Monday, June 25, 2007

The Sock and the Fury

For once in my blogging life, I have more pictures than words. I have been taking pictures like a fiend the last week and a half but haven't managed to write a post. (The lack of posting may well have something to do with the bronchitis, etc. I had last week, too.) The mammoth black widow spider and the massive stash organization undertaking will have to wait for another day. For today, we have gift yarn and a minor sock nightmare to discuss instead.

First the Good News

I went to check the mail late on Friday night and discovered no bills, no credit card offers, no magazines, no grocery store coupons...Just a package from the lovely and talented Kiwi knitblogger Ennavic.410 meters of absolutely stunningly gorgeous New Zealand wool. Seriously. The picture doesn't do it justice. It is black and deep purple and blue and green and dark red and pink and orange and yellow....the colors are all so strikingly beautiful. I took several pictures and never did quite capture how remarkable it is. The transitions between the colors are lost but take my word for it: they are cool. These colors could not be more perfectly suited for me if I had personally selected each and every one. When I emailed her to tell her the package had arrived, I said that as soon as I saw the yarn, I immediately thought it would be perfect for a felted bag and EnnaVic said that she had had the same thought. Apparenly this yarn knows what it wants to be! Thank you, thank you!

Want to see it again? The Damned Sock

Have you ever had a project that was nothing but trouble? A project that seems to fight you every step of the way?

That's how these socks-for-the-doctor are. Words like "wicked" and "demon-possessed" and "stupid" and "&#$!>+(#" keep coming to mind. These socks should be simple. They are a generic vanilla sock pattern. Even for this barely experienced sock knitter, these socks should not be this much trouble. (Sidenote: I need to stop reading blogs where people knit socks with wild abandon...you know who you are. The ones who cast on a pair of complex, intricate socks on Monday and ***wham, bam, thank you ma'am*** on Wednesday they are posting finished socks. I do not begrudge them their fast knitting of socks. It is jealousy, pure and simple.)

I readily acknowledge that the first problem is that I haven't had much time to knit lately so I have been knitting bits and pieces here and there. This sort of knitting means progress happens but not lots of progress. Last week, during the fever/coughing, I did a bit of knitting. [Sick knitting time is seriously hampered by a) sleeping; b) cough syrup with codiene c) "Prime Time in the Daytime" on TNT. The do, in fact, know drama; d) coughing; e) sleeping.]

I was quite pleased, then, when I finished the heel and gusset of one sock and traded off to pick up the gusset stitches of the second sock. After picking up the second sock gussets, I stretched out the heel a bit to take a look and make sure it was nice and even. That's when I saw this:Do you see what I saw? Some very normal, generic spaces between nice little even heel stitches....and one gimongous hole.

What's a knitter to do? First, I laid it down. I knit a couple of nice even rounds on the foot of the other sock. I looked at the hole again. I took my antibiotics. I said dirty words. I took a nap. Then I picked up the offending sock. I knit a round. Then my inner knit-picker (ha) got the better of me and I, woefully, ripped out the heel. All the way to the point that I split for the heel in the first place. Then I took a shower.

So now I am working on the heel again. I don't know how that hole happened. I looked and looked and LOOKED at it and never figured out exactly what I did wrong. This whole hole business has included a reprehensible amount of make-a-sailor-blush language.

At this point, there is a part of me sitting quietly in the corner, angry and frustrated, saying, "Screw it. He doesn't need handknit socks." There is also a more determined, more ill-tempered part of me that could care less about the finished product and just doesn't want to lose this grudge match style battle between knitter and knitting.

Soothing My Spirits

Last weekend, I was online and happened over to Jimmy Bean's Wool to pick up a little something for my Secret Pal. I wanted something special for her last package and I thought some Lorna's Laces would be a good pick. I accidentally bought some for me, too. Oops. Unfortunately for me, the Jimmy Bean's site didn't indicate that it takes two skeins of LL to make a pair of socks. (Not that this is JB's fault. I should have checked the yardage.) Luckily, I had ordered each of us a skein of two different colors so it worked out in the end. Except for one that I only ordered one skein of....Do ya'll have any experience with the Lorna's Laces? I have never used it. Obviously. That's the reason I bought 5 skeins of it.


Today's Quote:

"CATAPULTAM HABEO. NISI PECUNIAM OMNEM MIHI DABIS, AD CAPUT TUUM SAXUM IMMANE MITTAM" (I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.)

8 comments:

Rose Red said...

Is that JJ's yarn (from NZ) - they do have gorgeous colours. Re the LL - I am 3/4 through a pair of jaywalkers (which you'll be pleased to know I started in January!!). You can easily get one sock out of a skein, with a fair amount left over. So you could probably safely do a pair of ankle socks out of one skein. Or if they are good contrast colours, a skinny chevron scarf using both skeins! But do Jimmy Beans exchange?

Charity said...

Grrr, I hate it when I find a mistake in my knitting! Glad you are overcoming, though. :0)

As for the lone skein of LL, what about the new Breeze pattern from Knitty, or something like that?

RC said...

OMG the yarn is stunning! So jealous!

as for the sock... Honey, just go back with your yarn needle and sew it up. Really. You will NEVER see it. This is what EVEYONE does. Sneaky trick that no one tells you about.
I get the larger holes around the ankle, where the gusset and top of foot meet and I just sew them up... only if they are too big since they will even themselves out after a wash and wear. Really.

Kim said...

Lovely, lovely yarn - what beautiful vibrant colors and I can't wait to see the bag.

RC is right about those holes - also, Charlene Schurch's book Sensational Socks has a sweet technique of picking up stitches in that area - tried and true.

Dr. B. said...

Hope you are feeling better. Being sick steeeeeenks.

And I agree with RC about the hole in the sock. It does happen, and it's ok. (Easier said than done, I know.)

EnnaVic said...

Good spotting Rose Red! It is JJ's . And I came very close to keeping it - it is seriously gorgeous. But I have got over it's loss with a luscious skein of Bazaar from The Wool Company - although I don't feel quite the same bag urge with that so I am just petting it for the moment *g*

Erk Kristy! I hope you are well over the bronchitis. We have had our first serious attacks of asthma (my 6yo) for the winter this week.

Right - off to drink coffee to try and stay awake for the sailing.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry I haven't replied to your email (again) but maybe this will make up fo it: LL One Hank Socks

:)

meg said...

Oh, I would have had a kaniption fit- I'm too anal about this stuff for an adv/beginner :P
Love the quote!