Tuesday 12 February 2008

Forever Socks

I'm developing a new pattern for socks. They are socks that will last forever. The desgn of them makes the fabric so sturdy, so ever lasting, that they will revolutionize sock knitting around the world.

Not really. The only thing that is taking them forever is the knitting. Maybe it is more apt to call these Eternity socks.

The first sock of this pair was cast on in November. I finished it just 3 weeks ago. This second sock was cast on immediately and languished with just 20 of the 80 stitches needed for this sock. I'd look at it and bury it at the bottom of the bag.

Its not that I don't love this yarn. I do. Trekking is a very nice yarn. It makes wonderful supremely washable socks. It's not that I don't love the colour. The greens are some of my favourite things. Its not that I'm through the sock phase. I don't think that can happen. Socks in general inspire me, but these socks have ceased speaking to me.

These socks just look at me, and don't say a word. These socks are not mad at me, they are just plain old fed up with my avoiding them. These socks don't care that they are for big feet. These socks don't care that I might be a bit cranky at how fine the yarn is, now that I have worked with bigger yarns for a while. No, these socks don't care. These socks know the power they have over me, and they are quite willing to guilt me into paying some attention.

I can allow them to languish in the bottom of the bag, but I absolutely can't seem to give myself permission to move forward and start another pair. Yes I did start that pair at the hopspital but that was new bigger yarn, and more suited to the light in the waiting room. (Look at how fast that excuse came sliding out of me) But I honestly, seriously, can't seem to put a new pair of sock yarn on a pair of needles even though every morning I bemoan my desperate need for a few more pairs of socks.

I've tossed new sock yarn in the bag several times, only to pull it out. I have wound single skeins into 2 balls, ready to knit. I have dug through, admired, contemplated some of the very nice yarns in my sock yarn stash, but, still I can't seem to allow myself to put new ones on the needles.

My only option is to sit down, smack myself upside the head, and knit till they are done. If it kills me.

The knitting you see above was done at my LTH (Local Tim Hortons) after dropping Mr. Needles off at the airport at an obscenely early hour. Even I won't go to the office at 5 a.m. I intend to go to a really nice quiet place for lunch and sit and knit. I will knit in the morning, I will knit at high noon and I will knit at the gloaming of the day, but these socks will be done.

And then when I am free, I will immediatly cast on more socks. In much thicker yarn.

1 comment:

Sally Comes Unraveled said...

If you can't get your mojo workiong soon, I would rip those out re-purpose the yarn. If you've fallen out of love, it probably wasn't meant to be.