purplesock2
Originally uploaded by misplacedpom.
Here are my completed socks posing in the Ottawa Jail Hostel. Yes, jail. I spent my nights in Canada's capital sleeping in a prison cell, how cool is that? However, it came as quite a shock to my fellow travelers that I was knitting! In a hostel! But the knitting needles proved to be a conduit to several interesting conversations and a couple of brief but pleasant friendships so all the funny looks were worth it.
Since my camera is refusing to take true-colour photographs if this thing, here's a close up. The yarn is actually made up of about three different shades of blue, one strand of green, and one each of black and grey. For some reason grey seems to be coming out dominant in photos, whereas in real life, this thing looks predominantly royal blue.
And then there are the faithful and much ignored Child's French Socks which I started about a gazillion years ago. The problem with this project is that it's nearly complete! There's only about 15 more rounds until the toe and then what will I do with my hands? Arrgh! Of course, the Gentleman's Fancy Socks have also been stalled for the best part of two weeks so they could be my saving grace. I think these are headed to Ottawa with me tomorrow.
And then there's the magnificently wonderful, highly addictive in it's absolute lusciousness, silk. Ahhhh, the silk! It's so beautiful I decided to try my hand with lace work so that the yarn can be shown at it's best, hence Branching Out from Knitty. It's nigh on impossible to put this yarn down, it feels so wonderful streaming through the needles. Heaven. I think I might just secrete this on my person and never let it go.
So what to take? Socks or silk? Silk or socks?
Both, you say?! I like the way you think ;)
I was mightily restrained if I do say so myself. The light blue yarn is 100% cotton and very similar in construction to Mission Falls. The best bit? FIVE SKEINS for $11! That should be plenty of yardage to allow me to jump on the Grumperina band wagon and finally make myself a Picovoli.
And the sage green. Ooooh, the green is my new pet. I was walking down the oh-so-fashionable streets of SoHo fondling this stuff like a teenager copping they're first feel of boobies. I'm in love. Debbie Bliss Pure Silk, will you marry me? Three skeins for $21, I should have bought the entire stock then just laid down and rolled in it.
Now where was I? Ah yes, they were also selling all their notions and books at discounted rates so I picked up three pairs of lovely, silky-smooth wooden needles to replace my squeaky plasticy ones. OK, so they wont replace them exactly, they'll just keep them company in my nasty red plastic needle case.
The sale carries on today, but due to ME LEAVING WORK AND NEVER COMING BACK AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I wont be able to go back tonight which is probably a good thing (see comment about inappropriate silk behaviour above). But at least I told y'all about the sale so you can go pick over the yarn-carcass yourselves if you're in the neighbourhood :)
As for me, I'm going to get drunk. There will be much consumption of alcohol because for the next five or six years I never, ever have to say again, damn it, I have to go to work tomorrow. The trade off is I'll probably spend the next five or six years sequestered inside my laboratory, never seeing daylight until someone kicks me out with a diploma in my hand telling me to bugger the hell off. I bet I'll still be petting that silk when they do.
I did not pee on my sweater.
Pattern: V-Neck Vest from Paton's Next Steps Two (ISBN 1-897272-21-9).
I'll send this to the cutest little girl I know in England as my penance. I hear an equally cute little brother is due any day now and he too will receive gifts in the form of knitted redemption.
