Kiss My Knits!

First, one more pic of Emily in the sweater. This one better shows how it actually fits her. Plus it shows off her blue, blue eyes. I firmly believe that we’ve gotten better services from people because she’s just so pretty. Such is the way of the world. Those eyes just melt my heart!

Next, Jayney stuff. Mailers have arrived, thank goodness. Also, I have another Firefly-related project in the works which isn’t quite finished yet, but which I think is going to have a very high “squee!” factor. , , and Turtlegirl have seen pics of the unfinished test run. I’m feeling really good about it.


Finally, SOCKS!

Pattern: Garter Rib from Charlene Schurch’s Sensational Knitted Socks.
Yarn: Two skeins of Regia Bamboo Color 1067 Dyelot 15350
Needles: #1 circs

I got this yarn from Yarns Forever, on a road trip Turtlegirl and I took before they closed. This yarn is a lot brighter than what I usually wear. I don’t know why I liked the color, but it really did call out to me. Also, I hadn’t knitted with bamboo before, except for Tyrathia’s scarf which was an older formulation. As the yarn name implies, the Regia is 45% bamboo. It’s quite soft. The bamboo gives it more drape and less elasticity than a more traditional yarn does. The 40% wool it contains does give it enough stretch to work for socks. I have about a quarter of each skein remaining, enough for baby socks, maybe.

Oddly, these socks closely resemble the waiting room carpet at my kid’s occupational therapist. If we’d managed to go yesterday (my car was in the shop) then I’d have a pic to show you. Trust me, it’s uncanny.

There was some flashing on the sole, but very little up the leg. You can see where it pools together quite clearly in this pic. It’s not so visible when it’s being worn, though.

So this happened last night. True story. I went up to Showmar’s, a local restaurant about a mile from here, to get some takeout. While I was waiting, I was knitting a Jayne hat, as usual. The young woman behind the counter was very interested in the knitting, as often happens.

I had the usual exchange I have with people, where they tell me they’re astounded that I’m not even looking at my hands, and I say I knit for sale so I’ve got it down to a science now. Then they usually follow that they used to be able to crochet but they can’t knit, and I say I can knit but I can’t crochet. This part happens pretty much every single time.

I brought out the sock, ready to be bound off, and she went nuts for it. That’s quite common, as is the following exchange.

Her: Wow! That’s fantastic! Would you knit me some?
Me: No, I don’t knit socks for sale. They’re very time-intensive. They probably take about 80 hours, so it’s not really worth it to knit them for other people (note: I have no clue how long they take, but this sounds about right to me).
Her: Really? 80 hours?
Me: Yep! Look, see there are 64 stitches on a row, and if you’re getting about eight rows to an inch, that’s more than 500 stitches in just that little bit.
Her: Wow. So you wouldn’t knit me some?
Me: Well, let’s figure it takes 80 hours, at $5 an hour, that’s $400 for a pair of socks.
Her: Wow. Yeah. So you won’t knit me a pair?
Me: …
Me: No, but I’d be glad to teach you to knit!

At this point she goes back behind the counter. She seems like a perfectly lovely young woman, but no. No, total stranger, I am not going to gift you with 80 hours of my time, which is actually worth more than $5, if we’re going to belabor the point. Lordy. People just don’t think things through sometimes.

At any rate, I’m wearing the socks now, and will be interested to see if there’s any pilling with the bamboo. For my next non-Jayne project, it’s time to dig out my dad’s measurements, do a little math, chart the Charlie Brown zigzag as appropriate for a larger garment, and get to knittin’!