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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!

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