crosshatch socks all hatched!

Crosshatch socks all hatched and ready to sit in present basket. I really enjoyed doing this stitch and will do it again, I think. This is done in Hotsocks sock wool I bought last Saturday at the Spinners and Weavers Open Day. I've actually been quite busy at work all week, but the business has been in spurts. There were times when I could sit and knit and the eight rows of this pattern go quickly. It's from More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I have both these books and think the info contained is great. Lots of variations to suit needles, tension, yarn, size foot etc and lots of useful information about knitting. However, I think I like the second book more than the first. Just personal preference, but I like the stitch patterns more. I have several stitch dictionaries, but don't seem to have most of these stitches.

Wool here is HotSocks knitted on 2.5 mm Brittany Birch needles which I bought from Daphne at the Knittery.

Why the mints tin? I was sitting looking at the empty tin the other day while knitting and thinking there had to be a use for such a tin. Wool and darning needles sprang to mind. Just perfect, and a good, tightfitting snap lid too. Such needles have been rattling around in my container of stitch markers for quite a while. Now they have been transferred.
As can be seen, there was a surprising amount left of the HotSocks wool. The dark chocolate Essential Sock It to Me sock yarn from Elann goes well, so this will be another pair. Possibly for one of the grandchildren. It's my day off today, I work Monday-Thursday but DIL has asked me to do some emergency babysitting this afternoon. That means an hour in the train each way for about three hours child minding till my son arrives home. More knitting time. I'm also minding the other lot tomorrow afternoon and evening while their parents are at a wedding. I doubt I will get much done then.