Monday, December 27, 2010

New Year’s Socks

My New Year’s resolution is to learn how to knit a pair of socks. Knitting has been hard to fit into my schedule between work, writing, our baby and the holidays. But we need the room it will free up. A few years ago I loaded up on yarn at Wal-Mart and haven’t used enough of it yet. And, as any good disciple of Louisa May Alcott knows, unused yarn is almost like waste and that waste is as bad as a lack of industriousness. So on January 1, I’m going to cast on 60 stitches on my needles and knit until I have a pair of socks. I’m thinking green with red racing stripes on the cuff.

There are times when I wonder if I make resolutions like this because of
Little Women
or if this was something that I would have done if I had never read the book. But I’ve always liked making things, starting with doll clothes and graduating to knitting, crocheting and quilting. And, according to the media, this actually makes me kind of hip because do-it-yourself gifts like hand-knitted socks and sweaters are really cool now.

Knitting these socks is probably going to be pretty hard for me. Although I can knit, it doesn’t come naturally for me. When a pattern isn’t clear, it’s not easy for me to figure out what I’m supposed to do. There will probably be some unraveling, a little swearing and at least two times when I throw a half-knitted sock across the room. Still,
I have this fantasy that in a year, I’ll have an entire drawer filled with home-made socks in every single color and style. I’ll post a picture of my first pair of socks when they’re done!

1 comment:

  1. I have made a few pairs of socks in my life. They are not my favorite thing to knit but the tricky part is turning the heal - if you get that right the rest is relatively easy.
    Good luck with your sock project. Right now I am using up yarn on hats to give to needy kids now that I have supplied myself and everyone else with a new hat.

    And have a very Happy New Year!

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