Tuesday, August 16, 2011

So Incredibly Sad

My history with sock making that is.




Yeah, I've made a few pairs and then taken them down, gotten bored with them or lost them. Anyone looking at my Ravelry project page can see that I have little interest in sock making.


Don't get me wrong, there are some absolutely beautiful sock patterns out there. I just don't get the colored sock thing. Orange socks, hot pink socks, yellow socks, screaming green socks. What is that all about ?


Don't laugh but when I was living up north in Detroit and Ann Arbor you just didn't see people with colored socks. I had lots of socks but they were mostly black. Black lace, black netted, black jacquard. Black, black, black. Even all of my tights were black. I did have a couple pairs of socks in charcoal grey, I mean a really, really dark charcoal grey. I had a couple pairs of navy in case I was going to wear my deep dark blue jeans or my navy cords. So you see, coming from a culture that only wore dark socks, all of the pretty socks I've been looking at on Ravelry over the years have mystified me. My comment and question is always;

"Well those are pretty and all but what the heck is she going to wear them with ?"


I still don't know. When you make brightly colored socks do you wear them with jeans? Can you wear them with anything else?


Pictured above are a few of my attempts at completing socks. As you can see the first sock is a Jaywalker. There were actually two of them. I started them in 2008 which is the same year that I moved (yes, I know I just moved but this was a previous move). I stopped both socks right at the heel. Why? Why not just continue ? Anyway, one of the Jaywalkers was lost in that move and guess what. I didn't care. I just chucked the other one in a box.


The pink sock was started in the spring of 2010. I worked on that sock for three days and then stopped. Do you see that all I had to do was complete the foot? I only had a few inches to go and I stopped. Forever. Why?


The third pair of socks is out of a discontinued yarn that I love. It was Wisdom Boston. I stopped the socks right at the ankles then threw them in the box. Why? Last weekend I discovered them and started on a heel then realized I had knitted too much calf and would not have enough to complete the second sock. You see I was just winging it. I had no pattern but didn't care enough to figure out how much yardage I would need for both socks.


I asked myself a few questions this weekend.


1. Do I have a fear of sock completion?

2. Do I have a fear of success with socks?

3. Am I knitting socks because I feel obligated to?




I have no idea.







A Funny Thing

Most of my stash is fingering yarn and the funnier thing is that NONE of the yarn was purchased for socks.


Stepping Forward
I was on Ravelry yesterday for a couple of hours looking at sock patterns. There are sooooo many patterns. At least ten million! Kidding. I chose a few and then ordered yarn which I will share with you at a later date. I have decided to try more socks. Socks are not painful and I can make them. I will bring my colors up a bit from black, navy and charcoal grey. I can make a pair in maroon, dark green, dark blue, dark variegated.


Yes, I will try.


Wish me well and have a wonderful day !


17 comments:

JelliDonut said...

To be honest with you, most of the socks I knit are for others, especially my mom and my daughter. They are both into color, so it works out. I go with the darker tones for myself. And yes, mostly with jeans. My wardrobe also has a lot of black and I like a little secret splash of color at the ankles. Yeah--I'm wild and crazy like that.

Most of my sock yarn ends up as shawlettes or mitts.

knitmachinequeen (KMQ) said...

Okay that is sad.LOL. WTH. Why did you buy more yarn? If you don't like making sock...DON'T. I love making sock and only wear socks that were made by me. I don't care if my socksdon't match what I'm wearing. They are a great conversation piece. I'm a bowler and my socks get seen when I'm changing either into or out of my bowling shoes and I always get compliments on the. I love making them by hand but mostly make the machine because I can whip one out in about 40 minutes. I hope you are able to complete the effort now that you're going through the expense of buying more yarn and yes use skein yarn on the machine.

Two Cables and a Frapp said...

I know I shouldn't buy more yarn for socks but I really want to make socks (I think). I just can't seem to finish them. It's the guilty knitter in me that pushes me to make socks that I won't complete! Sigh.

Joansie said...

Welcome to the SSS club (single sock syndrome) I probably have at least 4 beautiful socks waiting to be married to their mates who have not even germinated yet.

Kitten With a Whiplash said...

Today the rules are whatever you wanna wear - wear it! If you can get just one pair finished you can decide whether they are right for you or not, so good luck.

(Joansie- some brave souls {soles?} wear mismatched socks on purpose - you've a couple pairs!)

Maybe what you're subconciously afraid of is getting addicted to them, as so many knitters are.

Thanks for the comment on my blog, I really did have to make cookies after working a couple hours to get a good photo of the eclairs.

Anonymous said...

Even though I've made a pair, I'll admit that I don't get the allure of socks. I've sock patterns and books, but I haven't made another pair. I'm a slow knitter, but my sock yarn is earmarked for shawls.

Melodye

SusanB-knits said...

I'm addicted to knitting socks! But not everyone is so don't worry about it. Besides, sock yarn can be used for so many other projects... like fingerless mitts, scarves, shawls... just to name a few. If you find you can't finish a pair of socks, you can always throw the finished sock in a drawer and pull out two to wear. They don't have to match. So I've been told.

Torhild Reidardatter said...

I enjoyed reading your post.I wear socks because Ihave cold feets plus I live in a cold country. I wear them out. I`m on my 4th pair this summer. I knt them because they´re so easy to bring with me anywhere.I always start 2nd sock right away, when casted off the first. This way I make sure # 2 is on its way. good luck. And wear colors. Black is doll

SissySees said...

I got on a sock kick early in my knitting and just can't get back there. I do have some very colorful socks, and I wear them with closed back clogs and jeans.

kathy b said...

THeres more to sock yarn than socks! i get tired of them...second sock syndrome hits me hard. Id rather make fingerless gloves or berets or shawls with sock yarn...
but I am supposed to encourage you> YES I do wear mine.....with my nursing scrubs and clogs. They are the only fun thing i get to wear to work> i also wear them with blue jeans and clogs....
thanks for visiting my blog irisheyes!

caknitter said...

I wish you well with the socks! You're much more brave than I could ever be.

Caroline said...

I chuckled reading your post. It sounds like something I would experience although I like knitting socks quite a lot. Of course, it's silly that I like knitting socks since I can only wear them about three months out of every year! I just like the compactness of them, and I'm usually OK with how they look on me...unlike most sweaters I've ever knit for myself. I'm always so sure I'll look like the model...and then I don't!

Sheila said...

During the winter I love wearing outrageous colored socks and my family adds to my sock mania. They often buy me socks when they come across a crazy color/print. During the winter I mostly wear shoe boots and by midday I will switch to my pumps despite my crazy colored socks that I am wearing. My coworkers get a kick out my socks.

I have knitted one pair of socks and enjoyed them, but never made another pair. Looking forward to your sock venture which just may inspire me to knit a pair.

Robin said...

You're too funny! Just think of all those bright self-striping sock yarns as the new black!

Amybel said...

You know, I think either people are sock knitters or they're not. I've never met a sock knitter that was taking a break to knit an afghan. Or vice versa. Don't worry if it doesn't work out for you! And if it does, you will have something to say for sure!

jen said...

Thank you for stopping by our blog the other day and for the nice comments.
I wish I could comment more on sock making but I don't know much about it:) I have to say living in Cleveland I think most of us wear white socks...except for my sister and my daughter!

Sinéad said...

I'll admit it, I'm a sock addict. I love them! I always have a pair on the needles and bring them with me whenever I think I'll be waiting somewhere. They're brilliant to whip out & knit while you wait. On the colour thing? The brighter the better for me. I have to wear boring suits to work all the time so I rebel a bit by sticking on a pair of bright socks. Every time I look at my feet it makes me smile. :)