I am dead. With this sock (& it's partner) I have been killed by a deadly combination of VonJela & Amanda.

Good fitting socks, seriously bright stripes, but I quite like the combination for a day when I'm not feeling subtle!

So, no more Rib of Doom for me, but there's still a fair amount of ribbing going on in my knitting bag!

This is how the commissioned waistcoat is looking so far:

I think the Mackenzie tweed has a feel to it of being "hardwearing" ! The silk in it is certainly on the rough side - not overly worked, one might say (i.e. there's rough tufty slubs of it in the yarn).

It does look suitably tweedy, and it'll certainly be a warm layer that won't wear out in a hurry!

The pattern however, is not for the knitter who is sewing-phobic. The pocket bands, armhole bands & front buttonhole/button band are all knitted (more 1x1 ribbing!) separately & then sewn on. "slightly stretched" sewing-on of bands is not my favourite pastime, but it'll finish the waistcoat off nicely - although I am trying to come up with devious plans of knitting on the bands , but I can't quite see how that'll quite work with vertical ribbing... maybe picking up and knitting the end stitch with the edge stitch? (kind-of like how an applied I-cord edging would be knitted on?) Still, I'm not entirely convinced, might just have to put up with the sewing!

I put the ribbing aside for an evening last night & made these for a friend who's just had a baby girl:

The sole is made from sheepskin so they're all fluffy inside!

The most dificult part was trying to make holes in the sheepskin - if I make many more of these I'll have to invest in a leather punch as my standard hole punch just couldn't cope! Other than that they were easy to make - all done in the round & with no sewing!

I hope they'll keep Emmeline's feet all snuggly & toasty warm over the winter.

Right, back to the ribbing & I need to study the Knitting & Stitching Show catalogue a bit more closely & plan my "must-see" stands for the weekend.