Ok, now that that's over with... WWI event and other stuff

We now return you to your regularly (or not so regularly) scheduled knitting and other related content.

I've been having problems putting pics on the PC since mid-Fall, because I installed some software that was supposed to allow my cell phone to sync with a PC interface. Didn't work, and messed up the USB drivers for most of my other devices.

That problem has now been fixed. I also have a new camera (more on that shortly), and hope to be playing catchup.

I still haven't finished my big, grey hap shawl. The center took forever to knit (it's 40" on a side), and the edging is taking even longer, so I've gotten bored with it and have been working on socks and other instant-gratification knitting.

So, socks: I started off this run of socks because I was at a World War I reenacting event, doing a donut stand (my impression - and this is the first time I'd done it - was that of a Belgian refugee who had fled to live with a relative in France and was trying to make some more money to get further away from the front by selling donuts). I needed something to do when I wasn't making donuts, and so I started some period-appropriate socks.

Re: pic -- notice how doughnuts and coffee bring everyone together! The guy on the left is a British soldier, and the one on the right is German. I found a WWI Salvation Army Doughnut recipe which didn't require yeast to rise (a problem at a cold November event). Made myself some rice flour donuts before making the regular ones, so I had something to snack on while making the wheat doughnuts for the guys. I used lard for frying, and also made coffee then strained/decanted it into the white pitcher (above) to keep warm.

Back to the socks -- I had some Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport in my stash from earlier projects, so that's what I used. I was surprised at how interested the tourists were in the socks -- I had several requests to take my picture while I was knitting.

Here are the socks. This yarn isn't ideal for socks -- the stuff pills like mad, and isn't superwash -- but the recipient (a reenactor) has given me several compliments on how comfortable they are and how nicely they keep his feet warm. He also handwashes stuff like this, so I'm pretty sure they'll be taken care of properly. I was going to give them to my hubby, but he's shrunk enough of my sweaters that I told him I'd pass these on to someone who handwashes and make him some socks with handwash woolen yarn, which suited him just fine.