Finished Socks, Potential Socks, Wee Socks and a Sock in progress

Three guesses what this post is about!

The time of year has arrived when birthday season creeps upon me again and I suddenly realise that it is May (not March although my subconscious really isn't convinced) and we need presents for our nearest and dearest.

Mum's Quarterpint Cardigan has a sleeve sewn in and I'm made some more amendments on the neckband (with steeks) to improve the fit. I'm sure there is a way to do what I've done with knitting but it didn't look the way I wanted it to so we're going with the pretty version. I know I'm keeping that one under wraps for the moment but I will show in due course - possibly even a modelled photo if the recipient agrees/ I catch her when she isn't looking. The name has nothing to do with booze I promise - you just need to know the traditional english name for a quarterpint and all will make sense; Mum used to have a boat called Quarterpint for the same reason.

So... the socks - A's birthday is on Saturday which I realised last Thursday. Much high speed knitting ensued, mostly on trains as I dashed up and down the country at the end of last week.
These:

Were finished at the pub by the river last night over a cool drink at the end of a very hot day (29 degrees according to my resident weather-watcher). [NB toe clearly added intentionally for scale!!]

I'm also pretty sure I knit part of these socks while I was asleep on the train home - I remember getting to round 58 and I remember knitting with my eyes closed, propping one eyelid up only enough to find the beginning of the row, and then I woke up 30 minutes later and there were 61 rounds on the sock. Either someone else on the train was very bored and yarn deprived or I am at last getting some way to my goal of knitting entire garments in my sleep!

The yarn is Scholler & Stahl imaginatively christenend "Mit Bambou" - and even I know what that means. Bamboo yarn is usually silkier than wool yarn but I have to say this felt a little rougher than usual. I'd thought I needed to have these socks done for H to take to A this afternoon but we're seeing him on the day itself so I'm going to pop them in a little bath of Eucalan to soften up the yarn a bit.

My tiny wee sock:

Arrived on Tuesday - it is from Frieda also known as She Knits All Day which is what I'd do if anyone would let me and it's perfect Spring Flowers colours.

Also in the postbox on Tuesday was a shiny silver parcel with this:

The third installment of the Socktopus Sock Club - I don't know whether you can see the picture of the pattern - it's entrellac which I've never tried before and this seems like the perfect introduction.

And finally - last but by no means least because it's a 72st sock:

The current sock-in-progress. This one's for my BIL's birthday - the same day as my Mum and the same BIL for whom I knit the DNA cable scarf and then when he saw H's socks said: "I don't have any fluffy socks". We aim to please.

For the record, H's reply to the above comment: "well C (his wife) isn't looking after you properly then. My wife makes me socks" - clearly the way to this man's heart is through his toes :)