Friday, August 22, 2008

make it

danger

our parents
and/or
grandparents
lived by
the philosophy
of
why buy
what you
can make
...

it seems in
the last
100 years,
we have
made
a complete change
to
why make
what you
can buy
.

monkey socks

i have
thought
a lot about
this change
since
it was
discussed
during
a book
lecture
by
yarn harlot.

this,
of course,
is exceedingly
relevant
to those
of us
who knit
or do any
"needlesport"
{as my
knitting
comrades
like to call it}.

knitting
socks
drives
this point home
to me...
i avoided knitting
socks
for a long time
because,
well,
they take
f o r e v e r
and
i am
um...particular
about
my socks.
finally,
after taunting
by my
knitting friends
who claim
i avoid
all needles under
size 11
(socks
are knit
on size 1 or 2),
i decided to
knit a pair.

what i found
was that
by knitting
socks
i learned
a great appreciation
for the construction
of the sock...
and it's
immensely
satisfying
to make
something
one usually buys.

now most
sock patterns
are too
frilly
for me
(the one
pictured
included)
but
i feel there
is a great
importance
in the
independence
one gains
by being
able to make something
for themselves...
even if you
don't have
the time
to make everything,
knowing how
to do it
and doing it
{at least once}
makes you
more independent
and teaches
you to appreciate
something
so simple
and basic,
like
a sock.

monkey socks close-up

have a
great
weekend.
xo

16 comments:

lookwhaticando said...

one day I shall knit myself a pair of sock but right now it looks oh so hard to me. :) Gorgeous socks by the way and super food for thought and photo. xo

Anonymous said...

The other thing that has gone missing is mending what can be mended (and, further, finding another use for what cannot be mended). You might be surprised how easy it is to darn things ... Perhaps you could learn how to darn your socks.

bugheart said...

yes,
so true.
i learned
to darn
my socks
when i was
little.

Lisa said...

Lovely socks! Great term, "needlesports", I think I'll adopt that one.

shari said...

love your thoughts in this post. and your socks. happy weekend gwen. xox

Amanda Jean said...

I want to learn how to knit socks. yours are so lovely.

lisa solomon said...

i'm not a good enough knitter to make socks, but yours are LOVELY [and of course i love the tank!!]
xo

Carson said...

she's back on the knitting! :)
love your whimsical juxtapositions

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful pair of socks, love how you photographed them too (great philosophy on the making vs buying aspect).

Anonymous said...

i am so with you!
and i do not like a lacy sock. so not me. but i do like that yellow yarn...

Anonymous said...

Eep! Those socks are so marvelous... I am wishing I could both knit and later wear such a handsome pair.

Eero said...

Exactly!
I am teaching myself to do canning this autumn----
Growing, making and storing food rather than buying.

Sooooo satisfying.


I made socks once, but they turned out very different sizes from each other!

Yours look perfect. Well done.

f. pea said...

Ooh, your socks are dreamy. I think yellow is your best color. You and Eero are making me want to go fire up the pressure-cooker and can something.

amisha said...

this is such a wonderful post, gwen. and beautiful yellow socks!
i really like to knit socks... i am also not into the frilly ones, but i like colorful sock yarn, so i usually do some sort of festive hand-dyed yarn but just a simple plain stockinette sock. they are very easy to knit (and after 2 you know the pattern by heart) and there really is something uniquely satisfying about wearing them. also, i found that this winter in NY, they were literally the only thing that kept my feet warm ;)
xo

mary jane said...

lovely post my dear

mel said...

I love this. Thanks for sharing (your words and your socks!)