The rampant case of Startitis is beginning to abate, or maybe it would be more accurate to say that it is being refined. One of the two cowls I started didn’t make the cut, a hat was recognized this morning to be a poor idea, a few swatches are drying, waiting to see if their destiny will manifest. (One will for sure. The other has emotional problems I might not want to spend time working through.) My favourite sweater developed a nasty hole over Christmas (I repaired it) and now has another, making me wonder if it isn’t just past its prime, and that triggered an effort to replace it that is now going back into the yarn closet to get a grip on itself. (I’m resistant to change so it took a few hours for me to remember I could wear another sweater instead of knitting another sweater.) The urge to cast on countless pairs of socks hasn’t quit though, and this morning I went looking for my favourite needles, and couldn’t find them for ages. Eventually I realized that they were still in a pair of socks from the book tour, back in October. I hadn’t thought to look for them there because in my head I had finished them. All that remained was the cast off at the cuff of one sock, and so minutes later, surfacing in a sea of just started things, was a finished thing.
Pattern: Netherfield. Yarn: Serendipitous Ewe fingering weight, in Silver Shadows. They’re comfy, and cozy and have an interesting instep – and it’s always those little things that win me over. 
I knit the pattern mostly as written, with the exception of swapping out the toe, because as written, I felt that it resembled a nipple. (Those of you who know me will know that I am actually quite pro-nipple, so I have no idea why that bothered me so much, but there you have it.) I looked at a bunch of finished pairs, and nobody’s socks look like they have a nipple-toe once they’re on – so maybe I should have hung in there, but I didn’t. 
I’m wearing them now, and having a little celebration. It’s a nice way to end Christmas. I took down the tree, finished a pair of socks, got back my favourite needles, and now I can take a deep breath and enjoy the feeling of a finished knitted thing – 
Which is a pretty good idea, because if I keep feeling the way I’m feeling, it’s going to be a while before I experience it again.
I wonder now what sort of hits you’re going to get with the “nipple toe” thing. Fetishes and all. Good times.
Speaking of “finished things” and “other sweaters,” toward the end of the tour you promised a proper photo shoot of Gwendolyn. Has the emotional damage it caused healed enough that you might be ready to share “her?”
Well, trust you to be finished something when you’ve only just been starting up. The socks are lovely. I finished a pillow today and that felt wonderful — gives me fresh energy for getting back to the 700 plus stitches on my just started shawl!
Congratulations of the post full of pictures from the new computer!
Your startitis is contagious because i’ve just queued 7 projects and am swatching all of them, because nothing says the new year like a full 365 days full of knitting possibilities!
Wow – now that’s what i call taking a deep breath! The socks are lovely.
Ooooh, that instep is nice.
Sign that the world might end in 2012: I have started the year with a bout of finishitis!
Lovely socks! I am taking down my tree tomorrow, and taking a break from Christmas knitting with a few dishcloths. I’ve never knit any before, so I’m not sure where that came from. But I’m enjoying the relative mindlessness of it. Happy starting!
You seem to have something there. Maybe I will go into my WIPs tonight and see what sad deplorable thing I have that just needs some ends woven in and then done! I am sure I have tons.
Ummm….. how about starting to post the pattern for those delightful mittens you taunted us with around Christmas? The brightly colored (black or no black) ones!
I can’t believe that you’d say something about a favorite sweater & not say which one it is.
You make me laugh! You could start some more baby things!
Didn’t you once say your favorite sweater is your “Must Have Cardi”? It has a hole? HORRORS!! I liked yours so much I made one of my own this past summer in red. MEND IT!
I think you should know that between you and EZ, I’m no longer freaked out by toes and/or heels on sock patterns that I know won’t work for me. I swap them out for toes and heels that do work for me with very little angst. Thanks for that 🙂
I remember seeing those socks when you were in Chicago/or sort of in Chicago being that you were in a suburb…. they are beautiful. I am tamping down my startitis and trying to finish a few of my current 5 projects although I did start a pair of mittens this week to match a hat and cowl I finished… Happy New Year
Oh I’m glad to know I am not the only one taking down the Christmas tree now!!
And I love the socks.
So far I’m doing ok with the Startitis. Might be because I’ve spent more time asleep then awake since New Year’s day. Durn Cold! Do have a new hat started for the HPKCHC over on Ravelry!
Happy new year!
I too have startitis, and yesterday I oiled up the sock knitting machine and cranked out a pair of socks. And today, I’m working on a second pair. I hope finish-it-up-itis comes over so I can close up the toes. I love your socks, especially the picot edge on the cuff.
I wish I had something that close to being finished sitting amongst my WIPs! The socks are lovely. Enjoy the warmth this cold month of January.
I take down the Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night – it’s Christmas until that’s over.
I too have finished something (first time in ages) – a hat. It was appreciated. 🙂
Gorgeous socks! Sounds like the perfect way to start off a case of Startitis, from which I, too, have been suffering. I went through the stash yesterday and laid out all the projects that I bought yarn and pattern for and haven’t started yet. I sense trouble…
I too have been hit with Startitis. I think it’s got something to do with the end of the Chirstmas knitting. You finish up with all that stress and deadline knitting, and suddenly you find yourself with “nothing to do,” as it were. So you start five million things because holy carp all the obligatory gift knits are done I’m free, FREE AT LAST, FREE TO KNIT WHATEVER I BLOODY WELL PLEASE IN WHATEVER SIZE I WANT WITHOUT REGAURD TO THE MEASURMENTS AND TASTES OF MY RELATIONS OH THE POWAH–
Excuse me, I got a little carried away.
Anyway, my startitis seems to be more focused on spinning than knitting this year. Which is fine, because, yanno, spinning makes handspun that I can then turn into knitwear. So it’s not like it’s a problem. Not even if my four plying spindles are all currently in use spinning bulky-weight merino/BFL singles to be plied later on…Uhm…Well, I suppose I’m going to have to buy another plying spindle…(And let’s not even talk about the state of the regular spindles)
Startitis is certainly an antidote to the slight feeling of letdown one can experience after the Xmas decorations are down. By the way, you’ve never modelled the Gwendolyn sweater, and I’m awfully curious about it. Show and tell please?
I’m so glad I’m not the only one hearing the siren call of so many new projects.
I do want to make scarves for the Special Olympics, so those should be quick. After that, I have a never-ending afghan project. I dearly love my aunt, but she wanted dark navy. My eyes are now over 56 years old, but it’s too hot to knit an afghan on the porch in the sunlight in the summer, so it has to be worked on in the winter when it’s more comfortable to have all that yarn on my lap. Luckily, there’s a good light over the knitting chair, and I can always turn on the ceiling light as well!
I’ve been able to hold off the start-itis so far (still only one project on the needles) by reminding myself that two sweaters should be completed first. One just needs the sleeves sewn in and the buttons sewn on. The other is still not blocked.
I started startitis in December, I have so many projects wither on the needles or waiting for the needles it ain’t funny. I hope you have better luck getting over your startitis. I know I am not.
Nice socks! *Looks at knitting bag* excuse me, I have to knit on a sock before it grows fangs.
Cast on that wrap sweater from stash myself, and have two sets of socks underway but am now seriously considering knitting a lace chuppah — by October 14. Would appreciate being talked out of it.
I love these socks. I frequently tell myself I need to knit more socks. I do it every time you post a pair, and almost every cold winter morning when faced with the paltry choices in my sock drawer. What’s the opposite of startitis?
What are your favorite needles? I broke open a pair of bamboo 8s for some fingerless mittens with Noro the other day and fell in love. So smooth, so…not warped. Tell me yours.
Beautiful socks! Lucky feet!
I have the ultimate nipple toe socks (entirely by accident):
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Jennigma/tidelines
You can be pro many things, but not want your toes to look like them. For example, I am pro sunshine, but I’d be vaguely alarmed if my toes were that bright and yellow.
I am also wishing to start a new pair of socks but I refuse until I finish the current pair on the needles AND the sweater for my mom (which just needs the button band!
Ok – I almost bought the Netherfield pattern JUST BECAUSE I wanted that gusset but the pattern’s gusset is nothing like yours! I want to make that little cabley looking gusset! Please please please tell me how. ps – I prefer cuff-down but I could adjust if necessary!
I told someone once that I felt lazy because I one time I decided I needed a certain kind of sweater so I knit one following a pattern instead of designing it myself. My friend looked at me like I was crazy and pointed out that most “lazy” people would have bought the sweater instead! (That particular friend was a non-knitter…)
Love the pattern and really, really love that yarn!
Are you going to have another do it yourself sock club this year?
I’ve read a couple of your books and I enjoy your blog but I just knit simple things. I don’t even remember ever trying socks.
I wonder why more socks don’t have a nice instep. It is such an opportunity, and really looks great.
You are spoiling us with a blog a day. We will go into withdrawal, and it will be your fault (unless you are planning on keeping it up! No one would complain about that.
Love them. Wish I could knit as fast as you!
Dang me if them aint some serious “birken-Feet” if I ever saw them. The socks are nice too.
I channeled some of my startitis into finding affordable individual medical insurance, and a bead-loom thing. The rest of the slack was taken up by starting the same shawl 4 times – just can’t find a design that does the soy silk yarn justice – and deciding to just seed stitch the edges and do the center in st st! That will leave time to knit a pair of socks, right?
My tiny startitis list has calmed itself. It’s still there, but not screaming at me. I should be taking the tree down this weekend. But I’m going to leave it up- even though it went up on December 18 it hasn’t started dropping its needles yet, still smells fresh. It deserves another week.
I work in a yarn shop, and now that the holidays have passed, with all of the feverish scarf-mitts-hat- making, a lot of my customers are showing symptoms of startitis. Sweaters, socks, and baby things seem to be the favored projects. Hey, I’m just an enabler.
Aaaah-CHOO! Hack, hack, hack. Oh damn, I think I caught startitis! The books on the knitting shelf seem to be calling my name, despite the crapal tunnel. . . I just hope this doesn’t turn into superstartitis. That might cause terminal crapal tunnel!
Those are gorgeous. I need to advance beyond hats to socks. This is my year.
I’m with Emily – this WILL be the year I learn to knit socks! (Since I just got laid off, I think I’ll actually have time …) I have a question: how well do patterns for wool socks work for other types of yarn? I am, alas, allergic to wool … I made the Big Guy four frypan handles for Christmas, which absolutely must be pure wool, and the rash on my hands is only now starting to fade. But I really, truly, deeply want to learn socks!
Great socks! Lovely pattern! I wish the yarn had less of a color variation so I could see the pattern better. But still, I’d love to be wearing those socks. They’re so good!
I LOVE those socks!! They are going right into my queue!
Because toes just simply shouldn’t have nipples. No ma’am, not right. Can you imagine the poor babies? Umm-uh.
If that is Silver Shadows yarn your camera is being slightly naughty. It must be Twilight Sky, but I don’t see that bit of lavender in them. I only notice because I do verily covet all blue yarn, especially a lovely variegated one.
Sweet pattern. I am not yet doing toe-up….I’ve tried it, and still suffer failure. Also I’ve moved to one small circular needle and my DPs are going into a bit of storage. Can’t drop a needle in the car or bus or school or anywhere. Seems to work for me. Do miss that old slide stitches and catch my breath move, tho……
Of course you do not want n ipples on socks, they must stay where they ought to be, about armpit high, to guide DP needles in the right direction. You should have known your needles were in a pair of socks when you did not find them in your stash. Your assistant organized them all, so they could only be in sop’s (socks in progress). I took our Christmastree down yesterday too, bit of kicking against should be on 6-1 rules. I have a big bout of finishitis, pricking very fine sewing etc. needles into patchwork I started over 25 years ago, firstly having used up all 1 inch samples into Christmas doily’s diamonds babyblocks, they look gorgeous, secondly a diamond shaped 15 inch small tablecover with the non christmassy samples, breathtaking colourexplosion and now two-inch sides hexagons and diamonds with those lovely bordeaux colours of the seventies, I have totally fallen in love with them again. On the knitting needles are two pairs of socks and two pairs of felted slippers. I too love to do socks heels and toes the way they fit my feet best, tried many ways and kept the one and only fitting both my feet, they are different in size due to an accident, I do not want ripples on my socks either, the R is not a mistake. No n ipples or ripples on my socks.
Forgot to aks, are those koffieboontjes (coffeebeans) on the instep of the socks? I have no idea what they are named in Canada, but they were a favourite in both boys and girls kneehighs in the 50’s, they are in all knitting catalogues of that time.
Thank you for giving the example of letting go of swatches or projects that just don’t work. I frequently keep trying even though it is obvious and deep-felt that the yarn, project, whatever won’t work for me. I don’t know any other knitters and reading your blog is close to belonging to a knitting group, with the number of ‘adventures’ you relate! Thanks!
Love the socks.
Perhaps it’s a reaction to completing the Christmas knitting. After suppressing the urge to knit for yourself for any length of time I’m sure there’s a rebound effect 😉
I’ve got a huge list backed up in my head but I will get that 2nd sock to UFO (damn you Zauberball you will do as you promised)
The tree is down, the socks are finished and your favorite needles are back – sounds like a great day 🙂
Maybe you could use your startitis to set up your sock club thingy for this year – then you’d have some projects all set up without tying up all your needles? I’ve done the same with my knitting in general – I plan to finish a project, start and finish a project for me and start and finish a project for my toddler every month this year. So at least all my WIPs should be finished before the spring means Ii need to spend more time with my weeds. Except that ‘my’ projects are all sweaters and I’m unlikely to finish one a month. At least, not without getting fired. And I have either the pattern or the yarn for them all, not both. No yarn money in January, dammit.
The socks look so cozy. Do you have a favourite wool you like to use for winter socks? I just discovered my first (well, second literally; first that I could actually wear) has developed A HOLE in the bottom. Maybe I should be using a heavier wool?
I love having something to work on that is already started…my mother and aunts used to have “needlework” baskets by their usual chairs, and when they sat down at the end of the day, whatever they layed their hands on first was the work of the evening….no angst over “ufos”, hey the term wasn’t even coined. And worrying about the size of the “stash”…why worry? saves a trip to the shop for more yarn. Maybe when you girls reach my age you will just “chill” and enjoy! Happy New Year!
Startitis in UK: since Xmas day – baby hat ( finished ) ; own design scarf X 2 ( in progress ) ; in the last 5 minutes – EZ February baby sweater just because I feel like it.
Startitis not confined to Canada – reaching epidemic proportions in UK!!
What kind are your favorite needles?
You could even say “pandemic” proportions on cases of startitis, since it crossed the Northsea and reached the Netherlands too. I’m making a shawl for my hubby, socks for myself, a lace for my mother, hats for the girls and even a very manly hat for my son, a vest for myself and still looking on “Marktplaats” (Dutch site for 2nd hand goods) for more yarn.
PS: I make the same toes you do.It seems that there is more room for my toes, which I like.
You can’t keep us in suspense any longer. Was there enough yarn for Samantha’s vest? Or does the silence speak louder than words?
omg, i love that pattern!! pretty gussets are such a cool little detail…
as for me, i’ve still got two commissions on the needles, and i STILL couldn’t resist starting a pair of socks for me in the sale yarn my wife bought me (patons Kroy stripes, in Sultana stripes). the pattern is a pieced together form lots of basics, smashed-up pattern, toe up, with a cabled instep that increases the spaces in the cabling until there are no cables on the leg portion, and a Kelly heel (which i’ve been told, actually CORRECTED, is the “wendy” heel, from her book, but i knew of it before her book came out, so… i ignore the “correction” and it remains the kelly heel for me.)
Oh – I do love that instep! Also, I love the patterns you have been using on the self-striping yarns. Great picks Stephanie, and I’m making notes!! 😀
Pretty socks and gorgeous yarn – and they look lovely on your feet!
They are beautifull!! I want them!!
What toe did you end up using?
Will you be writing up a pattern for the mittens
you made with the multicolor cuffs? They look
like a great gift item.
Thanks
Those socks are beautiful.
Have not got traditonal startitis, but do have a version of the malidy I call “I want to finish it”. I never did do the projects I have in my 2011 folder on the desktop. So, I have got out my folder and printed out 4 of the patterns I meant to do and cast on one of them.
Does that really count as startitis?
bjr
great post lol@ Kathy above but it’s sooo true. Socks are a great way to end a holiday especially when they are for yourself.
Very pretty socks – I want to make a pair with a pretty instep too! As soon as the holiday knitting was done I cast on for four new projects and all I can think about when I work on them is mittens. Guess I’ll start some of those too.
3rd request (from this post): What ARE your favo(u)rite needles? and Why?
I don’t know how or why this happens. YOU knit a pair of socks called Netherfield. I am smitten because I just finished rereading Pride and Predjudice and Bingley rented Netherfield Park. I feel I SHOULD knit them, but I currently have started 2 other pair of socks and the Kate Davies Deco cardigan. I need to finish all these before the 1st Sock Club kit makes landfall in Sudbury(mid to late February). Oh, and it’s Monday and I really have to take down the tree. Epiphany is OVER!
Cheers and red wine, Hazel.
Is it startitis or finishitis to feel paralyzed by the need to knit all the Chanukah presents I’d planned for my kids but didn’t get to? I had a wonderfully apposite scarf in mind for each of them, plus a couple of hats. Now tormented by the feeling that if I don’t knit them quickly, I’ll miss another whole winter along with another holiday season. While really all I want to do is cast on three new projects for myself!
It’s that new start feeling a lot of us get at the beginning of a new year. I did a bit of casting on myself (I am going to be making one of those Swirl sweaters. Swatch done and blocked, just need to cast on about 650 stitches ….)
but I also finished something. There was a double knit scarf (http://www.ravelry.com/projects/nauti54knitter/honka) with a very cool pattern that I had been working on since December 29, 2008. I finished it the other day. That felt very good indeed and sort of makes up for the casting on of 2-3 new projects since the new year started.
….Gwendolyn sweater???? PLEEEEEEEEASE!! Just gotta see it!
I love your socks! You have inspired me to cast on yet another project of my own =)
I’m knitting a pair of socks with patterned gussets right now, and I felt that I had to come here, where other knitters would understand; the gussets aren’t perfectly symmetrical. They’re one stitch off of one another. I’m actually considering frogging the whole thing back.
But then I remember that I’m making them for a man who couldn’t tell me what part of the sock the gusset was, and I think that it’ll be fine.
Hey I am anti nipple (on my socks) But i love the toe of these socks. I am wondering what kind of toe is that?? I have tried about 4 different toes and have never had anything come out like that.
Very pretty socks. When I clicked through to the link, I remembered that I had seen the pattern in Twist and didn’t really care for it as seen in the yellow. I do like it in your colorway. Maybe I should give it a chance.
Socks are beautiful. Love the pattern and the color. Might have to make those.
Ooh what a neat instep! Thanks for pointing it out!
There is something about you designers, you people with your portable looms, ever twisting, threading working woven wonders with two needles, that is, I think, an active genius; when you are in between projects you are dreaming up the next. I want to be one of those that dream up the new ones. That dreaming is the relaxing, refuelling, rejuvenating joy of art.