Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Major Realization

Sock-it-to-me Toe Up Chevron socks in Dream in Color Smooshy
I have a friend who is legendary for calling up her other friends with 'major realizations' that are in fact nothing of the sort. They are usually so painfully obvious that they don't even qualify as ideas that are vaguely new or interesting. "
Guess what, I realize that if I eat less junk food, I feel better". "Major realization: guys don't like it if you try to control them" and my personal favorite, "If I spent less money, I'd have more in my bank account at the end of the month". Well my days of bemused superiority are over, because I have my own major realization:

The more you work on multiple projects at once, the less you actually accomplish.

Yes, my non-stop knitting wonderland has come to a grinding halt due to lack of real progress on anything. Flitting from project to project may have its advantages in the natural world, but it spells nothing but disaster for a crafter. I thought project promiscuity was the way to go, but as it turns out, monogamy has its advantages. So yesterday I
buckled down (to resurrect a parent/teacher conference golden chestnut) and completed something. I forced myself to finish the Elann Toe-Up Chevron Socks and experienced a rush of adrenaline-induced satisfaction whilst moving these socks from the wip to finished category on Ravelry--don't tell me that that moment hasn't been a beacon for many of you while imagining actually finishing something!

Sock-it-to-me Toe Up Chevron socks in Dream in Color Smooshy
The Specs:
Pattern: Sock-it-to-me Toe-up Chevron sock pattern
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Cool Fire
Needles: Size 2 HiyaHiya circs, Magic Loop
Mods: none to speak of!

This was an enjoyable, easy-to-memorize pattern that I highly recommend. The Smooshy is a soft yarn that comes in a myriad of fantastic color ways, see 'Lipstick Lava' and 'Beach Fog' below. The yardage is truly impressive--450 yards, enough that I can now make Tween Thing a pair of socks from it. This was my first opportunity to use my new Chinese HiyaHiya needles. They are amazing. The cable is ultra-flexible and the joins rival those of Addi Turbos and Knitpicks. Check them out and they have the nice made in China price of $7.50. Yes, just one more way the Red Giant is kicking our flabby American asses, people.

Dream in Color 'Lipstick Lava'Dream in Color 'Beach Fog'


Speaking of Ravelry, (don't worry, I'm not going to drone on about how amazing it is because I could never do justice to how completely life-altering it is proving to be) my friend Dinty Moore--that is actually his name--sent me a link to a Techcrunch article about Ravelry. You have to read the piece as well as the reactions to believe it. The article talks about the popularity of the site in a '
knitting, who knew?' sort of way. The gearheads post many 'knitters use computers?' type of comments. These statements are not new to anyone here, but Casey aka Awesome Whiz behind Ravelry posts a great comment that gently puts the nerds in their place. Check it out!

35 comments:

Robin said...

Love the socks - that colorway is great. OK, I am truly LOL at a number of things in your post:

1. your friend's big realizations!

2. our flabby American asses - yep!

3. the techcrunch article - hilarious!

And I gently disagree on the getting less done when working on multiple projects thing - I think you get more done as you're not bored. In terms of actual FOs churned out, it tends to happen all at once, one after another instead of in a more regulated pace. Or maybe you're right and I'm just some sort of knitting freak of nature (LOL).

Tammy said...

Yes, the eternal question... what's more satisfying... the casting on or the finishing.

Love the socks.

YawnOver said...

Thanks for the techcrunch article - great lunchbreak reading :)

Anonymous said...

Great socks! I love that colore; it's the second time this week I've seen it and may need to buy some. Besides, who could resist something called "smooshy"?

I have two projects going at once now, and I do.not.like.it. I'm going back to project monogamy.

sophanne said...

I only just starting to question knitting monogomy- only just now beginning to trust that I will actually revisit projects started and then put down. Your realization had me LAUGHING and LAUGHING- only because it's one that I thought of a while back and chose not to share, having had so many ridiculous Major Realizations on my blog as it was!

Prof. Knitwit said...

Yes, I also came to that realization not too long ago. I like finishing projects so I guess that might mean that I will become monogamous as well!!

By the way, thanks for the techcrunch article. I didn't realize that there was a ravelry site - I really must have been hibernating or something - but I added my name to the list.

Faith said...

I've been knitting my whatever off and have gotten nothing accomplished. Too bad I couldn't have made this realization on my own! GREAT socks! I'm totally linking.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I'm afraid you might be right about the promiscuity...and for me, it means I never get around to blogging about the things I actually do finish! Such purty pink socks.

Anonymous said...

Nice job! I too got great satisfaction moving a project from WIP to Finished status in Ravelry this morning. I was thinking of sending in a feature request that confetti falls across the screen every time you select the FO option. That would make me feel so good.

Anonymous said...

I do enjoy a monogamous relationship with my knitting project, but at times I am a cheater and have an affair with another project.

The socks are great: cute pattern and colorway.

Olga said...

I'm still stuck on the junk food and money thing.....who knew?

Lazuli said...

The socks are wonderful! I think I sometimes do the same overdramatic major realization thing, so don't feel too bad! ;-) It is major in its own context, even if it's also totally obvious!

...Sarah said...

O.K. I am still laughing over the not-so-major-realizations.

Those socks rock, as they say.

Karen said...

Oh my but those Techcrunch nerds are quite snarky and condescending, aren't they???

Anonymous said...

I think we have the same friend!

Love the socks! So pretty!

Spincerely said...

Wow, you are like a knitting maniac! You have so much knitting going on that you could probably start a fire if you were using wooden needles!
I went to check out that article and it is really funny to read the comments. Who knew? They say. Well, we knew!

Anonymous said...

those are lovely socks! the yarn is especially nice : )

Anonymous said...

I totally love your socks, they're sooo beautiful - the pattern as well as the colorway! And that yarn - woah, it looks totally yummy indeed, especially the blue one! And now I'll be heading on over to that article you posted the link to - I think I'm in need of getting a bit mad, LOL ;) People won't ever get it, it seems - how sad is that?!

Woman who knits said...

Those socks look great! I just downloaded the pattern. I really like them and hadn't seen them before.

Yeah for the article. I'm so happy that knitting is taking over the world!!!

Angela said...

The Smooshy socks are fab. Life has thrown a curveball and I haven't knit in week. I's been big-fat-priority-shift week here. I'm sure I'll start again soon, but other things have become much, much more importnant.I will continue to enjoying knitting vicariously for a while...

a friend to knit with said...

Oh my gosh, I am cracking up over your friend...........ahhhh, gotta love people like that! :)

Beautiful socks..........yes, I agree.......two many projects make me feel as if I don't get anything accomplished! Now who is the smart one?!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on finishing the socks. They look great!

Cindy in (un) Happy Valley said...

Dinty Moore!!! Yikes there's a blast from the past! Is he still teaching? How is ol' Dinty?

Sonya said...

I've had the project monogamy big realization, but it doesn't prevent me from ignoring it regularly. Pretty socks! The Techcrunch article was interesting. I love it when someone gets all snarky only to be told they don't know what they're talking about.

K2Karen said...

Shoot. You've ruined my illusion that I can actually knit on 3 projects at a time and get them all done faster. Shoot!

Anonymous said...

Firstly, LOVE the socks, you're making me want to cast on my Smooshy too. I'm in a start-itis phase also right now. Mainly because summer is flying by and I haven't gotten to many of the projects I wanted to. Isn't that always the way.

That article and comments were interesting, I didn't know knitting needles obscured my ability to work the internet. :P

Romi said...

Those are totally gorgeous! I love them. :)

Zarzuela said...

Ah yes, monogamy is a good thing. Just don't tell that to my knitting lately, m'k? ;) Beautiful socks! Must find me some of that yarn. And the Techcrunch thing... I saw it a few days ago and it just pissed me off. Muggles. Oye!

Jessica

JulieFrick said...

Ha! I often feel that everything I write about on the blog falls into this category of "major realization." I need some new material...

Gingersnaps with Tea... said...

Yep, gotta love those major realizations.
The article was entertaining too.

I have realized while I make more progress when I am faithful, all too soon the boredom sets in and my eye starts to stray… nothin' like having a 'lil somethin' on the side… and yes we are still talking about knitting ;-)

sophanne said...

I had another major realization while at the LYS today. Before trying to knit TWO socks using the magic loop, maybe I should just learn to do ONE.

~Kristie said...

Are you implying I should be monogomous?

Great socks! I'll have to add that pattern to the queue... (along with the other hundred).

Anonymous said...

Yep, I had that realisation 2 months ago... I was faithful for, ooooh, about 3 weeks, during which time I accomplished more than I had in triple that time. Now, I'm back to my old ways - flitting around here n there...

Lone Knitter said...

Hey, there. I love the socks. I'm so jealous that you're on Ravelry already. I just signed up, so I guess I'll get my invite some time next year. :)

KnitPastis said...

You are right, these are two great colorways! Very very pretty!
Lovely toe up Chevron socks you made there too!