Slowest Damn Socks Ever

Back on April 8th I posted about the Express Lane socks. They are named as such because as the pattern says they are "super fast and completely uncomplicated, these socks almost knit themselves!"

The pattern, it lies! These have been the slowest socks in history. The lace pattern is very simple and thus I find it very dull, it's like endless straight knitting. Urg. I'll try to get a picture tonight (right after I wash some dishes which happens right after writing for a while) but I'm about an inch up the leg. Now granted, I'm knitting two socks at once, so I'm an inch up the leg on both socks. I can rest assured that when I eventually finish I'll be done with the pair.

I just got a call from Don. One of his coworker has been diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. She has surgery Friday followed by six months of chemo. There's always the chance she won't lose her hair, however Don thinks I should make a chemo cap or two just in case. If she doesn't need them, I can always use soft beanies for myself (for when I fulfil my fantasy of shaving off my hair <--- totally serious folks).

possible patterns:
Shedir (page 3 of the PDF)
Head Hugger #18

other types of yarns

A few months ago I changed the name of this blog to Variegated Yarns. I was tired of being one of a multitude of blogs with Random in the title. But also, it was due to my recurring attempts at writing. At the time of the name change I was toying with the idea of merging both creative endeavors into one blog.

Even with the name change and thoughts of writing, I never did start. I was stalling for no good reason. I'd dwell on my inexperience, and would become too concerned with what I percieved as good writing. I'd compare myself to writers I know and think "they're all so much better than me, why bother to try." Then I'd sit on my couch, eat cookies, knit, and watch back to back episodes of The Wire on DVD. All the while hating myself for giving up.

But let's face it, without practice, everything I write will always be crap. If I don't try I'll be disappointed in myself and frankly I'm sick of being disappointed in myself. So at lunch on Monday I bought a cheap notebook and wrote. The first page was a journal entry to myself; a reminder to let go of my worries and just do without fear. The second and third pages revisited a dystopian future with a black and viscous ocean and a freak show on the move.

It may be crap, but it's my crap and it can get better.

Afternoons are tough for me. I like my job and the people I work with, but I have plenty of time to think too much. Over the course of my cubicle-walled day I second guess my dreams and fall into banality. By the time I get home I'm drained and ready to give up before I even start.

So that same Monday, after my burst of action and lunchtime writing session, I spent the next few hours talking myself out of writing. I walked home, let out the dogs, hung out with them for a couple hours but found myself withdrawing and wanting to hide. I went to bed.

I didn't sleep but rather started critically looking at my thoughts and actions. Lying in bed near tears, I knew I was sabotaging myself. What steps could I take to stop? What small goals could I set to put me on track? And again, what were my long term goals for writing? Hell, why was I writing in the first place? I mumbled answers to myself (I'm a therapist's dream I tell you). I want to write because I there are stories within me that I want to share. I want to explore my abiltity to make something new, to flex my creative muscles.

That's when it hit me; the main character in the dystopia I was creating was just an idealized fantasy version of myself, a Mary Sue. What I needed was a break from myself, an opportunity to stretch and explore. Mary Sue had to go.

I ran downstairs, got my notebook, went back to bed and set to scribbling. I killed her and it felt exciting.

The sea waited in quiet, patient as stone. It waited until people forgot.

Sophie was laughing; laughing with joy in the warmth of a late summer day, in the morning afterglow of a new lover's touch. She smiled and sang as she worked the nets that morning.

In that moment of joy the sea acted. It reached up and took her. The water swept in around her ankles and in an instant her smile was gone, her eyes wide, her voice silenced by shock. The sea took her in the span of a heartbeat.

I wrote again yesterday, and plan to spend some time tonight with my notebook. (an aside: This is the first time since maybe high-school, that I've worked on a rough draft in long hand. The first portion of the story, written back in November, is on a thumb drive in my tote bag. In just these couple of days long hand is keeping me from wasting time editing and allows me to focus on getting ideas down. That can happen when I transfer the text to my laptop.)

Today I shared some of my issues with a few writers I know. Admitting my fears and concerns and hearing simlilar fears and concerns from others like me is very comforting. I'm not alone.

not quite finished

I'm having a bit of a finishing problem. I have three projects that are ridiculously close to done. In all three cases the knitting is finished. Hell, even the ends are woven in. What's left you ask?

For both pairs of socks, I want to tack on a "made by" charm, and wash and block them.

For the Ellis dress I need itty bitty buttons, a "made by" charm and to wash and block it.

I think I'll finish the socks tonight. :)

slow going socks

Pattern: Express Lane, at The Inside Loop
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential in Ivy
Needle: 2.5mm

Hey look, it's a blurry picture:

lackadaisical photography

I finished the sparkly purple wrap on Friday and thought, "This is good enough." After hemming and hawing I decided that "good enough" may be fine for some, but not for me. The next morning I undid the cast off, ripped back a couple of rows and cast off a second time. It looked much much better - worthy of gift giving.

I had thought the fuzzy yarn was going to be difficult to handle when dropping stitches, but I was wrong. There were one or two sticky points but that was it, the stitches dropped like a charm.

I took a photo of the finished wrap draped over the back of a chair in my living room. Here it is, two days later, and the photo is still on my camera. Heh.

edited to add the picture!


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Now that the wrap is out of the way, I can focus on my green socks. It feels as though they are knitting up a little slower than other socks. But that isn't true. It's because I'm knitting both socks at the same time. The total time frame will probably be the same as for any other pair I've knit. I've just become used to having a single knitted sock to play with while I'm knitting the second.

just keep knitting

Have you ever seen Finding Nemo? Dory has that little "just keep swimming" chant. That's what I find myself humming this week, "just keep knitting, just keep knitting..."

So yes, the latest project on needles is boring but pretty. It's a sparkly purple wrap for yet another damn birthday. Have I mentioned lately how much I hate March and it's many birthdays? And I only knit for three of the six this year.

I'm half a skein of yarn away from finishing so I won't need my knitting mantra for much longer. Sadly, once the knitting is done the wrap will still need some work. Finishing is going to be an ugly process as I have to drop stitches and the yarn I'm using is fluffy. So if you sense a disturbance in the force around Philadelphia this Saturday morning that's me bubbling over with hatred and turning to the dark side.

But the finished product is going to be very nice and the recipient will love it.

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I'm toying with the idea of knitting a waist cincher out of electrical wire. I want it to be a cyberpunk sort of thing with different colors of wire. It would probably need to be mounted on leather so that it keeps its shape.

American Science and Surplus has a lot of bits that I think would work - like this clip lead set. I think they'd make fantastic laces for the front and back.

I'd rather be knitting

All is quiet in the office today as several people took the day off for the Easter holiday weekend. There is work I could be doing, but it isn't due until late next week. If the big boss wasn't in the office I'd be knitting with impunity.

Even with the big boss in the office, I just secretly cast on for a sock. Yeah, I'm a rebel. I completed the first of the Smooshy socks last night and am axious to continue. The plan had been for these socks to be for me but now I'm not so certain. I love how the first sock came out but there are 2 birthdays on the horizon and I think both people would appreciate a pair of hand knit socks.

Speaking of hand made, I found some incredibly cute charms on etsy. Click to view the listing They are inexpensive enough that I bought them along with a set of heart shaped "made with love" charms. I think they'll be great to stitch on to knitted gifts. Maybe not for wash cloths.

Etsy is the Devil; at least it is according to my wallet. Take the seller LotusYarns for example, this silver threaded yarn is begging for me to knit it. Sadly, $30 is over my current spending limit. Hell, I felt guilty spending $9 on charms. And check out Webbpottery's online shop. I want everything they make.