The Hell Hole of the Pacific
I’m knitting a sock. Well, everyone else is and I was finally sucked (socked?) in by promises of two socks at once (thus avoiding the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome) on one needle (Magic Loop, thus avoiding the dreaded dpns) and being able to knit from both ends of the ball of yarn at once (thus avoiding leftover yarn which drives me nuts as I’m completely incapable of throwing yarn away). Other benefits include the apparently wondrous comfort of hand-knitted socks on my enormous feet and the opportunity to buy sock yarn in cashmere blends from poshyarn and the most gloriously dyed merino from Sophie’s Toes. I haven’t received my sock club yarn from Posh Yarn yet but I have had three glorious balls from Sophie’s Toes and I’m itching to start. In the meantime I’ve begun a toe-up magic loop sock (one at a time, I wasn’t brave enough to do two at once for my first attempt) on my glorious new Addi bamboo circulars which arrived from Astrid’s Dutch Obsessions last week. This is in Opal yarn which I had handy although it doesn’t compare to Sophie’s merino.
I sound like the shopping channel! It’s difficult being so cut off from good yarn shops up here although the view does make up for it.
This isn’t my view, I hasten to add. Dear me, no. That would be far too simple. This is the view from a client site where the sock, Him Indoors and I went yesterday for an installation. I came along to help out (and because very occasionally they let me out of the office), to fill in the paperwork and to take pictures of half-knitted socks from every location. Much to the bemusement of my client.
The sock also went on the ferry to Russell, the aforementioned Hell Hole of the Pacific although you wouldn’t think so now unless you have a horror of restaurants, art galleries and luxury homestays. Here is the sock aboard and abroad – being held unwillingly by Him Indoors (“Make it quick, people might see!”) just in case anyone thinks I’ve got very hairy hands!
The home dyed yarn awaits inspiration. Hats? A felted bag? Or just eternal purgatory in the yarn stash? I’ll decide once I’ve finished the socks. I’ve finally discovered how to get some peace and quiet for solitary knitting. Just mention that I have three skeins requiring patient holding while I wind each of them into a ball. You’d be amazed at the speed of the exodus. If I’d realized it was that easy to get everyone to leave me in peace then I’d have threatened them with yarn earlier! Though there are now mutterings about how ball winders and skein holders are necessary to family harmony. And they keep pointing out that I have a birthday coming up…
My dastardly plan has worked! (insert maniacal cackling here!)
