Anticipation...

I can't believe I just spent a wad on one skein of yarn... Ok, it was less than $20.00, and for many knitters, that is cheap, but for me, I could probably get 4 skeins from one of the other vendors I tend to frequent for that price...  But, I was gifted a skein of this Independent Dyer's yarn to create a new sock pattern with, and it was so inspirational (the Frills and Lace pattern was the result of that yarn) that I just had to try her stuff again.  The Indie Dyer is Lisa Souza, and her yarns can be found at www.lisaknits.com The colors are vibrant and the yarn is sooooooo soft and beautiful and she does some amazing techniques with her dying that I haven't seen elsewhere.  I am sold, and probably hopelessly addicted now to her yarns.

The skein I was gifted was her Sock! line in the color Delft.  This time, I decided to try her Blue Faced Leicester Sock! in the color Jonquil.  It appears to be either a speckled yellow with purple and orange speckles or with splotches of purple and orange.  Either version is fine with me.  I just know it will get the creative juices flowing and I am looking forward to it arriving, hopefully in the next week.

I am also looking forward to seeing how the BFL knits up.  I understand from others in the knitting world that this yarn is supposed to be softer and more lucious than normal merino wool yarn, but having never experienced it, I am anticipating finding out for myself.

I know a lot of knitters who make socks worry about how much nylon is in their sock yarn, and for some of the socks I knit for other people, I pay attention to that.  But when I am knitting for myself, that is one consideration I really don't need to worry about too much.  First of all, I am gathering quite a collection of hand knit socks, so none of my socks get worn extensively.  Secondly, I have always been relatively gentle on my socks - I still have pairs of commercial socks that are nearly 30 years old and have not yet worn holes in them!  Some are now orphans due to the Dryer Monster, but still, that's a long time for socks to last, and I take much better care of my handknit socks than I ever did of my store-bought ones (and they have no need to fear the Dryer Monster as they will never go in the dryer). 

Truth be told, I really don't wear socks much anyway.  during the cooler months of the year, I do wear them when I go outside, and to town, etc., but with how my health has been for the last 2 years now, I hardly manage to get dressed and go anywhere that I would need to wear socks.  I rarely wear them around the house as I don't like wearing shoes (balance issues), and with all the greyhounds and cats, I am afraid I might step in something that I wouldn't want to get on my socks.  (feet are much easier to wash).  I will wear them to bed on cold nights, especially if I am keeping the bedroom door closed because the Dear Husband has jacked the fire in the woodstove to melting.  Since the only heat is via the woodstove, and it sits on the other side of the bedroom wall, it can get unbearably hot (for me) if I don't close it, but when I do, it does get nippy in here.  I do sleep better when it's cold though as long as my feet are warm, hence the socks in bed in the winter. 

Just because I don't wear them much doesn't mean that I will ever get enough of sock knitting.  I enjoy it.  It makes me relax and I am happy to see the designs come to life in the yarny goodness that are socks.  They are also short term projects which are about all my poor failing mind can handle these days.  I tend to have a shorter attention span as I get older (and have to take more medicine to deal with all the health issues), and the length of a sock project is about all I can manage anymore.  I'd love to do a sweater again someday, but... it takes soooo much more yarn and soooo long, I'd probably run out of patience and money long before I could finish a sleeve even!  No, I'll stick to my socks.  If you think you want a pair, let me know.  I am always looking for victims recipients to bless with socks...