Socks vs. Lace

While having lunch with Barb yesterday, the topic went to knitting, as it always does. (Knitting or sailing, or both.) She’s on the look out for a new lace project. For her, lace scarves, stoles, and scarves are the portable projects that she always has on hand. Socks, not so much. Barb is fairly new to sock knitting. Or rather, recently back to sock knitting. So, they still require some level of concentration.

This had me thinking. Yes, I always have one or two (or five) pairs of socks on the needles, but I’m not reaching for those as much as I used to. They are relegated to airplane knitting. At home, or at various functions, it’s my lace projects that I grab for.

I think the reason is that I’m somewhat bored with socks. I love wearing hand knit socks. But I am just plain bored with 8-9 sts/in of plain stockinette in tubes. While there are lots of lovely sock patterns out there, I don’t enjoy wearing them. I don’t like the feel of ridges or patterning on my foot. So, it’s plain stockinette socks for me.

But you would think that if I’m knitting/finishing fewer socks, I would stop buying sock yarn, wouldn’t you? Not a chance. I’m still hoping that all these lovely new sock yarns will bring the zing back to me.

I do have to say, I am loving lace. I love the rhythmic decreases and increases, and watching the pattern unfold. And, I’m less self-conscious about wearing my lace scarves and shawls these days. If my shoulders are cold, I will throw one on. If my neck is cold, I’ll bundle one around my neck. I don’t really care about scrunching up the piece to the point where you can’t see the patterning. I knit them because I enjoyed the process. And I’m wearing them because they give me pleasure. I can’t see the pattern when I’m wearing them. If someone wants to look at it while I’m wearing one? I’ll just take it off for an impromptu show and tell, and throw it back over my shoulders. I don’t need a mirror to make sure it’s “just so.” As long as I’m comfortable.