Thursday, April 28, 2016

I found my sock needles

My missing sock needles were in a pair of socks!


Unfinished socks, for Julia.  I mean, obviously they are unfinished, since it would be quite uncomfortable to go walking around in socks with the needles still in, not to mention unnecessary, if all the stitches were closed off.

In theory I should finish these socks before I start Carolyn's, but I could also go Panic Stations and slip other unloveable needles into them to hold the stitches while I whip up the new pair.

Side Note: there is such a thing as unloveable needles.  I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that for most of us, it's 'any port in a storm' and meh needles are better than no needles, especially if finger-knitting is not an option

(also, there may not seem to be such a thing as that either)

(can one finger crochet, I wonder)

BUT my reality is, unloveable needles exist and I can prove it because I have several sets.

I don't know whether you remember that time I went a little crazy buying sock needles in every possible material in a hunt for my dream set, but I sure do.  In spite of my initial optimism, I found by the end of a pair of socks that some were too bendy, some were too sluggish and draggy, some were too sharp or too blunt, and some just bugged me.  But the metal ones coated with - I don't know, what is it they coat needles with that can cause allergic reactions? - made my hands itch.  It was the WORST.  Knitting is supposed to be peaceful or at least absorbing, allowing you to put away all nagging thoughts of a kitchen to clean, or financial affairs to set in order, or a relative one is powerless to keep alive.  Not to get dark there, but honestly! Knitting is that powerful!

Anyway - itchy palms should not be part of the knitting experience, but itchy-palm-inducing needles are an excellent choice for holding stitches on a pair of socks you don't want to finish knitting just yet.


Why I don't want to finish Julia's socks just yet, in spite of their being super close to the finish, is going to be the subject of another post.  Probably in a week or two when I have dealt with the taxes and the spray foam insulation for the house and the fingerless glove pattern we've all been waiting for me to write up, and when I say 'all' I mean 'me', because it's getting to be a pain to carry around my scribbled-on sheets of paper instead of one or two nice crisp ones with pictures, and the row counts all neatly sorted.

That's because I'm going to write down my technique for adjusting sock size when you know that one pair in fingering weight fits Person A, and you're knitting for Person B who has the same size feet but wants socks in DK weight, OR Person C is getting exactly the same socks you like to make for yourself, only two sizes smaller.  I figure if I write it down, I am less likely to moan inwardly about how long it's going to take me to figure out when to start the toe decreases, and then stop knitting gift socks about 10 round from the toe because I can't decide what to do.  It'll just be a question of following the steps from A to wherever.

That's right, I admit it!  So much of Hugs is just a logbook for me and my sorry forgetful brain.

Which reminds me, another thing I lost when I started this whole renovation project, in addition to my grasp on my key knitting tools, was my will to update my Ravelry page.  It's pretty sad now how far behind I am.  18 months maybe?  But I know that when I have time...

HA

... I will be able to go through back posts here at Hugs and recall exactly which projects I started and never finished, and what yarn I bought, and what finished projects I put or sent away.


Bottom line: I found my DK weight sock needles, and it feels like progress.  Yay!


6 comments:

Linda Mcneely said...

so glad you posted this" I have some needles that my daughter found me in a used store and thought they were just very skinny dpns but apparently they are sock needles. may wind up having to force myself to try making a pair. lols

Mary Keenan said...

Heh... that's how I started Linda, when I couldn't figure out how to trick anybody into making a pair for me, I forced myself to try! It's sliiiiippery slope :^)

Linda Mcneely said...

lols that's just what I need one more addiction.

Mary Keenan said...

bwaa ha ha say the socks ;^)

Linda Mcneely said...

this coming from a woman who is addicted to making them lols

Mary Keenan said...

exactly!