Experts say that if you do a task a certain number of times, it becomes a habit… and I have to agree, as I am beginning to feel that way about Socktoberfest! When the air begins to chill, my mind automatically – habitually – turns to socks. So funny! Especially since I have not even knit one sock this year…

The *fifth* celebration of Socktoberfest is just a few weeks away (seriously, can you believe it – we started in 2005 with over 1000 people!) and the buzz is already starting over on the Ravelry Socktoberfest board! People are planning designs, new techniques that they want to try out, talking about yarns… just general sock talk

Initially, I was planning to do a pair of stranded socks for myself… but the more I think about it, the more I want to stick to my theme for the past several months of gift knitting. And it just so happens that I have a little pair of feet that will need to be adequately covered “joining” the world smack dab in the middle of October! SO, why not switch things up a bit and make this Socktoberfest my chance to celebrate the little feet of this world, specifically the ones of my new niece-on-the-way, who we are calling “Baby V”. (By the way, look how cute my sister Mimi looks!)

Baby knits are like a huge knitting well that I only peered in to previously… but now that I am knitting for one on a regular basis, I am finding endless supplies of inspiration.  So many innovative and adorable patterns!  The booties posted above are a wonderful modification of the well-known Saartje’s Bootees knit by saganaga- but seasonally themed for autumn.  Since Baby V will be joining us in the autumn, it seemed just right!  I loved them at first sight!

Other favorites and potentials for my Socktoberfest selections:

• Knit Monster Booties
• Baby Moccasins
• Angel Booties (PDF link)
• Blue Steps (PDF)
• Basic Baby Socks
• Mim’s Baby Socks

…and there is a whole lot more where that came from!  I am hoping to use up some of the leftover sock yarn and make them extra special with little touches.  I especially love the Moccasins with the little embroidery!

So, are you up for another year of sock celebration?  Would you care to join me?

I would love to hear about any plans you have for socks!

We don’t see many babies ’round these parts… so when one of my friends at work had a baby a few weeks ago, it was a nice opportunity to experience the quick fix that is baby knitting. I originally planned to make a pullover (I even started it) but after pulling it out again, I realized that it just wasn’t an enjoyable knit. So, I regrouped, and did the simplest thing. I knit some baby booties.

I used a simple T-strap pattern from the Summer 2007 issue of Knit Simple magazine. Matched it up with the cornflower blue cotton (Sugar ‘n Cream) and after one night of hockey, I had some finished booties. The little sailboat buttons seemed like a nice match! Little did I know that my button choice was the perfect match to Adam’s outfit at the baby shower today!

That’s right. His little outfit has a sailboat on it!

They seemed to be a hit. “Huh, Lauren made those?” “Lauren from the Archives?” “How cute!”

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There is another meeting of the DC Namaste Knitters this weekend! We will be knitting, snacking, and doing yoga:

Sunday, April 20th
2:00 – 5:00 pm
Capitol Hill Yoga
SE DC

Join us if you can!