But first, I have to say I was really happy about some of the comments from the last post. For one thing, there were some people I had never heard from before - always super-exciting - but also there were a couple of people who said they liked my spinning and were looking forward to the point when their spinning looked like that. I don't mean to sound like I'm getting a swelled head or anything, but it was at this exact time last year that I was stalking spinning posts and leaving comments like that on several blogs. So it was kind of a thrill to see that - and my spinning is still not anywhere near some people's. Seriously, if you want to drool over some spinning, click those.
But anyway - the Yarn Harlot socks are finally finished! Yay!
I sometimes wonder about the wisdom of designating one project my "traveling project," the one that stays in my purse and only gets worked on away from home. It ends up leading to things like taking seven months to finish a pair of socks - short socks at that. Sheesh.
But oh, are they soft and pretty socks. Not pretty because I did anything special to them - just a very plain slip-stitch pattern - but the yarn. These are all about the yarn.
The yarn is Shibui sock superwash merino. It is just ridiculously soft. And the color is just so simple and pretty.
Some specifics: I called these the Yarn Harlot socks not because I used any pattern of hers, but because they were cast on during her talk at Webs in April. I did these two-at-a-time, toe-up, magic loop. I suppose they should also lead me to question the wisdom of casting on such a project in a darkened theater (do you see? How the toes are a little dog-eared?), but they don't. They remind me of a very fun day, and of the knitterly atmosphere and yarn fumes that must have led to the decision to cast them on. Oh, and I also tried out a garter-stitch heel on these too. Maybe it's a look that only a knitter could love, but I think it's cute. And not having to pick up the wraps on the short-rows was nice too.
One more thing to question: is it a good idea to take pictures of your socks in front of impressionable children? Baby Sister decided she needed a picture of her socks, too.
Note: In real life, my calf is not that big. Or, I hope not.
It appeared Baby Sister was the only person in the house without slippers that fit. As a knitter, I could not let that stand. I grabbed the leftovers from Amy's legwarmers and started some using the classic garter-stitch slipper pattern my mom taught me. I say taught me, because I don't have it written down anywhere, I just kind of eyeball the size as I go and use the appropriate amount of stitches and rows. Sometimes I'm a little off, which is why these came out so tall. But casting off the extra stitches after I got past the ankle part and adding the buttons fixed the problem nicely. I also put some caulk on the bottoms - these things are really slippery.
That's pretty much it for project-related news. I've got some new wool on the spinning wheel and a monteagle bag on the needles, but neither of them really look like much right now.
I'll leave you with this, from an ad in the NY Times magazine this weekend:
But what about yoga?
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