Oh, Yeah — May

I was looking back over my Socks-of-the-Month project and noticed I had neglected to publish a photo of my socks for May. So here they are. These are Cascade Yarns Sassy Stripes in colorway 713, and they took two skeins.

In my defense, May was a crazy month for me personally. And as I (finally) recalled these socks, I remember why I was so ready to get them over and done with. For one thing, I could hardly wait to get my needles going on my Harry Potter yarn collection. :) And I had some gift knitting to complete. :) But the main reason I wanted to get these socks over with is because there was a knot in the first skein, and, missing between the knotted ends, an entire wide green stripe. :( And you know how my stripes just gotta match. Fortunately, there was (just) enough extra yarn to wind down to the next sequence and create a match, but the whole rest of the time I knit these socks I worried about finding another knot, and wondering what effect it might have on the striping, and if I would have enough leftover yarn to fix it.

As it turned out, there were no more knots, and I finished the socks, breathed a sigh of relief — and promptly dismissed them from my mind. I didn't even recall them when I said that I had had pretty good luck —up to now— with commercial self-striping yarn. Ah, well. Sometimes a poor memory is not a bad thing.

I knit to relax and clear my mind. I find self-striping yarns very soothing as the pretty colors slip through my fingers and form beautiful, orderly patterns flowing from my needles. It's a very meditative and calming experience for me, and the simple knitting requires very little technical attention. I guess that is why I'm a bit resentful when the yarn patterns break unexpectedly and create chaotic results. Its as if someone scuffed up the neatly raked sand patterns in a Japanese garden, or inserted a raucous heavy metal sequence in a Mozart symphony.

Well, enough of this. Anyway, the May socks are done — and I am really enjoying my Summer of Magical Socks!