A clean start

New Year can be a very satisfying time for sorting out jobs that have been hanging around for a while. For me, this feeling doesn't always last very long so I need to take advantage of it while it lasts.

 

I have enjoyed knitting socks for many years now and always have a pair on the needles. I have given away a lot of them but, being someone who tends to default to black clothing, really love to have a rainbow of socks at my fingertips to brighten things up.

 

As you can see , my sock collection reflects my love for colours from all parts of the spectrum, including neutrals. I love solid colours, semisolid colours,stripes and variegation, commercially dyed or hand dyed, machine spun or hand spun yarn.

 

 

 Some socks have complex lace or cable patterns, others are plain and let the yarn do the talking.

 

 

 

Some yarns are durable and emerge from the washing machine time after time looking good. Others need to be hand washed. Having so many socks to hand it is rather too easy to allow the bag of socks needing hand washing to build up. I thought I would use some of my brief New Year zeal to good use and get them done. I was somewhat chastened as I hung up 24 pairs to dry.

 

 

That feeling soon went away,however as I folded them up and put them away in the drawer, tucking lavender bags and cedar blocks around them. As I paired up and folded I examined them and noticed that with some the fabric was quite felted. I love the way a hand knitted item can tell the story of how it has been used far better than a commercial one yet still retain its beauty and viability.

 

 

I also found one or two socks that need to go in the mending bag. Once darned there will be plenty more wears in these which is another thing I love about hand made things. After the love and attention that has gone into making them they feel worth repairing and taking care of.

 

Now all I need to do is decide which socks to wear tomorrow.....