WandaWomanKnits: Adventures in Knitting & Life: I've crossed the line

in my sock knitting. First of all, thanks to everyone who purchased yarn during my little yarn sale on the blog at the beginning of the month. Honestly, I didn't even think anyone would buy it and that it would end up on eBay, this was so much nicer. I appreciate it and hope that those who did buy yarn enjoy their purchases. I'm back from Atlanta and the family reunion in Louisiana, but I'll talk about that in a subsequent post.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my knitting and the different things that I've knit and different types of items to knit in the future. It's always interesting to me to see how things like taste and personal preferences change over time. When I first learned to knit, I bought any and all yarn, just because. After I began really knitting, I shed the habits of Red Heart and acrylic in favor of more natural fibers. Now, I still prefer natural fibers, but I'm not against using acrylic or more likely, an acrylic blend, especially for babies.

Also figuring out what garments are attractive/suitable for me and different elements that I was scared to try or not interested in knitting and now finding that I'm enjoying some texture to my knitting, as well as my pure "stockinette love". Enjoying a bit of lace, trying to incorporate more texture and patterns as well as balancing the stockinette. My tastes have been changing.

Especially so in the case of my sock knitting. Shortly after I learned to knit, I fell in with a group of knitters that met 2x a month at the local Borders on Saturdays to knit. Some of those ladies were really into knitting socks and at first, I shunned it. But over time, I became fascinated by it and wanted to learn how to knit socks. I took a couple of mini-classes and a real class knitting a sock on dk-weight yarn. I soon learned that I didn't like dk or heavier weight socks for any reason. After that class, I cast on for a sock in sock-weight yarn. I was hooked. It took me 2 months to make that first set of socks, but I loved every moment of it. After that, I've always knit socks. Something about it fascinates me and at that time, sock yarns in self-striping yarns were all the rage, it was the NKOTB. Everyone raved about them and so wanting to be a cool kid too, I bought the self-striping yarn in spades, in lots of different patterns.

Now that I've been knitting for about 5 years and knitting socks for at least 4 1/2 years, the novelty that was self-striping sock yarns has long since worn off. I still have a few laying about, but I wonder if I will ever finish those. The other thing was that I chose very muted colors to knit my socks in. Socks that would match pants and outfits. I didn't want any of the "crazy" color combos and really for a time, my sock yarn collection was quite boring. Then after about a year, I started buying more colors, less browns and blues, but still not too wild and crazy. Purples were ok b/c I could still wear them with jeans. Don't you just hate that saying? Everything goes with jeans, but anyway, I digress.

As you knit socks and then later actually wear those socks, you begin to cross a line as well. You can be elegant and stylish with your dress and then handknit socks have no place in your wardrobe. Or you can go the hippy-crunchy-granola type and wear Birks with your socks, but that wasn't me either. However, I elected to always knit socks that would fit in my shoes, meaning sockweight socks and I wear my handknit socks with nice shoes, but not heels, obviously. And then a bit of the crazier colors always go well with boots.

Now, with my sock yarn shopping, I've completely crossed the line. I used to tell myself, there's no reason to buy 100% merino wool sock yarns, there's no nylon, nothing to keep those from wearing out. I've not yet had a pair of socks wear out and I do wear them constantly in rotation in the winter, but not necessarily every day. But now, I buy sock yarn all willy-nilly, wild with abandon and not necessarily to match an outfit, but because the color calls to me. Now more handpainted sock yarn that I dither with if I will ever make socks from them, or use it for some sort of shawl at some time in the future, who knows? But it's pretty and I know I will use them. Now I'm even getting over than and thinking this is gorgeous sock yarn and whose feet better deserve the pampering of 100% merino wool than mine? Why save this yarn for something special? What's more special than me? It's official, I've gone over the line.

FO alert:
Opal Docktorfish socks from the Rainforest collection:

Using Stitch-N-Snitch's Nancy Drew sock pattern These are shorter socks and I love them. The next pair of socks I make will probably be a smidge taller, perhaps 1/2-3/4" taller, but not by much. I *heart* these socks and once again, I'm copying Carola. I first saw these on her blog and they were so cute, I had to have the yarn.
Very basic stockinette socks, but the color is so pretty and cute to me.
Sz 1.5 Pony Pearl needles

I've finished these socks probably 3-4 weeks ago, but never got around to sewing in the last end and then washing them. So there you are.

The Ribby Shell was finished and returned to me this weekend, so expect another FO soon. I can't wait to wear this. One of my more favorite knits to date.

Below, are some of the sock yarns that helped me "cross-over"

Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn, one-of-a-kind colorway