Just trying to keep the story alive, the song playing, the stone rolling. The pattern flowing. All that jazz.
Sometimes I wonder if blogging can be like Second Sock Syndrome: "Aw man... you mean I have to do this again?" Even if it is, because I've never had SSS yet, I know that there are incentives out there. Like The Other Half threatening me with dire repercussions if I didn't use his pretty layout more by putting content up there. Though I know it's more than that. He's interested in my thoughts, what I go through, the things and processes I think. Sweet man.
Thoughts today... hmm...
We'll start with a picture:
Okay not the greatest picture (TOH is clutching at his chest and staggering around now I'm sure), but you get the general idea: sock, jacquard, Patons Kroy. Yarn picked up at a Michael's, chosen with the usual caring indifference ("Yes I want you to knit me socks, but these are all nice, so I don't care which one you pick. I'll love them no matter what") by TOH and carried around in my stash until I finished the other projects (see the NGY socks here and then the Green Socks, which have yet to be photographed**). At any rate, I finally had some space in my queue open up, and cast on for these puppies at work. The first sock is done, the one pictured above is its mate. I'd say pair, but I have yet to get a striping sock yarn to match with itself, and I'll be d*mned if I ever do. I don't like socks that are precisely exactly the same, I think that would be boring. I'll go with mirror images, but to have them be truly identical? Then I'd get bored for sure. So, nothing doing on that front.
**edit** I forgot to mention this when I first posted but, I've dubbed these socks the FYSS socks. The acronym stands for F*** You Stripey Socks, in humorous reference to this bit from Robot Chicken, specifically the "F*** you stripey bag."
Where was I?
Oh yes. Knitting this sock at work today I was at erm... 6 wraps per side on the short row heel. Thanks again to Knitty for their Universal Toe-Up Sock Pattern which I now have conveniently memorized for two needle sizes/yarn weights for The Other Half. Very convenient, if I do say so myself. The fit is lovely (I did a pair for myself... guess I should get a shot of those too...) and it's dead simple once you get over the fear of math. Heck, I'd use it to help teach kids algebra if I could.
Er... sidetracked again, wasn't I?
So, knitting socks. Almost finish the heel by the time my shift is over, and end up carrying the sock downstairs with me out of my knitting bag. I figured that if I taught myself to read and walk and not be in danger, I could darn well learn to knit and walk with no problems. Exercise the peripheral vision a bit. I seemed to get a few odd looks on the way to the bus stop, but no immediate comments, and really, it's not much different from all the junk people do with their smart phones while not walking where they're going. I just added an extra element of danger with my pointy metal sticks.
Luckily enough, got to the stop just as the bus was arriving, so I get on and manage to grab a seat without incident, and immediately start knitting again, trying to finish the one frustrating*** row after the heel finish where I have to pick up extra stitches to close the hole and pick up wraps in the same spot. When, out of nowhere, miracle of miracles, someone, some complete stranger, in this town pipes up and makes a direct comment to me about my knitting.
"That looks really complicated."
I glance up at the lady who made the comment, instantly smoothing out my look of concentration (which is often mistaken for abject frustration) and explain, loud enough so anyone else who was glancing at me could hear, that no, it's not really that complicated it just looks that way, simply because I'm at a fiddly bit, the rest of it is dead easy once you get it down with practice, just like anything.
We had a lovely short conversation about how long it took me to knit that part of the sock, and how long it usually takes me to knit a full sock. I made sure to be polite and friendly through all of it. I almost feel, had she not been with her friends, I could have done more, and made another convert in this town. Honestly, though, I was more surprised that she'd said something to me directly. I've heard other people on the bus talk to their companions about what I was doing, speculating loud enough for me to hear; and I feel compelled to join in because I mean... really... I'm right there! I'm not scary looking! If you ask anyone I look like Velma from Scooby-Doo, just with long hair**** But until today, no one in Windsor had piped up even the teeniest question directly at me. I've never ever been in so.... Canadian a city before. I posted about that a ways back though so there's no need to go into it today; however, I feel I have passed a milestone. I'm breaking out of my shell and joining the ranks...
The ranks of Knitters in Public.
When do I get my decoder ring?
*And with that one statement, just about everyone that knows me will want to know if I'm okay. I have, to put it mildly, a bit of a salty tongue when it comes to certain forms of expression
**Green Socks are notoriously shy creatures, difficult to capture on film in the wild. They have the ability to generate incredible bursts of speed, which allow them to escape perceived predators by hiding under the nearest bed. At least, that's where I last saw them escaping to. For all I know they're now lurking at the bottom of a laundry pile attempting to make more socks through the so-called "miracle of life".
***read: @&!#$@%(*&)$ because picking up those stitches can be a pain, especially in a moving vehicle.
****I have done the bob cut, many times. It wasn't until this year that I got the right glasses for it, but now I'm not cutting my hair again.
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