Sorry about this but I’m going to moan to you again. I have just sat in my house since 8am waiting for Thames Water to come and survey our house prior to fitting a water meter. A girl called me last week to say they would be coming on 12th December between 8am and 1pm – so I booked a morning off work and sat here waiting for them…and waiting….and waiting.

At 1.02pm I called Thames Water to find out where they were to be told that there was a note on my file that they had cancelled the appointment for the 12th and rearranged for some time in January……however they neglected to inform me of this.

So I’ve lost a day of work just before Christmas (I’m a contractor so I only get paid for the hours I work) and will have to take another day off in January.

I’m fuming!!!!

However, to calm myself I have been writing Christmas cards and baking mince pies and trying desparately to get in the Christmas mood. For some reason this year I am really not feeling Christmassy!

On the knitting front, I have almost completed the socks I’m knitting on commission for my friend’s daughters – here is one and a half pairs and the final sock is on the needles now-

The pair on the left are Opal Petticoat shade 1295 – as I’ve been knitting them they have been making me think of Chocolate Sundae ice cream as the colours are really yummy!

The odd sock on the right is Opal Rodeo shade 1152. This I call the Doctor Who Sock, partly because the stripes remind me of a Doctor Who scarf (that dates me to Tom Baker doesn’t it!!!) and also because the little girl it’s for loves Doctor Who.

The two little girls are very different and so the socks are very different too.

The Opal Petticoat’s are designed to come just below the knee whilst the Rodeo’s are to come above the knee. Here’s the basic recipe -  I may write this out properly at some point for those not familiar with sock knitting.

Fudge Sundae Socks

Cast on  60 sts and then work cuff in 2×2 rib for 7 cms (long enough to fold over if wanted) then knit in stst (with a purl seam stitch) until the total length from co was 10cm where I began the decreases for the calf shaping. Decrease 1 st either side of the seam stitch on every 6th row until 48 sts remain. Heel flap was knit on 24 sts, heel shaping to leave 14sts, 12 sts picked up each side of the flap for the gusset then decreases every other row until 48sts remain. Foot was knit until 14 cms long then a flat two – decreasing 4 sts every other row until 12 sts remain for grafting the two. The foot length in total is 18cm and 17cm circumference.

Doctor Who Socks

The Rodeos had 76sts co and 2×2 rib for 3 1/2 cms then worked straight, with a seam stitch, until total length is 19cms. Begin decreases – 1st row skpsso at start of row, knit 3 rows st st, next row k to last 3 sts, k2tog p1 work 3 rows st st. Repeat these 8 rows until 52 sts remain. Heel flap worked on 26 sts, heel shaping leaves 14 sts, pick up 13 sts either side of flap for gusset then dec every other row until 52 sts remain. Foot is worked in st st until it measures 17 cms then flat two is worked, decreasing 4 sts every other row until 16 sts remain. Graft toe.

Will post more pictures of my completed knitting later.