That was the week that wasn't

This past week I have been suffering from the ugliest cold I have had in years. Covid test negative, no body aches, all in my sinuses, so definitely a cold. After a while, I can't tell if I feel worse from the cold symptoms or from the cold meds.

Barbara Walker, a giant in the knitting community, passed away last month. The Yarn Harlot wrote a lovely tribute in IG, but darned if I can figure out how to link to it (the December 26, 2025 post). So here is the text in its entirety. (Sorry, Steph!)

"In 2008 I called Barbara G. Walker and I asked her if she would come and teach for me at the first Sock Summit. I didn’t know her, but I had all her books (knitting and not) and it felt like calling Paul McCartney and asking if he’d want to hang out and jam. It took a conversation, but she agreed and I had the privilege of getting to know her and knitters, she was wonderful. Humble, impossibly clever, irrepressibly funny and wonderfully ingenious. She knit me this little fish and I’ve had it on my corkboard forever - a very Barbara knit. Even if you never knew her, I guarantee she touched your life, even if you never read one of her books, even if you don’t own one of her stitch dictionaries, even if you’ve never heard of her- there are two reasons that make her legend. Barbara was responsible for the first charted patterns coming into North America, and gentle knitters - one lovely day in the 70s, Barbara Walker invented the SSK -something you do everyday on your needles sprang from the sparkling mind of this person. Barbara died this past Sunday and we should all hoist a glass in her honour. Barbara Walker, hero to knitters everywhere whether they know it or not."

Knitting: All I accomplished this past week was finishing the anklets and working on the headband I started oh, so long ago.

My SO has several pairs of handmade socks with holes in them. Not worn areas, but out-and-out holes. I can't figure out how he did this. Since I recently purchased some books on creative mending, I am going to take a stab at fixing them.

I checked the entries for the holey socks on Ravelry, and they were all made with sock yarn, not something delicate and prone to wear and tear. The stockinette areas should be relatively simply, the ribbed areas not so simple, but the baby cables? Not so sure I can duplicate that. We shall see!