You've heard of the Slow Food movement. Well, I am the knitting equivalent. From reading the SOS ravelry group forum, it seems that lots of SOS particpants have completed at least one sock and in many cases, two or more socks. Me? I finished Spring Forward sock #1 last Thursday, July 3. I started it at 12:01 am on June 21. I am slooowww. I cast on for sock #2 on Tuesday, July 8 and I'm still knitting the cuff. Granted, I've been distracted by the Traveling Scarf, which I am going to hand off to Deborah at lunch today. And I've fallen back in love with the Ringwood Pesto sock so I've been spending some quality time with that non-SOS sock. Knitting also continues of the Jaywalker-that-will-never-be-finished. This fucking sock is now officially a Resentknit. I feel like I won't ever be finished. I started them 21 months ago! The yarn (STR in Jingle Bell Rock), which used to thrill me, makes me want to puke. I try on the f-ing Jaywalker and it's a little big. DISAPPOINTED!!! I may have to give this sock away. I just want it done and out of my life. The FO picture (if the sock is ever done) may feature the hated socks floating in the toilet or duct taped to a Port-O-John.
On a happier note, here is Spring Forward sock #1, relaxing on the grass. My foot looks like a long red canoe.
Savor my single sock like it's an all-day simmered stew. The delicious essense of slow knitting.
A week ago today, I was doing this:
Driving to the Adirondacks to spend a long weekend at Auntie Achoo's house (that's her nick name cause she sneezes a lot). On the way, I made a pit stop in Saratoga, NY to check out a yarn store. Saratoga Needle Arts. Nice big store with lots of yummy yarns. I restrained myself and bought only two skeins.
Malabrigo worsted in Jaen. A cowl or hat maybe?
Mountain Colors River Twist in Hot Springs. I love this yarn! It might become another cowl or perhaps the yoke of a sweater.
We spent a good portion of the weekend at a quasi-secret swimming hole on the Ausable River. Lots of rocks to jump off of and into deep cold water. Water cascading over huge boulders. Lots of little shallow pockets of water perfect for soaking your ass in and cooling off in the heat. We brought tubes and floated around. You could not float down the river without risking broken bones or worse (waterfalls are extremely dangerous! They are not slip-n-slides), so we stayed in the deep water swimming hole area. It was heavenly. I was bursting with joy and cannonballing into the water. I climbed around on the rocks like a goat and took lots of pictures. Then I slipped and scraped my knee and my camera smacked hard onto a boulder and broke. Thankfully, the memory card was undamaged. I'm going to buy a new camera tomorrow and see if the my dearly departed camera can be resurrected. If it can be fixed, it will be a good spare camera.
Earthchicknits is celebrating the anniversary of her son's rescue from a near fatal accident at the beach. Everyone should read her story and be aware that the ocean isn't the only danger at the beach. I had no clue that this sort of thing could happen! To mark the anniversary, she is hosting a raffle with awesome prizes. Go on over & enter the raffle!
Thanks so much for mentioning my raffle!!
Love the gorgeous single sock! (and your hat, and your auntie's nickname).
Posted by: earthchick | July 10, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Those are awesome pics. I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt, like the camera was! Hope it is able to be repaired. I haven't even started the traveling scarf. Maybe this weekend. Too many projects, not enough time!! ACK!!
Posted by: Yvonne | July 10, 2008 at 01:32 PM
Hey, it's not a race (but I do hope you finish those life-sucking socks, sounds awful!). :) Love the new yarns and the vacation sounds great (although you can keep the water ;)). Hope the camera can be fixed!
Posted by: Jessica | July 10, 2008 at 02:30 PM
I had not, in fact, heard of the "slow food" movement. Which sounds fascinating. But I am the poster child for "slow socks." It takes me months to churn out a pair of socks. I have accepted that I just don't like knitting socks. The gauge is too tiny, I don't like dpns, they never fit right, they almost always itch, and after all that effort, they're virtually invisible anyway. I still knit them (because, hey, it's knitting!), but I'll have the same one in my purse for literally months at a time.
Posted by: Suzanne V. (Yarnhog) | July 10, 2008 at 03:54 PM
I feel like a painfully slow knitter lately, too (sigh). And, sorry about your camera! I'm off to read Earthchicknits now....
Posted by: --Deb | July 10, 2008 at 05:44 PM
I am in SOS and haven't finished a pair yet either...love the new yarn!
Posted by: Jeanne | July 10, 2008 at 07:46 PM
Ya know. I'm a size 7 shoe size. And I don't own any jaywalkers.... ;-) I've never been to Ausable which is odd since I grew up in Plattsburgh. Oh well. Looks like a really fun retreat! It's too bad about your camera though. Time to upgrade?
Posted by: Michelle | July 10, 2008 at 08:15 PM
Ooh, the Spring Forward socks rock! As does a fabulous weekend swimming and sunning (minus the unfortunate camera incident, of course). Good luck with the never-ending Jaywalkers. You can do it! Maybe the awesome new yarn kind of makes up for it?
Posted by: katie m. | July 11, 2008 at 06:00 AM
What a fabulous swimmin' hole (too bad about the camera, though)! Hooray for the slow knits movement!!
Posted by: Ina | July 11, 2008 at 10:03 AM
I am the champion slow knitter! :D Yummy new yarn. I can just feel the cool water. I love the swimming hole photos. I hope the old camera can be easily repaired.
Posted by: Angie | July 11, 2008 at 12:44 PM
I just finished my 1st pair of sos08 socks on Tues. night. I started off with a bang & ended with a small pop. It's the making of them at all that matters.
Love your sock & your hat on you! The Jay may need to be attached to a concrete block, pitched in the river, & then photographed. Very mob like solution to an irritating little issue. :)
Posted by: Mary Beth | July 11, 2008 at 05:15 PM
I'm with you on the slow knitting thing. I'm in awe of fast knitters but I don't know how they do it. The swimming hole looks like it's to die for. Too bad about the camera, but maybe you can replace it with something really sexy. As for Jaywalker, you're scaring me. I've always wanted to make one.
Posted by: misa | July 11, 2008 at 05:33 PM
I'm a slow knitter too. Don't feel bad. I am still turning the heel on the second side of my first sock. I wanted to have some free time this weekend, but it looks like I will be singing, partying and hanging out too much... AGAIN!! All these things taking up my knitting time. aarrgghh!!!!
I am working on a Jaywalker myself and am starting to lose my fever for it as well. It will be over soon, I promise.
The outdoor pics are beautiful, and I wish I knew how to swim so I could cannonball into the water as well. But, swimming class would be another thing eating up my knitting time. Oh LORD!!!! LOL!!
Posted by: Shameka | July 11, 2008 at 07:33 PM
I love the watering hole pictures! Too bad about your camera though. At least it didn't fall in the water and lose the pics on the card. I myself have avoided knitting the Jaywalker because I am afraid I am not going to like knitting the pattern. You'll get through it though in your own time. I finished my own traveling scarf on Thursday night. Now I need to work on yours!
Posted by: Deborah | July 11, 2008 at 09:44 PM
My Jaywalkers are a total Resentknit as well! Love your Spring Forward, btw.
Posted by: Heather | July 13, 2008 at 10:46 AM
I'm knitting the spring forward socks too and I love 'em. I love a pattern thats easy to memorize. I think my slow movement is in blogging- its going a break neck snails pace...
Posted by: olga | July 16, 2008 at 10:36 AM