Putting My Money Where My Foot Is

I’ve been knitting off and on for over 25 years. I’ve made all manner of things–headwear, neckwear, hand- and armwear, tea cozies, dishcloths, hot pads, blankets, baby sweaters, baby booties, and I don’t even know what else. What doesn’t show up on that list is: footwear. At least, not adult-sized footwear. I should note the one small exception to that. One of my first actual projects (maybe my actual first project) was a pair of bed slippers. I actually finished both of them. They were not exactly the same size as each other and there were some mysterious holes in one of them, but I finished them, seams and pompoms and all. I believe I used some stylin’ pink acrylic. I can’t find a picture or pattern that is exactly the same, but they were something along the lines of this. I got the original pattern from a random “learn to knit” booklet from goodness only knows where. They were really something. I think I even wore them once.

Okay, I’m stalling. The salient point is that socks have been my Achilles’ heel (get it?) and I have been too intimidated to try them for a long time. I learned a lot about various fiber arts from my ex’s mother several years ago. She is a brilliant artist, quilter, rug hooker, spinner, weaver and knitter. She didn’t knit as much during the time I knew her due to arthritis but she was always churning out a pair of socks. She ooohed and aaahed all my projects and I drooled over her socks. I’ve been collecting sock yarn, needles and patterns for years. I would love to have awesome, well-fitting colorful socks to wear, but I have never even cast on for a pair. Every time I start to think about it seriously, I get a vision of those pink slippers and I get discouraged.

Today? All that changes! I have yarn. I have needles. I have books, patterns, references, advice, pointers and tips. And I have a virtual knitting group that’s going to nudge me over the edge and into the abyss of sock knitting! Stay tuned, folks, because I will be sure to share my eventual successes and my missteps (get it??) along the way. I have about an hour and a half to change my mind, but for now I’ve tentatively selected this yarn and this pattern for my first foray into footwear.

And if the universe hadn’t already pointed me firmly in this direction, I just heard my daughter’s voice over the baby monitor (she’s upstairs “napping”) saying, “socks! I said socks! Socks!*” so it’s final. I have to knit some socks.

*She is probably telling the story of her first word, which did just happen to be “socks”. We’ve been talking with her about that lately.