Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Teeny Tiny Little Needles

My current knitting project is a pair of socks. This is my second attempt at socks. Last year I bought the book Getting Started Kniting Socks and set out to dress my feet in unique style and comfort. Well, my first pair turned out quite thick and Wig Wam-ish. Not, bad, but not really suiting my needs, so I gave them to my sister-in-law who needs thick warmth while she's out in the barn tending to her horses.

So, on this new attempt, I decided to step down....step WAY down....to size 0 needles and very fine yarn. I'm not really loving it, honestly. The needles are so tiny that they make me feel as though I have man-hands! I'm sensitive about this. You see, I used to have beautiful hands. Young, flawless, smooth, unwrinkled, hands with long, always painted fingernails, and rings on almost every finger. They were hands that my Mom would show off to piano salesmen saying, "Do you see these hands? They belong to a pianist." They were hands that got me out of cutting my fingernails in the seventh grade because I told the guitar teacher I couldn't because I was a hand model! Honestly, I did!

And then....oh 1998....I joined the Army. The Army was the demise of my beautiful hands. I cannot tell you for how many hours or for how many miles these hands had to clench onto an M16, but the knobby knuckles and overall burliness of these hands can attest.

So now, I sit down with my teeny tiny size 0 knitting needles and my big hands and I reflect. And I sob. And I hope the socks are worth it all.

Pretty yarn, though, isn't it? Intimidating cluster of needles isn't it?

While I'm at it, I'll show you a few hats that I've made.

And finally, mittens from last year.

That's all I've got for you for now. These socks will take forever, I'm sure.

4 comments:

  1. those are so cool!!!! I am toatally digin' the hats! I didn't know that about you...your hand thing! How did that never come up in conversation? You are a talented knitter! I don't know how you have the patience for that I can't sit still long enough to even read through the instructions I don't think! Look at you CRAFTY!!!

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  2. I am so not that brave yet...socks are supposed to be so hard.

    Way to go Beth! Love the hats.

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  3. Hey, where is the picture of the AMAZING red hat you knit for me? I love it by the way! Thank you so much. I wore it today, when I got up at the crack of dawn to get to the airport and it was 25 degrees outside.

    Your knitting projects are so lovely!

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  4. Your hats are lovely, and don't give up on the socks! Try a size 1 needle. You might not think there is much difference between the two, but there really is. I've tried size 2, but then the knitted fabric is kind of loose (for me).

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