23.2.07

black, white + red






There's something about self-imposed penury to give one an uncontrollable urge to bust out the credit card.

When I say penury, it's more like enforced saving.
As in every single cent from now on must go in to the home deposit.
Every. Single. Cent.

You can only don the hair shirt of fiscal matyrdom for so long before you go utterly berserk.

So I was up on King St doing some errands, with a big corporate meeting in Melbourne looming the following day and of course I have nothing to wear do I? I really do need a new black skirt for it. And I love the hand-screened print. And it is on sale. And oh look, there's an original edition of Michael Cunningham's 'The Hours' with a beautiful August Sander photo on the cover instead of that yukky still from the movie adaptation (don't you hate that?). And oh you know, I really have to get some bright red sock yarn.

And on it goes.

The socks..first pair of socks and I'm just blindly going in. Little bit like my approach to home ownership really.

Except that I can say the pattern I'm following stipulates a "continental cast on".
A quick google yields a tutorial
What can I say? An accompanying commentary would help.
A couple of evenings and more than a few crazy messes (one of which resulted in a sock top that could double as a hat..I know they say continental gives a stretchy edge but that was ridiculous) later I give up and revert to good old standard cast on.

The yarn feels a tad scratchy but it is red and therefore a bit of "happy on my needles".

The other reds collection is the current search for the perfect shade of rust/red oxide/ red ochre for some bits n pieces I'm designing for Melbourne.

And....I just want to finish by saying how much I'm enjoying seeing others' contributions to vessel wednesday. It's endlessly fascinating and exciting to me to see what started as a purely whimsical personal excercise take on such a different form. It's #3 on my 'To Do' list to set up a flikr group this weekend, after which I'll let you all know when it's up!

Have a good weekend.




5 Comments:

Blogger Rose Red said...

Red socks rock!
I know exactly what you mean about saving and spending - you've still got to live while you are saving. And I dislike movie still book covers too, especially on the classics.

23 February 2007 at 2:04 pm  
Blogger Jesse said...

Beautiful book cover, wow!

Cast-ons... standard is fine for socks; I mean, how stretchy does it really have to be? You could cast on with a bigger needle, too (but that makes arranging the stitches on the dpns a bit tricky, as they're loose and tend to fall off.)

The continental cast-on looks a lot like the 'thumb method'. This might be a bit clearer http://www.instructables.com/id/EW736HCRDYEUJ7Y4G6/

When I do it it seems to require big movements, and pulling the wool quite tight before making the next stitch.

23 February 2007 at 7:03 pm  
Blogger Di said...

Ahh- I know exactly how hard it is, but I have to agree- corporate meeting in Melbourne? of COURSE you must have a new black skirt!!
Excited to hear that setting up a Flickr group has moved to #3 on your priorities (do you prioritise every weekend so thoroughly?!). Is there anything we can do to help nudge it up to #1? ;)

24 February 2007 at 7:54 am  
Blogger room to make said...

the skirt sounds great too. :)

i intended to join 'vessel wed' but didn't make it in time this week. next week it is. ('love the idea!)
:)

24 February 2007 at 10:30 am  
Blogger Christy said...

Pretty loot. Good luck on the first sock.

25 February 2007 at 4:29 pm  

Post a Comment

<< Home