Well Look at What I Found
Way down at the bottom of the back of the stash. It's a ball of speckled Opal sock yarn I bought at least eight years ago.
I think I was saving it for good. "Saving it for good" is a principal I absorbed from the air around me when I was growing up. Especially good quality items were saved for special occasions so they didn't wear out too fast: the nice china used only on holidays, the dress coat for Sundays (purchased with room to grow into). There is actually an admirable anti-consumerism element here, the opposite of "buy the latest number-use it up-throw it out." But I've found that, at least in the case of yarn, it can lead to a certain element of hoarding....
So I'm using this nice yarn to make a pair of socks that I may or may not "save for good". Nah, I'm going to wear them.
You can see the toe. It's a round toe. Some people like these because they don't involve any grafting. Me, I don't mind grafting at all, but on this particular pair I wanted a smoother look than I get from my usual wedge toe with it's lines of decreases marching up both sides. The pattern on the leg is fairly subtle and I thought this was a nicer option. Not that anyone is likely to notice when the sock is worn. The leg will be covered by my jeans; and any time I am outside the house, the toe will be covered by my shoes. But to me, a sock is a little object (as in d'art) and sometimes I like to pay attention to the niceties.
What is the subtle leg pattern? I'll put that picture up when both socks are done.
7 comments:
At first, when I saw your picture of the sock, I thought you were making it toe-up! In any case, it looks lovely, and I'm so glad you'll wear it!
I love the color. I've never seen Opal in that color.
Hey Laura, one of these days I really will do toe-up. Really, I promise.
Hey Molly, I realized that yarn can't be quite as old as I thought, since I bought it at Sow's Ear, but it must have been shortly after they opened. I don't know that I've seen this colorway since. I like it too, it reminds me of peppermint chip ice cream.
My mom used to drive me nuts with that save-it-for-good practice. She had chests and drawers full of beautiful linens but we slept on patched sheets and dried ourselves with threadbare towels. Needless to say, I use everything and save nothing for special occasions. Every day I beathe is a special enough occasion for the good stuff. (Take THAT, Mom!)
*G* I never could figure out whether it was cultural (Norwegian) or having grown up during the Depression, though I always suspected the latter. But she, my Mom, pretty much got over it. She does still have a thing about coats....
My mother was like that too but I've worked hard to develop the "life is short, eat dessert first" mentality. A lovely anything will do me no good at all when I'm dead and gone - I'll use it now thanks very much :)
Dessert First, yes!
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