Half-Sock Update: Now A Complete Pair!

It was hard for me to admit to the world that I let a half-sock linger in my yarn bowl for nine months. Shortly after publishing my last post I decided I needed to form an action plan to hurry up and finish it already! If I believed that I didn’t have the time to finish the sock, then I needed to make the time. Suddenly I had the moment of clarity I had been waiting for: The last ten or fifteen minutes of my lunch hour are usually spent perusing WTOP or my Facebook feed. What if I didn’t do that for a few days, and worked a few rounds instead? Status updates and the noon news could wait a while.

At last, basking in their finished glory. 

The second sock was done in three days. I was so motivated and inspired by this that I started another pair. My latest projects are now a mainstay in my work bag. I store them in a large Ziploc bag for protection. However, this isn’t always very effective, as the skinny bamboo needles pierce right through.

Another happy discovery I made by bringing my knitting to work was how much other people appreciated what I was doing. Some coworkers asked me to show them how, which led to impromptu, one minute knitting lessons. Others shared with me that they enjoyed needlepoint, crochet and rug hooking. I didn’t expect that what I was doing on my lunch would encourage such positive dialogue and create an opportunity to get to know one another a little better.

Needless to say, I’m pleased to be back in the groove of knitting after a long, necessary break. I hadn’t realized how burnt out I was becoming. As much as I love to knit, I think I was starting to overdo it last year. Add in the adjustment of a new job, and one can see how easily a half completed project could be abandoned. At the end of each day I found relaxing with the crossword preferable to the concentration it would take to avoid mistakes and dropped stitches.

That’s not all I want to discuss today. I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this next issue, as I feel it’s not worth it, but it still needs to be addressed. By “it,” I mean the latest abomination to the knitting world known as, “The Knook.”

Dun dun dun!

Yes, The Knook. These contraptions consist of pointed knitting needles that can be turned upside down and used as crochet hooks. Now all of your fiber crafting needs can be found in one nifty place, right? Um, no. Any intermediate knitter or crochet-er will tell you that needle sizes and hook sizes have no overlap! Try as you might, you won’t find any crochet hook in the world that is the exact same size as a knitting needle.

What does this mean? If you use these…things…for either knitting or crochet, the quality of your work will suffer. This is because you won’t be able to get the proper gauge (stitches per inch) necessary to create the proper look/fit of whatever is being made.

Even worse, The Knook comes with a few paltry yards of the cheapest polyester cord that money can buy.

Overall, my opinion is that The Knook shows a blatant disrespect for both crafts, and encourages its users to learn wrong stuff. It’s aimed squarely at beginners who run the risk of being completely turned off to either craft, all because they were exposed to this junk.

As unpleasant as this is, let’s get it out there and spread the word. Just say no to The Knook. I am quite disappointed in A.C. Moore for carrying this product. If Billy Mays were still alive, it would fit right in on one of his late night infomercials.

Kaboom indeed. 

I digress.

I’m planning another children’s book review for the next post. Hint: It will be a throwback for children of the 1990s as well as the 1940s. Stay tuned!

Before 9 Months Turn Into 12...

I seem to have taken a completely unintentional 9 month hiatus from my world of Cabled Hearts! It seems unreal to me, because my last post is still relatively fresh in my mind. As cliché as it sounds, real-life really did get in the way of my blogging…

But it did not get in the way of my crafting! Thankfully. Before I get started, I am going to put up a little disclaimer: I have been exclusively crocheting for the last nine months.  One lone sock remains half-knitted in my yarn bowl. As good as my intentions may be, my desire to crochet, as well as a myriad of other distractions cause this poor half-sock to languish. One day it will be finished, but I can’t promise that it will be any time before everyone rides around on hoverboards, all while wearing their own pairs of Google Glass.

I never thought it could happen to me! With the help of some inspirational patterns and fibers, I have gone down the rabbit hole of crochet. The two worlds aren't as separate as they at first seemed. The battle line separating knitters from crochet-ers is nothing but a false construct. I could go on and on about this rivalry, and how it must stop, but I think that is best saved for another blog post.

What it all comes down to is a matter of need. Ask yourself: Do I need something to wear to get through the coldest day of winter? Am I seeking something intricately cabled and colored? Painstakingly detailed? Or how about sturdy hosiery? Your best bet is to go with knitting.

Sturdy Hosiery!

If what you need or desire is something decorative, fun or exceedingly large, like a blanket, crochet is the most likely means to your end. For whatever reason the crochet process just goes faster, with the average project taking a few hours to a couple of days to complete. Unless of course you are undertaking a blanket or an afghan….more on that later.

So, what exactly have I been crocheting all this time? Today I will share the one creation of which I am the most proud. This being:

An amigurumi zebra! A zebra seems pretty random. How did I come to the decision to create my own zebra, you may ask? The answer is quite simple. I was challenged. Aggressively so. After completing and giving away an amigurumi elephant for a dear friend’s birthday, the challenge was presented to me. A certain female individual, who shall remain nameless, said rather thoughtlessly, something to the effect of that she thought the elephant was nice, but that I probably couldn't make a zebra. You know, all those stripes and finer details…

I practically felt the sting of the glove slapping my face. Challenge accepted. It was ON! 

The timing could not have been better, either. It was 4^th of July weekend, and I had an extra day off to prove that I could, in fact, produce a zebra. A darn good one.

Long story short, I found a unique, inspiring pattern. With a few balls of black and white Red Heart from my stash, some buttons, some deep breaths and a little belief in myself, I had my very own zebra 48 hours later! I never officially named him, but that was ok. He doesn't need a name, because I will always think of him as my Glove-Slap Challenge Zebra. 

It can even do the crossword!

Okay, let’s go back to the topic of blankets and afghans. During my life as a crafter I have made one granny square blanket (see first zebra photo) of which I am incredibly proud. It took me almost a year to make and sew together the 100 separate, colorful squares. Making it was a blast, and I sleep under it every night. Once I climb under it at night, it no longer matters if I have had the best day or the worst day of my life. It is my very own personal reset blanket!

What also makes this blanket special is that it is the exception to my rule. This rule being that I really, really don’t like crocheting blankets! Ripple and wave patterns that are all made in one piece inspire frustration bordering into rage inside of me. Maybe it’s the repetition? Or it could be the seemingly eternal process of working back and forth across one long row after one long row? The wrist strain? I’m not going to spend a whole lot of time over thinking it, because it doesn’t matter. I am so enamored with my animals, granny squares and funky decorations that perhaps these blankets are best left to someone else.

I don’t mind a long slow process, as long as it comes to me in the form of knitting. I guess that is what these last nine months in the world of crochet have taught me: That the creative process can be fast and fun sometimes, and it is ok. When life gets long, slow and heavy, relief awaits me in the form of an aluminum hook and some light, cotton yarn. 

**Next Post Coming In Less Than 9 Months**