It’s been all about the house stuff these last few days and I’ve barely turned the computer on as a result. The days are ticking up to the extension being a year overdue and down to us being able to start using all the new rooms. Yesterday the washing machine and dryer were finally moved from on top of the bath to the new laundry, and I was able to treat myself to a bath at home – in the old rusty bath – for the first time in nearly two years.

Of course, I felt terribly guilty about the water use. But then, after having brought all my linen and towels over from my old house, added them to the beau’s and culled them, I’d spent most of the day washing five sheet sets, a load of tea towels and napkins, and a pair of dressing gowns. I have a new respect for parents of large families. And after several years of washing my sheets in cold water to save money, then having packing them away for two years, I had to give them a good long dunking in soaker then a long hot wash to get them back to their original colour. By the end of the day I felt like I must have drained a dam somewhere, and sent all sorts of toxic wastes down the drain. The bath seemed tame in comparison.

But after soaking my aching limbs in some hot water, I was able to persuade my stiff muscles to finally finish these:

Pattern: William Street Socks from Interweave Knits Fall 2007
Yarn: Heirloom 5ply.
Needles: 3 mm bamboo dpns
Comments: Because there are so many stitches to allow for the bulk of the cables, the cuff at the top is a bit loose. There are instructions for a narrower leg, but no measurements provided to help you judge if you need the narrow size. Now that they’re finished they’re not so loose that I’d want to reknit them, though. Otherwise a good pattern.

They’re warm and pretty, so when the temperature dropped last night I put them on. The cabling is bulky so these are best worn without shoes. I would have worn them to bed except I wanted to be sure they looked good for a photo today.

Only one more sock pattern to knit in my Bust Out of the Box Sock Challenge. I have my non-wool yarn and I’ve chosen a pattern from Knitty. But there are power point covers and toilet roll holders to install, so it’ll have to wait until next time I get to the computer.