Knitter's block vanquished

Yes, it's been a very long time since I posted a new project -- because it's been a very long time since there was a new project to post. A combination of different things (a difficult commissioned work that nearly has been abandoned but still oozes residual guilt, primarily) made me avoid starting anything new.

My co-worker NH gave me a lovely haircut a while back, and refused financial recompense. He's a knitter, too, with large feet (13EE!), and has never received socks before, himself. I came up with the following thank-you gift: a ball of lovely Austermann Step sock yarn, infused with aloe and jojoba to soften the finished-object-wearer's skin, a pair of socks made from the same yarn in a different colorway, and the pattern that I made up along the way as I knitted, so he could duplicate it with the gift skein. I like to knit both socks at the same time, toe-up, on one long circular needle; this saves me the aggravation of losing little DPs, mismatched socks and second-sock syndrome, and it lets me make the socks as tall as possible once the feet are done, an important consideration when knitting for big feet.

Now I just have to finish LB's Xmas socks, and I can move on to making a pair each for my newly-discovered birth mother AE (big feet - 12B) and her partner PJ (short but wide feet - 7EE). Socks, socks, socks! The rebirth of creativity is delightful. *contented sigh*