I’m Knitting As Fast As I Can

First let me apologize for the font fight that overtook Sunday’s post. I tried to fix it several times to no avail. When the Blog makes up her mind that there will be no further editing, she is more stubborn than Siri. Yes, I saw The Matrix.  Damn.

Last week, I was making progress knitting this sock while watching Doctor Who. This week I was still knitting this same exact sock while watching Doctor Who.  I’m pretty sure I used to knit a lot faster. Heck, I could knit a sweater while standing up on a subway platform waiting for the A-train. A baby sweater. And maybe I was crocheting it. I crochet much faster than I knit. But I don’t care for crocheted socks.

To make matters worse, now that I finished the damn sock I can’t find a needle to finish it with.
Somehow I am missing every single metal wool needle I own. We’re talking 3 regular and at least 2 extra long needles. I checked out every project bag on my desk without the slightest luck. No wait, I think I missed the bag with the blue socks; not there, check the denim bag with the unfinished blanket ... Got ‘em.

Being “retired on disability” creates a conundrum of sorts. Certainly I have much more time to enjoy my hobbies, with knitting being at the top of the list. But having this type of disability means my annoyingly weak hands no longer move as quickly as they once did. In fact, there are times I am simply unable to support the weight of the knitted project.  To paraphrase my father, my knitting now has 2 speeds - slow and stop. This really sucks, because a year or two into this banishment/retirement, I decided to limit the number of UFOs (Unfinished Objects) in my closet. I picked two big projects to concentrate on, and I resolved not to buy more yarn, and not to cast on any new projects. I haven’t bought more yarn mostly because I have no more room to stash it, and I haven’t cast on any new projects (with the notable exceptions of three rather cute baby sweaters, but they don’t count because, well, BABIES!)

The leftover multi-project I have been concentrating on, with variable success, is socks. Somehow, awhile back, I kept casting on new socks until the number approached a statistical universe, or at least nine pairs.  Bad idea. Really bad.

So I came up with a new strategy: two of those were not too far along nor worth finishing, so they were put aside to be frogged for future use. The other seven would be worked for each project to finish one whole sock, then go back to the first project and in the same order finish the second sock. I thought it would break up the boredom of working the same pattern twice in a row, and I was right. I now have six lovely unmatched knit socks, and I’m working on the last of the first socks, and then ...

I’m gonna need more room in my sock drawer, and that’s A Good Thing.

In the event I’ve inspired you to learn how to knit and/or learn how to knit socks, I recommend that you head right over to Ravelry, the most amazing yarn-based site in the galaxy ... or at least on the Internet. And it’s FREE.