Skip to main content

Resolving My Sanity: Why Knitting Socks Does Not an Eccentric Make

The first day of school.  New Year’s Day.  Spring.  Summer break.  The calendar, with its infinite periodicity, means  I resolve to re-resolve my resolutions.  Blogging is one these.  I wiled my summer away with sock after glorious, handknit sock. 

I have generously replenished my sock drawer with self-striping, variegated, and tonal knit footwear, but in the midst of this efficiency I've discovered one (negative?) externality: an exponential increase in the number of sock yarns I’ve curated hoarded in my home.


How could this happen?!  Because when I’m not knitting socks, I’m researching sock patterns, sock knitting techniques, and yes, different sock yarns. I've stumbled across stalked the Etsy, Big Cartel, and Ravelry Forums of several indie yarn dyers.  I have tried to knit other non-sock projects this summer, but my attentions always returned to my size one needles and fingering weight yarn. 

My husband has proclaimed my passion obsession with handknit socks as eccentric.  The Webster’s II New Riverside Dictionary defines eccentric as (1) Departing from an established pattern, as of behavior: unconventional.  (2) Deviating from a circular path or form.  (3) Not at or in the geometric center.  (4) Having different centers. 

Bum, bum, bummmmm.  The act of knitting socks, or stockpiling sock yarn (in quantities large enough to shod a small army) is not what makes me eccentric; it's the failure to do so at all!  Continuing to create handknit socks, or refusing to deviate from knitting any other garment, is the least eccentric thing I do!  In fact if I subscribe to the direct corollary of this argument, and I do…knitting socks is quite possibly the sanest of all my endeavors.  Much like the calendar with which I mark time (and apparently failed resolutions), sock knitting has its own periodicity.  I cast on a new pair every two weeks.  I never start a new sock (or sock yarn) until the mate has been cast off.  I un-skein yarn two skeins at a time.  There is a method to my non-madness.

And here in lies the rib.  In my quest to certify my uncertifiable-ness, I kinda, sort of…well, yes, I want to be eccentric.  I really do.  I have several non-sock projects in the Ravelry queue: wraps, fingerless mitts, cabled hat, that illusive sweater (that I spent over a hundred dollars on heathered, alpaca DK yarn).  I just seem to lack the will, the vision, or both to test my sanity’s edge.

So here’s what I’m going to do.  In addition to recommitting myself to blog about knitting, I resolve to be more eccentric.  Je suis excentrique, I proclaim.  And with that, I’m off to finish another sock.  Bon tricot!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Back to Basics

The first week back after a long holiday is always the hardest.  I also find it’s where I tend to lose focus of my goals…and so it went this week for journaling and the yarn diet.  While I managed to journal four nights in a row, I missed three by week’s end.  I also fell off the destash wagon visiting a charming LYS seven minutes from a conference I was attending for work.  I don’t feel as badly about that relapse since I bought a non-fingering weight yarn in a 100% marled alpaca.  They also had some knitting notions that I’ve only seen online – bamboo chunky circs and a Knit Kit. The Knitting B, Richmond, VA But how to explain the sock yarn purchase?   FOMA (fear of missing out).   One of my favorite dyers posted a 24-hour- only skein to celebrate her 6,000 th sale on Etsy.   Those exclusive speckles did me in. Canon Hand Dyes by the amyleeshow on Etsy This week has shown me that it’s easy to get off track, so before I ...
Post a Comment
Read more

To Frog or Not to Frog: My Foray with Fingerless Mitts

In all honesty, I did make an effort, twice, to be eccentric.  Unfortunately, neither yarn worked the way I hoped it would.  I’m knitting something I need, and I’ve always found that when I’m on the hunt for a particular item, I tend to leave empty handed.  The same cannot be said for things I don’t need, which appear in abundance (yes, I’m looking right at you self-striping sock yarn).  Fall has arrived on the east coast and the mornings are chilly, but not cold.  It’s a bit overkill to wear a puffy coat and mittens at this point.  But even with my coffee mug in hand as I walk the kids to the bus stop, I’m still cold and a pair of fingerless mitts would be enough, but not too much.  I have small wrists, so I knew getting the right fit would be a bit of a challenge.  I purchased some Quaere sport weight yarn in Tokyo Underground, but unfortunately, the density seemed more worsted, than sport.  After knitting up a swatch, it felt less, o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Outlander Sockhead Hat

So in keeping with my school year resolution, I cast on for my first Sockhead using a limited edition color of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Fraser.   I love the color orange and I debated whether or not to knit up a pair of socks or cast on for something else, and I don’t know why, but a hat using yarn named after Jamie seemed most appealing.  I’m a late arrival to Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and when I saw all the publicity for the Starz television show this summer, I knew I had to check out the book.  I was not disappointed.  This is my first time making a hat with fingering weight yarn, so my patience and WIP commitment is being tested.  Plus, I’m a bit unsure over the fit.  I’ve read through a lot of modifications on Ravelry and I’ve cast on fewer stitches as well and have knit only 2 ¾ of the ribbing instead of 4.  I will probably shorten the body of the hat from 9 to 6 inches too.   I have a really small ...
Post a Comment
Read more