Sunday, January 12, 2003
My last entry may have technically occurred on Saturday, but it was really my Friday post (I only missed Friday by a half hour LOL) Anyway, there was no posting yesterday because I didn't make it around the heel of my sock and I knew I'd find it difficult to keep my promise not to post more pictures ;-) But today the heel was turned! I'm now working my way up the cuff! Yea! I'm quite excited about this. The color lines don't quite match up, but oh well. I'm happy just to have turned the heel. I think there are some improvements that could be made, but for my first heel I'm pretty happy with it. I'll make the matching sock's heel the same way, but I'll try something different on my next pair (which will be some Lorna's Lace in the color way Child's Play) I did a short row heel and I went down to twelve stitches, which was really quite narrow. Next time I'd probably make the foot a little longer, then reduce the heel less, maybe to 20 stitches instead of 12. Anyway, enough talk, time for pictures!
There it is, my glorious, beautiful heel! It's probably not even a mediocre heel, but I'm just so happy with it! It's like that scene in the movie Castaway when Tom Hanks finally makes fire and he stands there with his giant torch saying "I have made fire." Well, picture me standing there, cradling my sock "I have made a heel." I feel quite smart and talented at the moment. I know, those of you who have made a zillion pairs are probably raising your eyebrows, but I don't care. I realize that I didn't move mountains, but sometimes it feels that way. I just really feel like I've learned so much making this one sock. I understand knitting so much better, just from the past 10 days of knitting. I hope I finish the second sock as quickly (or quicker) but I don't know if I will. I was so motivated on the first sock because it was all so new, but as soon as this first one is done I know I'll start longing to start my sweater. I am very excited about the sweater. I just have all these ideas floating around, but I'm trying to not let knitting become like all my other hobbies, where my stash has exceeded my life expectancy. I have some yarn, and I got some more for Christmas, but I'm trying to draw the line. I have enough for four more pairs of socks, a pair of felted ballet slippers, and enough laceweight yarn for about seven scarves. Here's the yarn I got for Christmas:
There are three 600 yd cones of Zephyr silk and wool in cream, black and blue; four mini-cones of 2/30 gemstone silk, two in blue and two in silver; three balls of doceur et soie, two black and one red (to edge a grey moebius in the works); two balls of fun pon-pon I'll be using as a carry along with something; and four balls of sock yarn, one bright jaquard and one norweger, which is what I'm working on now. On top of that I have enough Lion Brand homespun for a sweater and three scarves and hats. So, I have enough yarn to keep my busy for quite awhile because I am a slow knitter. But for some reason I have an urge to go get more sock yarn and to go get enough yarn for a sweater: a really cute, fashionable sweater in really expensive yarn! I get such urges when I'm poor :-) And when I have plenty of money, I won't want the stuff anymore. I'm a mystery wrapped in a conundrum :-) Anyway, to give you an idea of my stash-aholic-ness, here's a picture of a recent trip mom and I took to my house to drop off some of my quilting fabric:
This is the back of my mom's car, a small SUV. Her hatchback is full, and this isn't all of my fabric. Now, you must understand quilting was my first fiber love and I started when I was fourteen, so I've had awhile to accumulate it, but it's still way too much stuff for one person to own? But would it rip my heart out to get rid of even one fat quarter? Yes. I am an American ladies and gentlemen, hear me consume! I can get pretty mad at myself about the sheer amount of stuff I have, but then at the same time I don't want to give any of it up. I am such a hypocrite, but I comfort myself by petting my fabric. I'm just as bad with wool, too. And toiletry supplies, and I haven't even made soap in over a year (but I really want to get back into it). My hobbies go in phases. Right now I'm on mainly on knitting with a large side interest in spinning. Before that it was purely spinning, and before that lace knitting, then tatting before that, and spinning again, and tatting again, then glass beads, then soap, then bobbin lace, then quilting, then... well, you get the idea, I'm sure. And I'm already starting to get some renewed urges in the bobbin lace department. I really want to start spinning my own linen and silk bobbin lace threads. Arg! I do not have enough time in my life to go through with all the ideas I've had so far, let alone the ones that I'll keep having for the rest of my life! I think it's so unfair that we don't get to decide our life span. I hope to live a good long life, but the horrible thing is that I could die tomorrow, or even tonight I guess, and then I won't even finish my sock, let alone my sweater and... okay deep breath! Anyway, I'm off to watch Alias (I am so helplessly in love with Vaughn! Yum!) and hopefully finish my sock. A few more rows and I'll start the ribbing, which will be about a half inch and then voila, a sock is done! Cross your fingers for me that I can finish it tonight. Today has been kind of a rough day and I'd love to have that little bright spot, that I finished my sock.
# posted by Jenni @ 1/12/2003 08:51:00 PM
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