Sunday, February 14, 2016

Progress Report #1

Phew!  The craziness has started and I'm in good spirits so far!  Classes have been fantastic, not just learning new techniques, but meeting new people and sharing hints and tips.  I'm really loving the experience and the hardest part is trying to go in and out of the yarn store without buying something.  I don't think I've been able to do that once yet but I'm holding hope for myself.

So far I've got a full-fledged pair of mittens (just in time for negative temps here in Massachusetts) and a bunch of cast ons and bind offs for my personal arsenal. I've just started a new pair of socks, this time based on my foot/leg measurements.  I have two weeks to complete the cuffs and legs of each sock for class and that feels like a lot to me.  So what do I do?  I decide to make knee socks. /facepalm.

My knee highs in Plymouth Neon Now
This is a good thing though!  I SWEAR!  I want to flex the new muscles I've built through the classes I've taken and it feels good so far, like taking a walk around the block after I've been sitting down too long.  I've had to make a few readjustments and rip back a few times, but I'm sticking with it and that's huge progress for me in itself.  Until maybe a year ago, I wouldn't knit back if I saw a mistake in the row below.  This is what I took the classes for.  For the confidence to test myself and push myself like I never have before.  It also helps that, despite all the confidence and bravado I'm peddling here, I have a backup plan.  The Hub has finally asked me to knit him something and he happens to want a pair of  house socks.  With bulky yarn, those suckers won't take too long at all, so I'm feeling free to push myself in the mean time,but try to have a realistic idea of when I would need to bail should the ship start to sink on me.



Harris Tweed Socks
I finished the neon socks for my KALs and they came out okay.  I over compensated a bit and the feet came out just the right diameter, but a little short.  Even if they're not perfect, I feel like every pair of socks I make get a little bit better and one more step towards finally making the perfect pair.  They're safely nestled in my "Box O' Sox" now.  I was gifted a set of hat boxes for my wedding that I (for some reason which I still haven't figured out) decided needed to hang on the wall in my hallway and they've remained there for the last 10 years.  I like to stash little seasonal wooly bits in there to keep them out of the way in summer, but still have them ready to go for winter.  One of said boxes will be my "Box O' Sox" for now and hopefully I'll be able to fill it before Christmas!  Of course, to do that I'll have to stop making socks for myself, won't I?

I wonder what everyone else in the world is doing during this ridiculous cold snap.  It was -15 degrees when I woke up this morning and my furnace just can't stand up very well to negative temperatures, so I've got a couple electric heaters going, blankets and sweaters layered, and a never ending cup of coffee to help me through.  I was super excited to go out tonight with The Hub for a romantic dinner, but the idea of treking out in a frozen tundra is quelling that excitement just a bit.  Hope you have a good Valentine's day, whether you're going out or you're by yourself, huddled at home with a movie and some Ben and Jerry's.  Enjoy the holiday and we'll talk soon!

Ryan

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