On one of my Yahoo groups there has been a discussion about giving knitted gifts and the mixed reaction you often get. Sometimes the recipient smiles, says “Thanks” and then shoves it into a drawer, never to be seen again. Recently I had some very gratifying gift-giving experiences. I was cleaning out my sock drawer and came across several pairs that didn’t fit me too well. I showed them to Abby, and she tried them on and took a pair that fit her well. She wore them all day, washed them and put them right back on again (well, after drying). That’s gratifying! The others I took into work and offered to a co-worker who I know likes knitted items. They fit her perfectly and she promptly put on a pair and wore them all day. Imagine my surprise when I came back from vacation to these:

Beautiful handmade ornaments (they’re reversible) with all my favorite pictures of Izzy, along with a lovely thank you note for the socks. It’s so wonderful to know that your efforts are appreciated. Even in this case when the gifts were more or less second-hand.

And, speaking of socks:

These are KnitPicks free twisted sock pattern (downloaded from their website) made in their “Dancing” yarn in the Rhumba colorway. Don’t you just love those names? These are for my secret pal at work. I don’t know if any of my co-workers read my blog, but even if they do – they don’t know who my secret pal is. Hee hee! So if you’re reading – don’t you just wish you knew if you’re my secret pal? And I have another pair of simple ribbed socks started in the Tap (or is it Ballet?) colorway that I hope will fit me. Ahh – it seems the season of socks has begun.