Yesterday I fell victim to something the Yarn Harlot warns us about: Gauge swatches lie! I got to the heal flap of my test knitting sock and checked gauge. It's the first place to really do that since the leg is all in a nice pattern stitch. Although my gauge swatch had advised me to use needles a size smaller than the pattern specified, it lied. Like. A. Rug. Yup, the darned thing was too small.
Off to the frog pond! Undaunted, I decided to use the evening as an opportunity to start fresh with the needle size specified in the pattern.
That's when another truth reared it's ugly head: When you're self-employed, just as you plan a quiet evening, someone calls and offers you 1.5x pay to do a rush job. Of course, you can't possibly turn that down -- it just wouldn't make economic sense.
Thus I cast on for the sock while downloading the files I needed for the job. When I took breaks from transcribing, the sock received my attention. Around 12:30 last night (or more correctly, this morning), I finished the transcription.and thought, "Gee, I'm not really that tired. Might as well knit for a bit and catch up on some DVR recordings." Sounds innocent enough, right?
The next thing you know, I had finished the leg and the heel flap and was ready to turn the heel. That's when I looked at the clock and discovered it was 3:30 a.m.!
Reluctantly, I put the sock down and went to bed. This morning, after a refreshing four hours of sleep, my complete and total insanity was affirmed. Before I went downstairs, before I even thought about making, much less consuming coffee, I picked up the sock and turned the heel.
Fortunately, some level of sanity must remain, because I did manage to stop knitting, go make coffee, read the paper, eat a little breakfast, and actually do some transcription before I allowed myself to pick the sock up again.

But I'm strong, dear reader! So far, I've resisted the urge to cast on for the second sock and instead have paused to write this missive. I even managed to take a picture for you. Sorry you can't see the sock better, but it is a test knit, so I can't really show you detail.
My sweet Ellie cat is unamused by the sock and wonders why I bothered her during her afternoon bath-before-nap ritual. I suppose I can't expect her to understand. After all, she doesn't wear socks.
1 comment:
Wow, you've got stammina, and will power! I would have cast on the second sock already! ;o)Can't say the "no food" could be applied to me, there's always time for that.
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