not sure if it's because I don't like the yarn (patons superwash sock yarn in ivory) or I just don't like the pattern. I did the cuff and started down the leg and I am not in love with it. So I frogged it and put it away. Maybe some other day it will speak to me but not today.

Instead, I started these. The Waving Laces pattern from 25 favorite socks. The yarn is a gift from Olivia. It's from the Knittery and is called Moonlight. It is so soft and beautiful and I am enjoying knitting with it. It is one of the first sock patterns I ever tried and I had so much trouble with it. This time, it is going more smoothly and I am really pleased with it. These are definitely my socks. Snowflake socks, you ask? What snowflake socks? Oh, those snowflake socks. I am through the first pattern repeat on sock number 2 and have had to rip it back several times. I don't know why I am having trouble but it is in a bag until it is ready to play nice.

This is the November yarn from Art Walk sock yarn club. It is taken from a Monet painting and the colors are so springlike and beautiful. I am thinking it will be great fun to use when Feb rolls around and I am sick to death of being cold and need some spring in my life.

This is the lovely wood that Peter Kevin was going to make my swift out of. It's Australian Lacewood or Silky Oak. It is lovely and so unusual. Can you see the lacy grain in the wood? It was hard to get a photo because the flash kept drowning out the grain. Did you notice I said "was"? That's because my husband who is not allergic to anything and hardly ever gets a cold and when he does he "toughs it out", is allergic to the dust from sanding this wood. And not just a little sneezing but great patches of itchy skin and bumps all over his hands. It required a trip to the doctors and a course of prednisone and some prescription anti-itch cream. It looks like we will have to choose another wood to use. It's ok because I still have the k-nex swift. And that is fun to use, just hard to store.