August 22, 2007

Unblogiversary meanderings

It’s been really nice to look back over a year of posts to see how much I’ve learned (though I fully expect to screw something up spectacularly, and soon, having made that statement. I know how the knitting gods work).

Appropriately enough, my first knitting post was about my first pair of socks. I knit them on size 4 needles from the first Berroco Ultra Alpaca I ever bought. That first knitting post also included the bold proclamation that “I'm done being second sock syndrome's bitch.”

Clearly that didn't stick. My latest future Single Sock is the Ubiquitous Monkey. I picked it up again after finishing my Sockapalooza socks (hmmm…haven’t heard from sock pal yet – Trying. Not. To. Hyperventilate).

Anyway, I tried knitting a few inches of TB's socks last week, and it just seemed kinda boring and unsatisfying. Where were my beloved yarn-overs and ssks?

Ah, there you are…

Monkey3

You’ve heard this a zillion times on a zillion knitting blogs, but this is a damn good pattern. I even have a favorite part – I get a little thrill each time I knit into the back loop of the second part of the double yarn-over in row 4. Every time I do, I actually go “WHEEE!” in my head. Not sure why, though I suspect that it’s because I’m somewhat simple and therefore easily entertained.

As for the results? Meh. I still think the colors obscure the awesomeness of the pattern, and it pooled like a bastard at the gussets, but I’m having too much fun to care.

Plus, this yarn is waaay overdue to become a sock – it was the very first fancy sock yarn I bought, well over a year ago. When I bought it, I proudly plopped the yarn on the counter at the yarn shop, and gleefully announced that I would be starting my first socks.

The mean yarn shop lady looked at my yarn, then at me, then said in a weary tone “Everyone’s knitting socks these days. It’s really trendy.”

Good thing I didn’t know about turkey dominance back then or I would have been all up in her grill. As the kids say.

And that should remind you that the Unblogiversary Exert Your Turkey Dominance Contest is running until Sunday.

You really, really want that yarn.

You know you do.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy UnBlogiversary!! Yay!

Anonymous said...

Ok ok, I'm gonna make some Monkeys. A zillion knitters can't be wrong. But this had better not turn out like the Pomatomus fiasco of 2006!

Kristy said...

I don't get why so many yarn shop owners are mean. Consider this a delayed "Yay!" for your pronouncement about your first socks.

I think the yarn looks fine with the pattern. That striping yarn is where the Monkey pattern really shines, in my opinion.

Deb said...

Mean yarn shop owners really deserve some serious turkey dominance. Down with the sour old lady bitterness spoiling all the yarnish fun.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe it's been a year that I have been living vicariously through your blog :) I haven't gotten to the trendy sock knitting yet, but there is some knitting scariness/fun to come! HAPPY UNBLOGIVERSAY MY DEAR!

Macoco said...

I think the colors look great with that pattern - it's really not too busy. Happy unBlogiversary!

Rebecca said...

your monkeys are lovely. and i envy you making your first pair of socks on US4. i think mine were on US2 or US3. i'd rather start on a larger needle with few stitches which takes less time to knit up into a full-blown sock! hope you're getting lots of use from your first pair, still.