Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Now, about socks...socks are 'core' knitting.  They are portable, small, interesting and always ready for any adventure.  Sadly, I have been in denial about a deadline looming for a pair of socks that I should be knitting. But, the Toasty Toes socks just haven't jumped up so say, "Knit me!".  The problem that has stopped me in my tracks is, plain and simply, fear.  Now I have knit socks for other pals, and they tell me the fit was good and the color choice was to their liking.  The dilemma this time is I'm having a  hard time deciding what to do in the way of pattern, yarn and color. That's right, EVERYTHING is up in the air as there are just too many choices.  This beautiful red sock yarn just jumped at me when I walked into Judy Jackson's booth at Great Basin.  It was so bright and happy, but all I could think about was how I wanted it for ME!  Not only am I racked with indecision over my pals socks, but I am one selfish witch knitter.

In the stash (Do you see the theme this week?  That darn stash is FULL of potential!) are several balls that constantly speak to me.  It's hard to walk past the closet of stash without hearing it all those balls mumbling, whining and screaming my name.  You think since socks are so 'small' we'd be able to knit them a little faster. However, we are not all Carole.

Knitty has again inspired led to a major desire problems.  Did you see all the fabulous socks in this issue? Especially this one?  There it is again...the urge to knit a pair of socks for ME.  To complicate the issue, Susan had a sock pattern in Magknits which is very cool. Lace AND cables...what's not to love?  There is NO desire to add to the stash, truly no desire.  There is already so much potential there! (Did I already say that?) But, the patterns available make my head spin!  Speaking of spinning....

To assuage my self-centered soul, and to keep myself from sweating over small matters, I have turned to spinning.  The beautiful merino I've been spinning (from Hartwell's) may soon become a scarf.  I've been spinning every day and have nearly filled one spindle.  Hopefully a second spindle will be filled by next week.  I'd like to knit with my handspun like Cara is doing and become a 'production spinner', as Elizabeth admonished. What a joy it would be to use my handspun and enjoy the product (not just the process).   

Sarah learned to spin about the time I did and she has made beautiful progress.  Hopefully I've talked her into joining the up coming Twisted Knitter's (more details next week, I promise).  On Monday a small package was in my mailbox and upon opening it I found this!  A bag of soft, so soft, and beautifully prepared cotton.  She thought I should give it a try.  Oh my, it was hard to spin. But, I was able to figure it out, to some degree, and wrestled with it long enough to produce about 2 yards, enough for a 3" skein.  There will be much more practice needed, but I can see the potential for learning to spin such a lovely fiber.

The weather forecast this weekend is for cooler temperatures and rain, perhaps even snow on the highest peaks.  Sock and sweater weather looms. Hopefully I'll be able to get my feelings, my knitting, and my desires under control.  Or not.  We'll see, eh? 

Comments

[Donna]

I think my stash is what has been hampering my sock knitting of late, too. Which yarn? Which pattern? Decisions, decisions!

[Carole]

The socks I knit in six days was a freak accident. Don't expect that to happen again! I'm glad to see you started your TT pal socks. It's about time. Ahem. And red is MY favorite color so those just must be for me, right?

[Becky]

This was THE BEST post! You had me laughing girl. This post is so me. It's so hard sometimes to knit socks for others when the yarn is beautiful isnt' it? Wanna see some sock yarn that will just make you want to RUN to get it? I found this earlier this morning. Missed it somehow before... Go look at this one! MUST have this yarn! http://magknits.com/June06/patterns/tropicana.htm

[Kelly]

Wow Margene your spinning is excellent!

[Ann]

I'm with Donna. And I want to knit shawls and sweaters and blankets (for me this time). Since I finished some deadline socks earlier this month, I can't settle to any others. Too many choices.

[Cara]

See, now, I just would've bought twice as much sock yarn so I could make socks for both me and my pal. ;-)

Thanks for your help yesterday. I'm settled on 7s. I think.

[Lucia]

I think you speak for all of us here. I have not only socks but shawls and even sweaters haunting my dreams. Those cable socks are something, aren't they?

[Deb]

This is when good old Catholic guilt can be really helpful. "Must finish things for others before starting things for me."

[Jennifer]

Just out of curiousity, how many spindles do you own? Also, are most of them the same weight? I've got 5 spindles, but only two are close to the same weight (around 1 oz). I've been thinking of getting another in the .6 oz range simply because once I fill a spindle I don't want to take the single off, just to spin another spindles worth before plying.

[stacey]

I get that same overwhelming feeling - too many choices!!!!!! (PS - looooove the cablenet pattern!)

[Sarah]

Your spinning is wonderful. I also love all the socks and lace you have going.

[Paula]

I feel your pain. It is so hard to knit socks for DH when I have two socks for me and my red scarf project going...

[Anne]

Oh yeah! Cool temps. I was JUST looking at my warm-n-snugglies for this weekend. Can't wait.

Congrats on tackling the cotton - it can be fussy to work with, but the end project sure is nice.

[Marcia]

Your spindle spinning puts me to shame! (Do you have a tahkli for spinning the cotton? Or a supported spindle?) As for the socks, I've been on the heel of my current sock for a week....sigh.

[Beth S.]

Wow, you're spinning cotton! I think you need your very lightest spindle for that. Another virtual trip to Greensleeves, maybe? ;-)

I feel very torn right now, knit-wise... too many great projects calling to me, doubts about my current one, etc. And I haven't even touched my wheel since before the Moth knit-off. I'd like to blame the change of seasons, but I think the problem really is just me. ;-)

[Risa]

I've figured it out, it takes me about 5.5 hours to knit a sock for one of my little feet. Problem is that there are too many other things out there that I really want to knit along with those socks, so while it really is only 11 hours of knitting, they tend to be spread out over months: depending of course on the flitty attention span :)

Good luck with the cotton spinning. It isn't easy, but is a great way to practice long draw spinning. It is also a great and dirt cheap prep fiber for getting set to spin cashmere as they two are both short staples and spin similarly.

[Teyani]

decisions, decisions.. it's a toughie. yet, I agree with Carole.. that red is yummy, and I'd gladly accept a pair of socks in that color if I'm your pal:-) any pattern is just fine. hah!
I know, with so few hours in the day, it's tough to get done all the knitting that I want to.
Your spinning is divine. looks like one of the Ashland Bay blends.... I spun that same colorway, and ended up plying it against a deep purple. I loved that colorway.
and as for the cotton spinning. yikes... that's amazing. I thought cotton was only done on a charka or a supported spindle. you did that on your drop spindle? loud applause from across the states.

[Kathleen]

Poor Margene. So much to knit and so little time. Good luck figuring it all out. :)

[Laura]

It's so true - the choices are overwhelming and Susan isn't making life any easier in the "how to pick a pattern" category!! Sheesh - I don't think there's one of her patterns that I don't want to knit! And now the new shawl too? Wanting to do everything makes me incapable of doing anything sometimes. :)

[amanda]

So many patterns and so little time! I usually have a very difficult time settling on a sock pattern but this time I lucked out! Yay! I'm sure that you'll land on something soon and if not, just spin, spin, spin and an answer will come!

[Birdsong]

I know, the sock patterns are even more prolific than the sock yarn temptations! That is why I won't join any of those sock-alongs; I would be feeling like I got socked with a big obligation, when I can't even keep up with keeping my own two feet warm:)

[Hillary]

I love the merino that you're spinning. The colors are beautiful.

I feel the same way about my sock yarn. I buy it because it speaks to me and then it's very hard to give it away.

[Teri Pittman]

I second using a takli to spin cotton. It's the easiest way to learn. The rules for spinning cotton are:

Twist is your friend. Twist is what holds it together, so don't keep twist out of the drafting triangle. Just draft back to thin things out.

Don't use a death grip on the roving. Cotton should be a fluffy cloud, lightly held.

Cotton roving has a right and wrong end to spin from. If you are getting slubs, try drafting from the other end.

Cotton is not wool, so you don't try to use the same techniques. It's an amazingly simple fiber to spin and if you practice, you will suddenly "get it".

[Teri Pittman]

I second using a takli to spin cotton. It's the easiest way to learn. The rules for spinning cotton are:

Twist is your friend. Twist is what holds it together, so don't keep twist out of the drafting triangle. Just draft back to thin things out.

Don't use a death grip on the roving. Cotton should be a fluffy cloud, lightly held.

Cotton roving has a right and wrong end to spin from. If you are getting slubs, try drafting from the other end.

Cotton is not wool, so you don't try to use the same techniques. It's an amazingly simple fiber to spin and if you practice, you will suddenly "get it".

[Kim]

Sometimes "deadline" knitting takes the fun out of the process, even if the deadline is for a good reason. I am struggling with my "fair" knitting for much the same reason. The call of the stash is getting almost overwhelming.

I must knit hats......I must knit hats.....hehe

[margaux]

my stash is ever growing these days with more and more knits... and the choices out there DO complicate things? Colors, patterns, needles, wha??? haha but i guess those are the fun times, too.

[blogless val]

No, I HADN'T seen the cable sock, thank you very much. Now I HAVE seen the cable sock. I know what happens when I click through on one of your blogs, so you think I'd learn. But, do I? No. Last night I had 15 projects in process. Tonight? 16. But wait! I just remembered. I finished the putter cover, so I'm still at 15. Ha!

so many socks - so many i want to do them all! i'm starting on the lombard street socks in some fleece artist pale pink...

[Laurie]

I am told cotton is very hard.

The merino is beautiful! I am impressed by the fineness of your grist. (Great colors, too.)

I agree with you on sock yarn stash. I have enough to tempt me for awhile. Anything else is luxury perfusion.

[Renada]

Those Knitty socks are so cool, Margene. I **wish** I could knit them. I even have some great yarn that would look divine in them..but I think they're twisted stitches, and I just cannot do twisted stitches. I tried w/ Nancy Bush's Traveler's Socks, and I nearly broke my US1 bamboo needles. Maybe someone will host a KAL for 'em. Or maybe I'll just have to follow your progress. But they are really, really cool...

[Chris]

Good luck with your Sock Selection!

[Theresa]

They say we're happier with fewer choices . . . maybe 'they're' right?