Brickerworks

I finished up the red Bricker socks on Thursday evening. I think they turned out great. Earlier pictures I’ve taken of these give the impression that the yarn is more of a peachy or coral color. But I tweaked some of the photos using Picnik via Flickr and it got them to look more like what my eyes see when I look at them. I wish I could get my camera to do that.

Speaking of “what I see,” about a month ago I decided that what my 45-year-old eyes were seeing up close was not ever going to come into focus again and my arms were just getting too short. So I got some reading glasses. I haven’t been wearing them consistently for knitting – so much of that is done by feel – but it’s amazing how much better I can see when I wear them, especially for reading.

I’m stunned that this change happened so quickly. Having never worn anything but sunglasses all my life, it’s taking a bit of getting used to. But once I started using them, I was addicted immediately. Now I find myself dealing with all the things that veteran spectacle users are probably quite used to – smudges, positioning them just right, and mostly – where the heck did I put those things?

I’ve got a couple of things coming in from Knitpicks (mail already came today – so much for this weekend) for some projects I’d like to start, but in the meantime I’ve decided to start – what else? – another pair of socks. While digging around for some extra placemats a few weeks ago, I stumbled across some yarn that I’d put away in a drawer to keep away from curious basenjis. Janelle gave it to me as a gift several years ago. It’s Solitude sport weight in a Suffolk/Dorsett blend mixed with nylon.

Suffolk and Dorsett are sheep breeds used more for eatin’ than knittin’, but according to Solitude, they grow a “fine springy wool that is perfect for sock yarn.” Is it any consolation to a Suffolk or Dorsett sheep that they are so versatile?

What I’m making is a pair of toe-up socks in this beautiful midnight blue yarn. Because of its thickness, I’m using size 2 needles, although the resulting fabric is still pretty dense. These will make excellent around-the-house or hiking socks. It’s tough, without being too scratchy. It will definitely hold up to wear. Now I need to remember how to do a short-row heel. It’s been a while since I’ve done one…