In Which the Relationship Hits Snags, but Growth is Discovered

Yes, there are ups and downs for everyone.  However, rest assured, that in this case, I’m referring to the pair of socks I’m currently working on.

Early Love:

I have started to hit my sock knitting stride (no pun intended) feeling confident in constructing a nice, well-fitting pair of socks.  There are still a number of techniques I wish to learn, but I can begin a new project with a greater level of confidence than just a short time ago.  So, a couple of weeks ago, I began a pair of toe-up socks.  For this pair, I am using the “tiny eyelet rib” lace stitch from Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Sock Book which has proven a very useful resource for me.

This lace pattern is a fairly simple 4-row repeat and lovely, without being overly fiddly. I cast on using my preferred Turkish cast on for toe-up socks and once the toe was formed began on the pattern.  It was going well and then I had the 4 rows memorized and I knitting along, enjoying the process.  Ah, young love.

Early Challenges:

Having completed a few pairs using this method by now, I reached the gusset and heel turn without fear.  This point requires only slightly more concentration in order to have a nice straight and symmetrical heel.  No worries, we are the warriors!  We are the confident Conquerors!

Heel safely turned. Onward!

The Relationship Hits a Snag:

Confidence is a good thing, still…. We have grown!  We have learned!  We can now do it!  Wait? What!?  Sigh, it happens to all of us.

Most of my knitting is done in the evening.  After the day of chickens, grandchildren, grocery shopping or outside work.  After dinner has been made and I am done!.  (As most of us know, we are never truly “done” just done for the day. )

So, in the evening, feet up, drink nearby and preferred tv show or movie on (much of which I only half see, because the knitting is my main event) I get to spend some uninterrupted time with the project of my choice.

After the heel was turned I got on just fine and knew I was in the home stretch of simply continuing until I had reached my desired length, added ribbing and shown off my lovely new, purple (!) socks.

Alas.

There have been a few evenings this week on which I must have been particularly tired, as there have been more fixes and fudges in the last couple of days than in the last week or two of working away at this pair of socks.  Let’s just say, momentarily, the spark fizzled just a little.

The Relationship Matures:

In the not-too-distant past, after a few of these issues, I would have simply frogged it and put it aside to start again at another time.  For the longest time, my knitting style whenever serious challenges were reached was a “love ’em and leave ’em”.

“You’re going to give me a hard time?! I’m outta here!”

But in the last week, I have seen how much I have grown in both confidence and skill.  To be sure, I still have a loooooooong way to go.  However, I was able to repair and restore with only a few, slight bobbles and continue on.  On lace work!  This is progress!

So, I feel safe in saying this particular relationship has now been saved and I hope to have a completed pair of socks to show off to you very soon.

 

 

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So, I’ve been doing a bit of fabric shopping lately.  In reality, I think I love sewing just as much as I love knitting, but I have had more practice with knitting and therefore I’m more confident with it.  But a) I really want to grow in my sewing as well and b) the fabric that has been catching my eye lately has been giving me puppy-dog-please-take-me-home looks and I am weak.

So I am going to be making some project bags.  In the photo below, I have had the top (outer) fabric for some time but I needed to get the lining fabric, which, as you can see, I have finally done.

 

And I canNOT head toward October (I know, jumping the gun a little, here) without buying something fun/creepy.  So, when I spotted this fabric, I really had no resistance:

Since the sewing of these bags will commence as soon as this post is published, I am going to bid you all farewell for now.

Peace,

Jamye