Sunday 27 September 2009

A darn good toy

What's that you've got Alice? Some sort of toy? (And yes this is a gratuitous way of working Alice into a knitting post!)

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It looks like a mushroom and as we discovered a few seconds after this photo was taken, is an excellent teething implement!

Actually what it really is is a Darning Mushroom and RoseRed gave it to me last weekend along with the lovely socks I posted about a few days ago. I'd seen one before but long before I ever knew I have a need to use one. RoseRed did a good thing, because it just so happens that I have no fewer than three pairs of socks that are in dire need of repair.

Sure, we could all use The Yarn Harlot's method of sock darning, which is, apparently, to hold a holey pair of socks over a bin and say, 'darn it'. But I'm not so keen on that method when it comes to special socks. My first ever red koigu socks, made from yarn that was a gift from RoseRed, were the first casualties in my sock drawer and I just felt devastated at the thought of losing them.

Two more pairs of socks followed, remarkably quickly, and all on the ball of the foot, which suggests to me there is something about the way I walk that they should all wear out there. One was my much loved, but comparatively little worn yellow Pomatomus socks which I only made in January this year and actually never wear with shoes. I must be very hard on my socks.

RoseRed also got a darning mushroom and today she posted about how she used hers. Once Alice goes and stops playing with it (no teeth marks, don't worry RoseRed!) I'll give it a go. I found a good post on Knitty which has some excellent pictures. I'm keen to get my much loved sock back into their usual high rotation.

We've had Alice for the whole day today and because of the blustering, freezing wind we've stayed indoors and made our own entertainment. Like smiling. Who isn't entertained by a million dollar smile like this?

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Bells