Sunday, September 02, 2007

give me an S

Phew.
GZucker080721_173
It was almost a Summer of Sock no ess for me.
While others crank out the footwear, I literally drag my feet. Some people amaze me with beautiful socks debuting weekly. Not I! I need months for ordinary 3-1 rib pair like these. Aside from being the slowest knit socks in the world, they're also possibly the most traveled inknitero (although I can think of one contender with some serious moving partial sock documentation ).

I cast on in January in DC, and since then I knit on them in cars, on planes, on trains and ferries. They were at a ranch in Texas in February, then the Navajo reservation in Arizona,they made it to book group, I drug them into the sand on beaches down the street at home and in Delaware. They had a dip in beer at a party, a nice soap soak and dry and just this morning while sewing them up, I dropped the needle with tail thread, mid-kitchener, into my coffee. The upside? If it turns out I lose in the Most traveled sock category maybe they are Most Beveraged.

They visited ranches in Montana and a farm in Minnesota
I added inches at early season youth football practice (do. not. ask.)and had a few glorious knitting moments at Fish Creek Falls in Colorado. Their presence let me focus on something other than the waves of fear washing over me as members of our hiking party (my sons & niece & nephew) were freeclimbing rocks higher up in ways that were unbearable to watch. (it doesn't look that tricky in the photos but believe me, you have to be willing to take some leaps)
bigviewfishcreekfallsknit (that's a rare blog appearance for Dave, too) I think that's the 2nd sock.

I'm not that slow a knitter, its just that socks are filler knitting for me, when I have a moment or two, or will be chatting while knitting or need a tiny bit of distraction. Even so, I've decided to up my ouput. I've sworn to knit heavier yarn weight socks for the next season.

ps. Here's something else I've been waiting for all summer-
GZucker080721_175 the fattest of the 4 kinds of sunflower in the front garden to open, at the same time as the morning glories. If the first frost holds off , I'll have the front of the house cheerfully exuding a Crazy Lady Lives Here motif for six weeks or so.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have the same problem (symptom?). It takes me forever to finish a simple pair of socks. Yours are lovely though - worth waiting for!

textilejunkie said...

I'm another slow sock knitter because I use them as filler or car knitting, which really isn't much since I am the driver. I just made the decision the other day that my next project would be socks - just to get a pair done.

The socks are beautiful, I really like the color.

Carole Knits said...

My socks may be faster but yours go to much better places!

Birdsong said...

You are not alone... there are so many other things I like to knit that socks are filler for me too. I have to knit them English style to get a good, tight knit (and do everything else Continental) so it seems painfully slow sometimes. I love the Most Beveraged socks and their jewel-like colors and will think of your motif every time I see a sunflower garden this fall:)

Anonymous said...

Nice sunflower/morning glory combo. I have always wanted to make one of those little houses made out of sunflower and morning glories. Maybe next summer.

And most of our socks are not so traveled because we don't get around like you do!

Cookie said...

I love the flower photo!

At least, your socks get out there and see the world. Not to mention party it up a bit.

Anonymous said...

I'm so happy to hear I'm not the only knitter dragging the same pair of socks hither, tither and yon for months on end! But, what better knitting companion than socks? a pair of handknit socks on my feet makes any day so much brighter and happier. :)

The book sounds wonderful! Glad I stumbled upon your blog