Thick, Squooshy socks

I forgot to post these socks when I finished them a couple of weeks ago and with the bad weather here I've been wearing them a lot and thus had to wait whilst they dried following a well deserved wash at the weekend. 

Made from two strands of King Cole Merino Blend 4 ply, each dyed up slightly differently with food colouring.  For reasons we won't go into, the skeins I dyed were weird weights, I think one was 44 grammes and the other 38 grammes.  So not enough of each to do much with and one skein was painted from dark to light, the other was spotted and striped all over, so I couldn't do one sock in one and one in the other. I didn't think they would stripe effectively either.  They were, however, perfect for holding together for double knit socks since I'd used the same dye for each so they went really well together.  I wound the two strands together into a ball by hand to make things easier whilst knitting and used 3.5mm needles which made quite a firm, thick fabric.  If I hadn't ribbed both the leg and the instep I suspect they might have been a little too stiff for comfort.  As it is, they are a reasonably snug fit but fabulously warm and cosy for winter. 

 I was swatching for another Swirl cardigan, but I could NOT get a swatch that met the gauge of any of the patterns, so the swatch has been put in the basket to think about its sins and I've cast on some Busy Monkey socks in a rather fabulous orangey red which I dyed myself using food colouring (at least I think that's what I used).  They are such a cheerful colour and the pattern is coming out rather well so far... I'm about half way down the leg of the first sock now. 

And in sewing news; there is a top cut out and sat waiting for construction, a number of top patterns and their potential fabrics, and a Marfy catalogue, all sat in the sewing room awaiting my attention.   Oh, and a skirt that needs mending.  I have no idea just how long I was walking around on Monday with the cream and brown spotted lining showing through a huge hole in the back of my dark green skirt where the seam had split.  All I can say is that I am heartily glad that it HAD a lining, given where the hole is.  :)  :)