late bloomer

I bought this Christmas Cactus last December, during a fund raiser for my DS's school chorus. They raise money selling cactus and poinsettias and use the plants to decorate the stage for the choral performance before delivering them to the purchasers. This plant was pretty last year, but even better this year, though a little late in blooming.

I have been knitting socks for several years now, and I've always knitted them from the toe up on two circs, using my own pattern which was a fusion of various patterns and ideas gleaned from information found mostly on the internet. I recently puchased a copy of Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks. This book has inspired me to learn to knit socks in a more traditional style. Hence these, my first pair of socks knit from the top down. The first sock was started on 5 inch Brittany Birch DPNs. When I got to the gusset shaping and had over thirty stitches on one needle I discovered 5 inch needles were not long enough and I had to switch to 2 circs to finish the first sock. I started the second sock on circs and then aquired a set of 7 inch metal DPNs, with which I am finishing the second sock. So, these haven't exactly been knitted per the pattern instructions, but they have been knitted top down. I used the Lichen Ribbed Sock pattern. I really like the toe shaping on these, it fits my oddly shaped toes well. I can't wait to start another pair using another pattern from the book.