Saturday, October 9, 2010

Timing...

not my strong suit.

Last weekend had such big plans. Oh well, let's focus on the good stuff.

I finished my September socks on Saturday.  Yes, I finished them on October second but I did not really think I could manage a self imposed sock club until days before these were finished so I am forgiving myself.

For months I have been duly impressed with the YarnHarlot's ability to pump out sock after sock and additional beautiful knits along the way, but as much as I wanted to I never planned on starting that up myself.  Just two weeks ago I finally finished my OLYMPIC socks.  I am convinced that I would have finished them on time but my skein ran on out the the second toe - minutes into the closing ceremony.  I had a second hank of yarn on hand but no swift and everyone close to me has sworn off ball winding - especially if the finished knit is not for them.



Pattern:  Sweetheart Socks, Chrissy Gardner, IK
Yarn: Sundara sock yarn

Since we bought Big Purple in April the only thing I have knit was a stuffed bunny for a friend's baby shower and that was in May.  My weekends have been filled with painting, unpacking, painting, cleaning and more painting.  Now we just have to paint S's office and the kitchen ceiling.  Woo hoo!

Three weeks ago we sat down to watch some Dr. Who and I realized that aside from a few SNL clips or Autotune the News this was the first time in months that we were going to be sitting, next to each other, alone, awake and not in a moving vehicle for five months!  Oh, I needed to celebrate this by breaking the knitting fast! 

My studio was (read is) still in boxes so I told S to pause the video and give me three minutes to locate something to knit.  I ran in and immediately found my one finished Embossed Leaf Sock (IK), needles and remaining yarn. 

Ugh! I did not love this sock - it took me too long to knit.  I am not sure why but I just was not into it; then after I had it off the needles I realized that I did not like the fit at all.  It is not the pattern's fault just a personal preference.  I have large feet (size 11) and often the patterns say use a larger needle for a bigger size.  I rarely do this because I don't have larger ankles or wider feet, just longer feet.  I up sized in this instance because I was not sure how it was going to work out with the leaf pattern; in retrospect I should have just added another repeat - maybe next time.  I had a feeling about the sizing half way through but it was such a pretty pattern that I ignored the impending outcome and soldiered on.  Sure enough I was right and no amount of willing me to be wrong was going to change the outcome; it is a slouchy sock.  I was a teen in the 80's and I did not like slouchy socks then and like them even less now. 
But the seconds were ticking away and S was about to call time.  Okay, I told myself that I was going to open the next box, take first pattern for socks I could get my hands on and start a new pair with the remaining yarn from the Embossed Leaves (IK Winter 2005).  The finished socks could duke it out for complete pair when I was done.  On the top of the box was IK Fall 2005, I flipped to the Rib and Cable Socks and fell in love. 




Pattern: the fantastic Rib and Cable Socks by Nancy Bush (IK Fall 2005)
Yarn: Sundara sock yarn a fabulous green (I cannot remember the colour)

One Dr. Who, an Mi-5, and a Rescue Me latter and I was turning the heel.  Seriously, me 1/2 way through a sock in one evening's time.  I love the simple repetitive pattern.  Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy a complex, intricate sock for knitting in the car, on the train, or in a cafe.  But I have been searching for the perfect TV watching sock pattern and this is it.  I plan on knitting dozens of these.  By the end of the weekend I had one well fitting, squishy, comfy sock and frogged the beautiful, sloucher in record time!

The only reason I just finished them is the demands of Big Purple.  But the fact that it only took 2 1/2 weeks with all of the house stuff in the mix convinced me that I could pull off a self imposed sock club.  So I sat down, printed off 12 patterns and teamed up the first 5 months.  I have front loaded the lot with some simple quick knits to get me through the rest of the house stuff and the holidays and teamed them with yarn that has already been balled.  The more intricate patterns have been paired with hanks of yarn.  Now to finish making the swift.  Keeping my fingers crossed!

1 comment:

  1. Hey Heather - thanks for checking out Darby O'Shea. Love your knitting! So inspiring. I'm currently about a third of the way through a sock I started three years ago, so believe me: RESPECT for your knitting skills.

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