My Bags Aren't Yet Packed (but I'm Ready to Go)

It's Thursday morning, with less than three hours of work left for me this year, and I am more than ready to be on vacation. There's still a list of things to do around the house before we leave, including packing (ha!), but I've gotten the most important thing done -- my sister-in-law's socks.

These were knit using Fibernymph Dye Works Bounce in Lisa's seventh anniversary colorway (from 2017), the Seventh-Year Stitch. The skein had been waiting patiently in my stash for the right time to be knit, and I think they colors are perfect for her. I knit my plain vanilla sock recipe over 68 stitches on size 0/2.0 mm needles, the same that I'd do for socks for me, but her feet are shorter than mine (9 inches to my 9.75). Because the stripe pattern repeat is so long, I didn't try to get them to match but rather made them coordinate; when I did my cast on, I made the first loop right at the spot where the speckled white stripe changes to a semisolid color stripe. I figured that way at least the stripes would hit in roughly the same place. I think I goofed a little on the second sock, though, and made the leg about two rounds longer, so if you look closely you can see a little spot of color at the tip of the toe. I highly doubt my sister-in-law will mind, though, and I was too pressed for time to rip back.

I'm trying to squeeze in one more knit gift before we leave, and I should manage to finish it up tonight or tomorrow morning. If you weren't already aware, let me tell you that scrunchies are back. And Rainbow is a big fan. She's got a small collection of store-bought scrunchies already, but I thought I'd try my hand at knitting one.

It's hard to tell now because the tube is curling up on itself, but eventually I'll fold the tube of stockinette in on itself like a donut and seam the ends together, enclosing that black hair elastic inside. I'll see how well that works before I embark on a real scrunchie-making career.

The one project that's now actively being worked on but isn't making the trip is my granny square blanket, which has grown a bit since you saw it last:

I've been adding in my FDW holiday mini skeins, slowly but surely, and am about up to day 7 or 8. Clearly this won't get done before we leave, but I'd rather have a big cozy blanket than call it done just to finish before the end of the year. My plan is to incorporate all the remaining mini skeins and then add on other sock leftovers until I either run out entirely or decide that it's big enough. I'm really having so much fun with this project that I'm not in any hurry at this point, and I honestly can see myself starting another one as soon as this one is finished.

This afternoon, the Mister and I are both attending a performance of Rainbow's elementary school musical (she and her classmates are in the starring roles), and then this evening we'll get down to the laundry and cleaning and packing. Rainbow has half a day of school tomorrow morning and then we're off!