New Socks for a New Year!
For the last few years at about this time, Stacie of Must Stash Yarns has come up with a fabulous holiday colorway and asked me if I want to play. Here's the latest holiday colorway from Stacie, which she calls Gingerbread. Isn't it lovely? It captures all the spice and spark of the holidays.
For this year's collaboration, Stacie and I cooked up the idea of a Mystery Knitalong. Would you like to play? All you have to do is purchase my just-released sock pattern, Victoriana Socks, make an account on Stacie's forum, and you're in! You'll need one skein of Must Stash self-striping yarn (or other self-striping yarn that has even stripes).
As is my favorite way to make socks, this design features a toe-up structure, complete with heel flap and gusset. The pattern comes in three sizes with an option for high instep for each size. High instep means there is extra ease for pulling the sock on, which is really nice to have even if you don't have particularly high insteps. Another nice feature of the high instep option is a slightly longer heel flap, which if you know about socks, you know that a longer heel flap cleverly keeps your socks from slipping under your heels, for the life of the socks, so basically forever.
Since this is a Mystery Knitalong, I won't give away any more clues, but I can guarantee that you will enjoy the knit. We will cast on December 26, 2021, in just a few days' time. You can expect fun and frolic, prizes, and Stacie and me at your service. Do come and join us.
Misty Morning Sweater Knitalong
Have you started your Misty Morning Sweater yet? If you haven't, or if you have yours in progress, you will be excited to hear that master knitter and YouTuber Suzanne Bryan is hosting a knitalong of my pattern on her Ravelry forum, right now! The thread has marvelous tips and tricks that you should really check out. This would be a great project to take you into the New Year.
After several people requested it, I have a Ko-Fi account that allows me to accept donations without a fee. You will also see a button on my website.
https://ko-fi.com/siviaharding
#JoinIn
Would you like some company over Christmas? Like many of us in this age of isolation, I'll be on my own this year, and I'm really looking forward to an event called #JoinIn that you can find on Twitter, hosted by two of my favorite British comediennes, Miranda Hart and Sarah Millican. Do look it up on Twitter for a bit of fun on the day.
Memoirs
I want to thank you each of you who asked for a copy of my mom's memoirs after the last newsletter. It really warmed my heart. If you would like a copy, email me and I'll happily send it on. We had a Celebration of Life in honor of Mom last weekend and it was wonderful, happy, teary, with friends of Mom present from around the globe.
INTERESTED IN A VIRTUAL SPRING RETREAT??
I am still planning to do a virtual retreat in the spring. Interested?? Let me know.
in the matter of the egyptians
by bell hooks
ancestral bodies
buried in sand
sun treasured flowers
press in a memory book
they pass through loss
and come to this still tenderness
swept clean by scarce winds
surfacing in the watery passage
beyond death