Friday, January 18, 2008

Don't Poke Your Eye Out

Hi Knitters,
I was looking at my unfinished socks this morning and all of a sudden all I could see was how many needles are involved. I have a mere 16 US size 2 dpns spinning around here. If a new knitter was looking at this mess I am sure she would run for the hills. To me it makes perfect sense and having four socks going doesn't bother me in the least. That's part of the problem, I assure you.
On the trip to Long Beach I started the Knitpicks sock with the yellow, light blue and gold stripes, for my daughter. She picked out the yarn for this pair. They are kind of cute. I hadn't knitted with this yarn before and it is fine but nothing to write home about. The yarn I should write home about is the Knit and Tonic Vesper, which is the blue/green striping sock. This colorway is spectacular and this yarn is so good. I started this on the trip to Long Beach, too. The other two I have written about before, the sKNITches breathmint and of course the pumpkin spice yarntini. Two great socks that I can't seem to focus on long enough to finish. I will triumph eventually.
Switching subjects here, I ran across this clay project I made in elementary school I had recently shoved onto a cluttered storage shelf in my studio. I remember making this so clearly, so much detail for my little fingers. Note the stripey hat with the large pom-pom on top. That should have been a sign. There was another person walking on the sidewalk but when the piece was fired he broke off. I remember being sad about that but then I made his foot into a snowball (you can tell the snowball further back was originally a shoe). Then I added a second snowball on the sidewalk to make it look like it was supposed to be there, good thinking, huh?
I was absolutely entranced in this project. I believe I was in the fourth grade, about 10-years-old. I also remember it was put in a glassed-in display case in the hallway of my school where it stayed for many months. I was very proud. I even made my mom walk by the case when she came to school for some event. When I finally brought it home my mom displayed my creation on a shelf next to her piano. There it sat for over 30 years. I used to look at it all of the time at her house. Today I set it out in my house. I'm still proud, I guess, but for other reasons.
This is how I feel this week. I am spinning around and not getting anything accomplished. Maybe next week will be more productive.
best, susie
p.s. That wooden marble construction toy is the best ever. It is called Quadrilla and we have the basic set. Since Christmas I think my kids have made about a dozen different constructions. It is awesome.