A Brief Respite From the Cardigan: Psycho Socks!

Yes it is true, the socks are finished! I have never taken so long to finish a pair of socks. Seriously, even my pomatomai did not take me so long. However, these socks are completely worth the trouble. They scream my name with a larger than life bull horn. What is funny about this pattern is that my lovely co-blogger is doing the same design. We did not plan this. Indeed, I was absolutely tickled to discover that we picked the same pattern with no previous consultation or hints. Even more awesome is how different the two pairs are from each other. My co-blogger chose to do them in a stunning solid (was it red? I really can't remember except for the fact that I oggled) while I picked a very loud hand-dyed. My socks are perfectly me. What you see first is the crazy colors spreading themselves in a dizzying array of neon green, purple, and electric blue. Then you notice that there is a pattern. Finally, if you take the time to really look, you can see that the pattern is extremely intricate and lovely on its own. I am layered. First you see the boldness, then you notice the texture, and if you stick around long enough then you might discover the depth. Your dice Heather, make sure you post about your socks! (PS Pattern is Vilai by Cookie A. and it can be found in her book Sock Innovation)

The Cardigan Refused to Be Finished Part 2

I have decided to break up this saga in parts so as not to create a humongously long post that no one wants to read. (Note: If you want to start at the beginning please see the previous post). Anyway, upon telling my sister of my plan, she was absolutely giddy. She insisted on a cardigan (no surprise) and she was unsure of color. As the months wore on I picked out some patterns I thought she would like and rifled through knitpicks in the hopes of finding some color possibilities. Due to extreme business on her part, we did not get to consult until only a month before her actual graduation. We agreed that as long as the cardigan was finished by the end of the summer she would not be upset. She picked out a pattern, and the winner was the Basic Black Cardigan by Glenna C. (available as a free ravelry download). For a long while, she could not decide on a color. And then came the fateful day, the day that decided the whole tone for this entire project. 

(Paraphrased conversation between my sister and myself)

Meg: Hey there

Me: Hey Megs how're you?

Meg: FIne, but I can't talk long. I just wanted to let you know that I decided on a color for my cardigan.

Me: Excellent! What do you want?

Meg: Can you make it in taupe?

Me: ......taupe?

Meg: Yeah

Me: What on earth is taupe?

Meg: It's a- look it up online, google it. I'm sorry but I've got to go

Me: Okay I love you

Meg: Love you too

I did look it up, and the minute I saw it I knew I was doomed. 

The Cardigan Refused to Be Finished Part 1

To those who know me well,  you know that I do not often knit for other people. I am not like most knitters in the sense that I have very little desire to knit things that I must give away. I like to knit for my own enjoyment and my own pleasure. Knitting is extremely special to me, and when I have to knit for other people, a few things happen that make it less than pleasurable. 

1. I usually have to finish it by a deadline like a birthday or some other gift-giving holiday

2. I have to make the garment extremely specific to the recipient. This means everything from color choice to sizing.

3. If I make a mistake, then I mess it up for someone else who, unlike me, will probably not wear it in spite of the glaring error.

With that said, there is one person in my life who I will knit for regardless of what she asks for or what I burden myself with on her behalf: my sister. Indeed, I cannot quite explain the strange lack of distaste when it comes to creating comfy fiber things for her, but that is the way of it. So, when her graduation from college came rolling around I decided I wanted to do something really special for her. I decided to make her a sweater. Not just any sweater, the sweater of her dreams. What that turned into was one of the most arduous knitting journeys that I have ever embarked upon in my young existence.