May 10, 2011

April into May

 Finally finished, my poor little April socks. 

Pattern: Edwardian Boating Socks Yarn: Yarn: STR Lightweight in Valenscummy.

First they had a true false start, in which I managed to knit a sock all the way to the ankle before I finally admitted to the universe and myself that I hated the pooling and flashing it was doing in that incarnation.   Then they endured several other mini-starts as I searched for the right pattern for the yarn... and then, once I had the right pattern, the poor little beasts had to compete for my unbelievably limited knitting time pre-registration, and had to compete for that little bit of time against the spinning and knitting for a project that I am completely besotted with.   I mean really.  They didn't stand a chance. 

Over the last few days, as we creep further and further into May and the April socks still weren't done, I started to feel really guilty.  It's not the socks fault that the Jacob Damask shawl is way more interesting. It's not their fault that I'm working long hours. It's really not their fault that I got annoyed with them early on for having the audacity of being a do-over. 

I picked them up and and recommitted to them. They're good socks. They really are.  The linen stitch panels alternating with the really cool slipped stitch action? Totally working magic on the yarn. It's fun to work - and I only altered the pattern a little. 

I thought the heel in the pattern was, just like my first boyfriend - pretty, but dense, and so I opted for a standard eye of partridge I prefer, and I may have changed the toe for my standard as well.  (I actually didn't check to see what toe Emma wanted me to use, I just did my thing.  It's possible she and I are of one mind about it.) 

Despite their rather rocky start, I ended up loving these socks, and it's a crying shame that in a moment of generosity (while I didn't love them) I knit them in a size for giving away, rather than keeping.  Maybe I'll be more selfish with the May socks... which I'd better start, or this whole cycle will start again.  20 days left!

Posted by Stephanie at May 10, 2011 2:03 PM