This is my very first pair of hand-knitted socks. Granted, they aren't quite done (I still need to weave the ends in), but I'm quite pleased. Big thank you to my grandmother for teaching my how to knit toe-up socks and for supplies. And I don't want to hear any moans of "Oh wow, that's so complicated. Look at all the tiny stitches." Mostly they look fancy because of the self-striping yarn (no extra work required). And those tiny stitches have the distinct advantage that the whole project (both socks are knit at the same time) is highly portable and travels well*. The psychology of this project was very different for me because the main point wasn't to knit socks. The socks are a nice byproduct, but the point was to keep my hands occupied and my creative energy in check while I traveled. I could also easily carry them to and from work and knit a couple of rows while I rode the bus. And I've started my next pair already, introducing the next step of complexity: heel/toe reinforcer. I think that the knitting of socks may become a fixture in my life because of the portability and simplicity of the project.From previous posts, you may have worked out that I'm obsessed with re-using things instead of trashing them. This ties into some thoughts I've been having lately about clothing. I am not a big fan of most of the clothing I own, but if I took everything I wasn't thrilled with to Goodwill, I wouldn't have a week's worth of clothing left. I could simply replace my wardrobe at Goodwill, but that would cost a non-zero quantity of money. I've also noticed that the quintessential piece of female clothing is the sleeveless, knee-length dress. Since I prefer my clothing to have sleeves and reach my ankles, there's a fundamental disjoint here. So I've been thinking a lot about what I want from my wardrobe as I slowly recreate it.
When did I start thinking of my clothing as disposable?
Why can't I use what I have to make better clothes?
What makes an article of clothing valued?
What qualities do I value in clothing? (And a subset of this: Can I create a wardrobe that is both good for dancing and able to be worn while riding a bicycle? Hmmm. Any ideas?)
When did clothing design stop being about functionality and start being about how the clothes fit the body? (Compare a kimono with a tailored dress)
Machine washability is a major failure of my current wardrobe. Most of my favorite clothes need to be hand-washed, not only because they are delicate but because they have dyes that still bleed after many washings (I have a set of sheets that is going to by turned into a quilt backing since it now has faded purple splotches all over it). I'm hoping that as I build a better wardrobe, I'll be able to let go of these items or be able to refashion them into something that doesn't need to be washed as often.
With luck, you will see the first creations from this endeavor soon. I have a T-tunic based overshirt in the works.
P.S. I have run out of shampoo. Rather than buying new shampoo, I've decided to try using baking soda with and apple cider vinegar rinse for the next four weeks (info here). The hope is to reduce the number of scary chemicals and also to decrease the cost of washing my hair. We'll see.
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*Knitting needles are permitted on flights originating in the U.S. but not on return flights from South Africa, which was unfortunate since my luggage was lost for a long time on my way back, and thus, no progress was made on the socks for a long time.
