Sock It To Me
So we got a new digital camera (or rather, a used, but new to us digital camera) and I can post pictures again.
The Frankenstein Sock
This is one of the first socks I ever made. It is one of a pair I made for Fred years ago from Shepherd-Cynthia Helene Aran in black. The socks turned out great (I used a standard top-down pattern) and Fred wore them a few times. But then, Fred stuck the socks in the dryer and inadvertently felted them. Argh! Which meant they fit me, so all was not quite lost (though Fred is now not allowed to do laundry, which may have been his evil plan all along--lose a pair of socks, but gain a laundry-free life.) The problem was taht every time I pulled the socks on, I felt claustrophobic. The heavy, felted wool was inelastic and I would start having fears that the socks would never come off my feet. So I cut them down to ankle length and sewed the extra wool bits under the ball and heel, so they are now extra cushiony slippers.
Another pair of socks I made were the Gwynedd Walking Socks from Knitters Magazine's Fall 1995 issue. I used two shade of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash Worsted in colors which I am pretty sure have been discontinued (at least the purple doesn't look like it is still manufactured.) I really like the cable pattern and they are comfortable to wear around the house, but far too thick to actually wear with shoes. A moth appears to have gotten to one of them, so I may be frogging these in the future.
These are the most recent socks I completed for Fred. I used the gray merino which has made appearances in previous projects (and I still have more. How many balls of this did I buy?) I used a standard 64 stitch top down pattern on #4 needles, but I did a provisional cast on and went back with #2 needles and used a little of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride in Onyx to bind off the top.
Which brings me to these unfinished socks. They are toe up socks. I used the magic cast on and then proceeded from there. I just can't decide what to do with them. Should I finish them for myself, frog them, or finish them for Fred? I just can't decide how I feel and this has resulted in me not knitting anything at all for the past week. They are just squatting there, making it impossible for me to move forward. They aren't bad socks. I'm glad I made them as I learned a lot, but beyond character building, I am not so sure these socks have much going for them. I mean, yes, they are nice and black, perfect for me. I just feel less than enthused.
Maybe it is time for me to make something other than socks. But what? The reason I have been making socks and hats, as of late, is that I am just not feeling motivated to embark on a larger project. Yes, I need to make a baby blanket for Melanie's baby (who is being born, one way or another, this Tuesday) but it is summer, the baby won't be really needing a wool blanket until, at least, September. I have a whole list of people who would like me to make them sweaters, but they can wait. Every time I think I am on the verge of a new project (making gauge swatches and having designed the pattern and everything) something happens (like, say, realizing I may not have enough yarn or that I may not have the recipient's measurements) which makes me put it aside and when I come back to it, my inspiration and interest has fled. It would appear my inability to complete a large scale project has seeped over from my writing into my knitting. Damn.
The Frankenstein Sock
This is one of the first socks I ever made. It is one of a pair I made for Fred years ago from Shepherd-Cynthia Helene Aran in black. The socks turned out great (I used a standard top-down pattern) and Fred wore them a few times. But then, Fred stuck the socks in the dryer and inadvertently felted them. Argh! Which meant they fit me, so all was not quite lost (though Fred is now not allowed to do laundry, which may have been his evil plan all along--lose a pair of socks, but gain a laundry-free life.) The problem was taht every time I pulled the socks on, I felt claustrophobic. The heavy, felted wool was inelastic and I would start having fears that the socks would never come off my feet. So I cut them down to ankle length and sewed the extra wool bits under the ball and heel, so they are now extra cushiony slippers.
Another pair of socks I made were the Gwynedd Walking Socks from Knitters Magazine's Fall 1995 issue. I used two shade of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash Worsted in colors which I am pretty sure have been discontinued (at least the purple doesn't look like it is still manufactured.) I really like the cable pattern and they are comfortable to wear around the house, but far too thick to actually wear with shoes. A moth appears to have gotten to one of them, so I may be frogging these in the future.
These are the most recent socks I completed for Fred. I used the gray merino which has made appearances in previous projects (and I still have more. How many balls of this did I buy?) I used a standard 64 stitch top down pattern on #4 needles, but I did a provisional cast on and went back with #2 needles and used a little of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride in Onyx to bind off the top.
Which brings me to these unfinished socks. They are toe up socks. I used the magic cast on and then proceeded from there. I just can't decide what to do with them. Should I finish them for myself, frog them, or finish them for Fred? I just can't decide how I feel and this has resulted in me not knitting anything at all for the past week. They are just squatting there, making it impossible for me to move forward. They aren't bad socks. I'm glad I made them as I learned a lot, but beyond character building, I am not so sure these socks have much going for them. I mean, yes, they are nice and black, perfect for me. I just feel less than enthused.Maybe it is time for me to make something other than socks. But what? The reason I have been making socks and hats, as of late, is that I am just not feeling motivated to embark on a larger project. Yes, I need to make a baby blanket for Melanie's baby (who is being born, one way or another, this Tuesday) but it is summer, the baby won't be really needing a wool blanket until, at least, September. I have a whole list of people who would like me to make them sweaters, but they can wait. Every time I think I am on the verge of a new project (making gauge swatches and having designed the pattern and everything) something happens (like, say, realizing I may not have enough yarn or that I may not have the recipient's measurements) which makes me put it aside and when I come back to it, my inspiration and interest has fled. It would appear my inability to complete a large scale project has seeped over from my writing into my knitting. Damn.
posted by alimum at 10:32 PM
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