Socks, Socks

With all the larger projects and other bits and pieces lately, I have forgotten the simple pleasure of knitting plain socks. Plain Jane, ordinary, no pattern socks are like cookies and milk or mac and cheese. They remind me of all the things that speak to me of home, of being wrapped in safety and comfort. I associate these things with socks since that first time I wore hand knit woolen socks.

When you knit plain stockinette on something simple like a sock, your mind is free to wander as it will. Plain socks are meditative and I could use some meditation right about now. Truth be told, a little meditation on a regular basis would be a very good thing. More sock knitting I say.

I waited for an oil change for a half an hour yesterday and finished sock one of this pair. I really want to use up all the yellow on these socks, so I added a rather flamboyant split cuff in double seed stitch. It's one way to avoid a too tight cast off. Now just to pop the other sock on the needles, and I am set.

I have not completed a lot of socks this year. The change in work schedules has seriously changed my knitting habits. Socks were my go to knitting during the work week in my previous employment. A bit of socks in the evening was all the knitting I could muster. Now, with more hours and far less stress, socks have sort of taken a back seat to other things.

The quick finish is what I have been missing the most with larger projects on the needles. I miss the almost instant gratification knitting a sock gives you. It is small, it is portable, and it is quick to complete. I am an instant gratification junkie and I want more.

I have a couple pairs in the sock blank bin, waiting for heels, and then there is a sock out of the Fabel yarn, and the stretchy cotton sock to finish, but these have gusset heels and I am not finding a lot of joy working that style of heel after my initial liking for it. That is my sock knitting for the entire year. As soon as I am done the Picovoli Cardigan, I am going to spend some time in instant gratification land, and just knit socks. It's time to thuink about getting ready for fall and winter and about getting a head start on Christmas. (Picovoli is down to just one ball of yarn.) Pictures soon.

So today in the quiet minutes at the store, I am going to contemplate socks. I am going to avoid all thoughts of Silk Garden and Mission Falls 1824 Wool. Maybe I won't dream of the loveliness of Sirdar's Baby Bamboo. I am not going to go into the fine yarn corner unless I gird my mind with the comfort of socks. Maybe that way I can ward off coveting, dreaming of and thinking of knitting with all the lovely yarns I play with at work.