Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Finishing: the best part of knitting?

I envy people who love the actual knitting as much as - and sometimes even more than? - the ending of a project.  I like starting, and I like finishing, but often there is a long wasteland in the middle where I just feel desperate.  Unless it's mindless work and there is a really good movie on.   Then I don't notice what my hands are doing, and suddenly I look down, and am thrilled to find an almost done Thing on my needles.


(that isn't what happened this time.  I had to pull these socks out of my purse in a panic, realizing they were going to be done any minute and I would have no emergency knitting to cart around.)


This Vesper sock yarn colour is called 'Day Dream Believer' and making them was pretty much a day dream - they've been hanging around in my bag for about six weeks, getting knit on buses and subway trains while I glazed over, taking in the other passengers and the ads and the construction.  There is a lot of city construction going on around my place these days.  In fact, I got so daydreamy, I knit the first one about four rounds longer than I normally do before it occurred to me to count how far I still had to go, and I decided to make the second one the same rather than ripping back.  It seemed quicker, by which I mean, less frustrating.

The end of a pair of my socks is usually a Kitchener toe. 


I know lots of people prefer to knit their socks from the toe up, but I like knitting most of a sock before deciding spontaneously that I want to give them to somebody else.  Which I could do this time, because I made them a bit longer than I need for myself.  But won't, because I just really want new socks.  I know it's ridiculous given how many socks I've knit in this exact yarn weight, but I keep reaching into my drawer for a fresh pair and finding it's dangerously low on supplies.  I'm sure I'm washing socks at least once a week, and I must have about 40 pairs by now, but there it is.  My definition of 'a week' is apparently different from everybody else's.

Probably my definition of 'relaxation' is different too.  Because it's pretty rare for me to put my feet out for a nice long sit without having a camera pointed, or the next pair of socks in my hands.


Anyway: another pair of socks is done.  A bit longer than usual, and a bit more comfortable too, I think.  I may go longer next time too, maybe even if I don't end up giving them away.  Because hey!


What's a knitter to do, if not live dangerously?

Hope you have a great day - see you tomorrow.

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