Monday, March 03, 2008

backwards

Last night I started knitting the Coupling socks from the Summer 2007 issue of Knitty. These socks are knit toe-up, and for some reason I am wary of toe-up socks, but these socks are cute so I decided to get over my completely irrational prejudice. Now, I've seen a lot of toe-up socks with a short row heel, but these socks incorporate a gusset and heel flap, done in reverse, of course. And for whatever reason, knitting a gusset and heel flap in reverse is really tripping me out. Like, I stare at my knitting and think "How can this be?!" and feel like I'm cheating on my old reliable top-down heel flap construction.

The yarn I'm using is some crazy old stuff called Lady Galt Kroy that I picked up at Value Village last spring. Now, I've googled this a few times, and generally all I can find are people selling it, or people similarly unable to find its origins. The most I can come up with is that it isn't made anymore, which is really a pity because it's a nice sock yarn. It's not a luxury yarn by any means, but it's reasonably soft and pleasant to knit. Actually, it feels a lot like the old Paton's Kroy (not the new Kroy Socks stuff, that stuff is significantly less soft). But hey, if you're reading this and you happen to know the full history of Lady Galt Kroy, encompassing its inception and eventual demise, let me know.

Saturday, March 01, 2008

pfft, title, whatever

Blogger didn't remember me today. I guess it's been a little while. Still, it kind of hurts. But I suppose the unfaithfulness is on both sides, no? Dear Blogger, let's start over. I'll promise to post more if you promise not to make me type in my password every time I want to be with you, ok? Just a little trust, Blogger darling. That's all I'm asking.

This past week was my very last spring break EVER, and I had an enjoyable if fairly quiet week of lounging around my parents' house knitting and watching Law and Order. Actually, what I want to know is, does USA air anything other than Law and Order in the evenings? Because every time I wanted to watch it, it was on, and I'm definitely not complaining about that because I can't get enough of the Special Victims Unit, but still. It seemed a little...odd.

Last weekend my mother and I trekked down to Detroit to visit John K. King Used and Rare Books, and if you like books then you need to go there. I would have set up camp and never left if they had let me. The main store is four floors full of books...think of your average sized Chapters or Barnes and Noble, and then think of a store with about ten times as many books. That's what it was like. The only thing I could have complained about was that there were only five knitting books in the entire store. FIVE. But, I overheard one of the people working there telling another lady (about five minutes after I'd seen the knitting section and been disappointed) that tons of people call about knitting books and they hardly ever get them in. It does kind of make sense, though. Would you give up any of your knitting books? Even in my wildest decluttering moments, the knitting books are sacred.