Mugs.

My collection of handmade mugs began a few years ago, when I worked at a craft fair next to a potter. I still have the first handmade mug I bought, out of necessity (Oh yes, on that day tea made in a proper mug was a necessity): chipped, but still perfect.

In addition to the well-loved mugs pictured above, there are also my current work mug, the weekend mug that lives at my partner’s place, and the one that broke.

While I love the one-off find at a market or op-shop, one potter’s work has captured my fascination; so much so that over half of my handmade mug collection has come from her studio.

Jeanette Zeis, while being clever, creative and a sweet person to deal with, was also recently interviewed as part of Etsy’s Featured Seller series. You can check out the interview, her blog and beautifully-photographed ceramics here.

Ripples.

I was home sick from work for the better half of last week, and while I had several projects on the go in varying states of completion and difficulty, I simply had to cast on for a new one–the most comforting project I could think of: a blankie.

I’ve made a few lap rugs, throws, blankets, afghans–whatever you want to call them–in my time, but I still have huge emotional ties to my first decent blankie project, a chevron-zigzagged number knit for my sweetie in varying shades of blue and neutrals back in ’07. (Here’s what I said about it then.)

There’s a certain occasion coming up that warrants another Big Blankie, and I’ve had lots of fun looking through ravelry projects for inspiration. Funnily enough, I ended up settling on varying shades of blue and neutrals and a crochet ripple pattern. It’s like my unconscious code for ‘Home’.

The dreaded second.

Pattern: Betsy, by Linn M. Eng
Yarn: Panda Cotton
Needles: 3.5mm / US size 4

This was a fun, fast knit. I love using up sock yarn leftovers, and the pattern calls for a looser gauge than socks so the first one flew by in a snap. Short attention span that I have, I put it down and didn’t feel like knitting the matching mitt until the donation deadline came around. So when I cast on for the second mitt I decided to reverse the direction of the knitting (fingers-to-wrist, rather than wrist-to-fingers) and mix up the striping pattern a little. They’re very much fraternal mitts, which I like.

I’m thinking of doing something similar for the two straggling single socks I have sitting around, as I’m in need of some handknit socks to wear but have no real desire at the moment to make the same thing twice. So I’m thinking of making up some sock designs to kind-of match the existing when made in the same yarns.

What do you do to stave off second-sock boredom?