Avoidance Thy Name is Knitter

I spent the day on and off on my new sock kit from the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club. It really is pretty rockin', as far as these things go. I got to try for the first time a toe-up pattern, and think it's unbelievably clever. The yarn, a colorway called "Monsoon," is so imaginative. I've been using Koigu PM exclusively for socks, but this is even better, softer, richer, delivers crisp clean stitches. Just feels nicer to the touch.

And my poor hands--I'm reminded of a passage from "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, where at the end of a brutal winter of dark blizzards and endlessly grinding wheat to keep from starving, Laura is given as a late Christmas gift some beautiful colorful silk thread. She describes it as catching against her rough hands, and thinks of a time when she'll be able to create lovely frivolous things again, not just rough bread, and sticks to burn for warmth. Okay, well, admittedly I'm living in comfort in Brooklyn, having "suffered" through a mere couple of 20 degree days with the radiators on full-blast...but still, my hands are quite rough! And beautiful fibers only make this more apparent. I have finally dipped into a pot of Fresh balm (how I love Fresh, that overpriced fomenter of greed and scent-addled purchases) that smells like sugary lemony tea...Once again, Laura, I apologize...

In the background, waiting for the completion of Sock Number One (I like to take a break between socks, or it does honestly get tired), is my darling Ripple afghan. I am "repurposing" (silly but efficient term) a sweater for my sis, lavender Rowan cotton glace. Also dipped into the stash for some skeins of purple CG left over from a cardigan for my girl, and a skein of red that I used to make hats for some knitted gnomes:



...gnome hats being teeny-tiny, there is more than enough left for a nice long red ripple...I await in the mail more colors to get on with...

Just a p.s.: The gnome comes from a wonderful book called "The Gnome Craft Book" by Thomas and Petra Berger. This little guy (or lady, as the case may be) is a simple and clever pattern, just perfect for using up odd bits of sock yarn. The actual doll is only a few inches tall. Be warned, though, you might become addicted and end up with a tiny horde.