In this episode, I dust off the mic and talk about how knitting a box of socks is getting me through 2023.
Music Credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"
[Intro music is “Day Trips” by Ketsa, an upbeat song with bells and trills]
Holly 00: 30
Hey everyone! It’s really exciting to be chatting with you. It’s been a little while since I’ve had the chance to do this. I’m in the basement of my university’s library using their amazing AV studio so… it’s fun [laughter]. It’s April. I’ve been knitting… a lot. But I haven’t podcasted since… goodness knows when. But I can feel the change in the air and spring is in the air and it’s been motivating me to finish all my works in programs (wips).
Holly 01:15
It’s been a really challenging season and knitting has of course gotten me through it. I have completed a bunch of weird projects. I created a tiny little penguin for my kiddo—who loves it—it was supposed to a Christmas present but of course I just finished it last week. It’s a cute little project by Dot Pebbles. I totally recommend it. My kid loooooves it. I also finished the weird sweater pattern that I was hacking myself out of recycled yarn. It did not come out well. It looks… horrible. Like chainmail meets Chicos. Not great. So I’m going to frog that but I couldn’t bear to do it just yet. I did finish it though so I’m counting it as a WIP that is now a Finished Object even if it’s going to frog island. And most importantly I’ve been really
Holly 02:15
And most importantly I’ve been really excited by the Stripes book by Veera Valimacki. I finished the second project out of that book. I think it’s called Hella. She’s a beauty. I made it out of a linen-y yarn (BC Garn Tussah tweed) and I had pretty much finished all of it but the binding—the neck band binding and the arm bands. So with the spring in the air, I was like I’m going to finally pick this up and finish the remaining 15% so that I can wear it. It’s done and it’s looking really great.
Holly 02:53
I’m finishing up a second project from the book which is a cardigan. Kyllikki I think. It’s a stripey oversized cardigan, drop shoulders. I made it out of de rerum natura Penelope yarn. It’s gorgeous—10% silk and the rest merino. I got the yarn last summer on sale. It’s a pink and brown. I think the yarn color is tutu and hot chocolate [laughter] of course in French. En Francais. But it’s lovely. And I think it is going to be great.
Holly 03:25
I had a little bit of yarn chicken and I freaked out and bought an extra five balls of yarn. So this is going to end up being a very expensive sweater. It turns out I only needed one extra ball of yarn. Live and learn. But you know what, it was worth it to just sink in and know that I had enough yarn and I didn’t want to run out and it was starting to feel worrisome so I paid a little bit of insurance—I think of the yarn as insurance to enjoy maximum knitting time—and it worked. I really enjoyed the knitting process. It’s a really great pattern with simple stripes. And it has really gotten me through a really challenging semester.
Holly 04:02
Things are mostly good. I’m feeling mostly just tired. So I’ll just start-- I probably should have done this in January. But you know it’s nice to have a spring refresh. [laughter] it’s been three years since I’ve started this podcast, which is mind-blowing to me, because so much has changed… and other things haven’t.
Holly 04:31
You know I started this as a podcast about knitting and recovery in a moment of crisis. And I’m not in the same moment of crisis and I can see a lot of growth in my recovery and there are certainly moments when I feel like I’m right back there where I started in April of 2020. So yeah I wanted to mark that anniversary.
Holly 05:06
Knitting wise I’m also in a reflective moment. I’ve been knitting for awhile. I’ve talked about this before. It’s been 20 years I think. Or more. [laughter] yes. More. It’s been 23 years I think. I started right around the year 2000. And I’m in this interesting moment. I’ve got quite a lot of hand knit socks that I’ve made over the years. It’s been something that I’ve always loved to knit so I’ve got a bunch of them. And this is the first year where I’ve worn through. [laughter] I’ve worn through multiple pairs of socks. I’ve had like three heels blow out. That’s was surprising.
Holly 05:50
One, I never thought I’d [laughter] wear them enough for them to wear out. But it’s been a real comfort this winter to wear handknit socks in the house. Most of them were short-row heels, which I know are controversial as they’re not always the most long lasting heels. I know sock afficianados may have a lot to say about that. But they’re fun to knit and they’re easy to knit. And when I first started knitting socks they were easy to learn.
Holly 06:24
But three pairs blew out at the same time. I’m rambling a bit because the socks blowing made me realize that I’m really wearing my socks a lot and that I really like wearing handknit socks. So for the first time ever, I’ve decided to make a box of socks, which is where you knit twelve pairs of socks in a year. This is big because to be honest I always thought this was a bit nuts.
Holly 06:49
First of all, knitting something and not wearing it immediately? Are you kidding me? That just seems like such delayed gratification. It also kind of seemed excessive. How could one person knit twelve pairs of socks across a year. Now, I know in today’s zeitgeist [laughter] where laine magazine is putting out multiple volumes of 52 weeks of socks, where the gambit is I think that you make 52 socks in a year, [laughter], Um I realize that twelve pairs seems much more manageable. [laughter] but I’m still marveling at this as a goal, as a lofty goal, that I’ve set for myself.
Holly 07:36
Though it is April, and I now have four—well I have three and 2/3 pairs of socks. I’m on target to meet my goal. At least in terms of this quarterly update. They’ve been really fun. One’s a Christmas advent stripe a day sock. Super fun! So I finished them up early in January. And so I thought, well, maybe I should try for month two. And then I made this goofy yarn. I made up a pair of DRK everyday socks by Andrea Mowry. I didn’t actually pay for the pattern, I just kind of reverse engineered it using my own sock preferences so it’s not officially that pattern. It has all around ribbing so it looks really funny when it’s not being worn. And I used Opal yarn, stash yarn, that someone had gifted to me in one of those sock knitting holiday swaps. That was February #2. But I finished them in January, and I was like, phew, momentum!
Holly 08:54
And thank goodness I did. Because the third pair that I knitted was a mystery sock along by a yarn studio out of Pennsylvania—String Theory. And it was with a really brilliant designer that I love, Kate Atherely. The pattern is the Lady Aston sock. But let me tell you these socks were challenging. [laughter]. It was a cable lace pattern and it kicked my butt. So my third submission took six weeks. It really took six weeks. It took forever. I had to have a chart. I had to have washi tape. I had to redo it several times. It was on size 0 needles. I was trying out short circulars but eventually I gave up and just used dpns. I’m glad I did it—they’re gorgeous. I used stash yarn again. I played a little bit of yarn chicken but I won that round! I finished with maybe 7 grams left and didn’t have to buy additional yarn or use different yarn for heels and toes. It’s such a pretty yarn—lilac purple. I have no idea what the yarn is, I just grabbed it from my stash. So I’m on track. I’m on track!
Holly 10:08
So I am going to continue to work on the box of socks/year of socks as a quick reminder to myself that I can do hard things. You know how recover works. It’s challenging. There are moments in my life where I feel like I’ve got this—I’ve got this! And then there are moments in my life where I feel completely submerged [laughter] in the stinking thinkin gas we say in the rooms. Trying really hard to recognize what’s mine and what’s not mine to carry. Trying hard to recognize that I didn’t cause, can’t control and can’t cure the disease but I can have the courage to change myself. So yeah I’m just working my program and knitting my socks. Hanging on, hanging on.
Holly 11:02
Now that I’ve discovered this amazing studio and its tremendous sound quality. I am hoping that I might start recording again more regularly. And having this pop up more on your phone, your podcast app, your Spotify.
Holly 11:18 I’m just really grateful to be here. Thank you so much for listening and I hope to be back soon. Where ever you are I hope you have beautiful materials to work with. Happy knitting!
[Outro music “Day Trips” by Ketsa, an upbeat instrumental song with bells and extra trills that trails off at the end]