Jump Up and Run Arounds

In my childhood, on the nights when leftovers were on the menu, what the menu actually said was "jump up and run arounds," as if we filled our plates by running around a table laden with various warmed-up remnants, instead of sedately passing them around.

I thought of that last week as I dumped a collection of leftover fingering weight remnants into my lap and prepared to make them up into objects. I had previously wound, weighed, and labelled them, so all I needed was a pattern. Kate Atherley's pattern for Baby Socks turned out to be the perfect match. The smallest amount (75 yds) would make newborn socks, the medium amount (123 yds) would make socks for a one-year-old, and the largest amount (40 grams) was destined for mitts that didn't match the shape of my hand. It may yet be enough for ankle socks.

I long ago lost the label for the newborn socks' yarn, although I can tell you that it's much softer than the larger socks' yarn, which is Berroco Sox.

I love the point towards the end of a first sock when I become certain that the color change is going to fall in exactly the right place for the second sock's stripes to match. There's no reason in the world that should have happened with different yarns knitting different-sized socks, but it did.

My family is well-trained in the art of admiring knitting, but I expected that to be completely overridden by their propensity to turn small socks into puppets. I was not wrong, but I was surprised to be treated to an animated newborn sock puppet rendition of "Ba-by Sock doo doo doo doo doo doo.."