Tuesday, May 6, 2008



I have tried to photograph this sock in progress in every kind of light. In natural afternoon light, in natural morning light, in unnatural nighttime light with a flash. I cannot capture the colors. This is the Noro Kureyon sock yarn in a Kaibashira pattern. I can't link to the pattern because I got it on Magknits and we all know what happened to them. I love the pattern because it is subtle and does not fight with the colors in the yarn. These colors are much more intense than my camera can record. That blue is really a deep purple and that bit of green at the botom is almost an acid green. These are not colors for the faint of heart! The yarn itself is rather scratchy (although I have read that it will soften up when I wash it) and it is very unevenly spun. If you're uncomfortable with that, this is probably not the sock yarn for you, despite the colors.

I spent yesterday working on this and listening to Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. One of my alltime favorite books. When you listen to a book, it's hard to skim through the parts that look boring which I tend to do when reading. Once again, I was struck by how political his books are. If you've never read this, it's entertaining and thought provoking.

And to end on a positive note, I give you the Buddhist Inspiration for the day:

When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.

Are you a wall builder or a windmill builder? Discuss.

12 comments:

roxie said...

I'm really more of a kite. Change comes and I just drift along with it, kvetching gently all the while.

Lovely sock!

Galad said...

I've been working with the idea of a cork bobbing along on the surface of the ocean but a windmill works too. Once I gained enough maturity to realize change is inevitable, I started working on how to anticipate, adapt and grow with it. That being said,sometimes I do need a good swift kick in the butt to jump start the windmill.

amy said...

It depends. Is it change forced upon me by other people for their own purposes, or change that just happens? I'm find with the natural order of things, but I have trouble when I'm asked to go against my own feelings and instincts just to make other people happy.

Nancy @ the Jersey Shore said...

my monitor shows that yarn as pretty bright. looks lovely. Hope you're feeling well!

Rose Red said...

Love the colours in that sock yarn - although I'm not entirely sure I'd want to knit socks from it. I think the pattern works great with it though.

I think I'm with amy on the walls/windmills thing. although I'm trying to be more windmillish.

Bezzie said...

OOf. The light has been bad lately hasn't it? I love the yarn!

I used to be a wall but now I'm a windmill...but not those freaky industrial kind that sprout out in the middle of nowhere and make fricasee of birdies. More like a dutch one. ;-)

Alwen said...

I hate change. When we built our addition, I just told the contractor that straight out: I hate piles of dirt and rain raining into half-finished buildings and dirt washing into half-dug basement holes. I hate losing a bit of my view. I hate piles of lumber and moving my perennials.

Somehow having it right out there, knowing that I was going to hate it, made it a lot easier. Maybe I even hated it less.

The Netherlands have a lot of the modern windmills with big blades that go "whum whum whum" in the fog so you can hear them even when you can't see them.

Bells said...

GREAT looking socks! Nice work.

I think I'm windmillish. I really do. I can't say how right now, but I feel that I am.

Sheepish Annie said...

Oh, what pretty yarn! Even if the colors are off, I can still see the how yummy that sock will be...

Me and the wind? I'm too busy trying to calm down the Big, Fluffy Kitty to do much of anything else. She has "wind issues." And there is usually someone out there who is willing to loan me the use of their wall or windmill should I need it. I have that "needy" sort of aura about me...

Em said...

Me, I don't know about. I think I had strong wall tendencies when it came to change that I didn't want, and windmill tendencies when it came to changes I was intentionally bringing about. Now, I like to think I'm learning to be more universally windmill-ish, and spin with the wind, as it were. That may well be just a bunch of self-indulgent lies to make me sound less uptight, though. Who really knows? Well, other than you. And everyone who reads my blog. And everyone who knows me...

Denise said...

What a simply stunning sock! I love those colours, and it must be even more amazing in person! I'm knitting a Noro scarf at the moment, and yeah, it's a bit scratchy - I hope it DOES soften.

Heinlein is amazing isn't it - haven't read his stuff for ages, but that book was a fave of mine too.

Love the Buddhist Inspiration, too :)

Amy Lane said...

I like me a good windmill, myself--all the better to tilt at, if you must know the truth! I LOVE that pattern! (I don't know what happened to Magknits--how shall I get the pattern if I don't know?)

Happy Sunday!  I am sitting here working on my sweater made with the cashmere yarn my husband gave me for my birthday last year. I’m further...