SailingKnitter

What happens to a serious (aka habitual, addicted) knitter in the months after completing 52 PAIRS of socks in less than 52 weeks? Inertia, that's what.

The wind has gone out of the proverbial knitting sails. This knitter is adrift in the uncharted doldrums of the seas. I'm "beached". I've lost the sock knitting mojo. I am a different knitter after participating in the 52 Pair Plunge on Ravelry that ended this past summer.

Sure, I had to let the cracks and callouses clear up on my fingers and palms. And yes, I was busy putting the boat to bed for it's lonely stay at the Brunswick Marina without us on board and organizing for our cross-country car trip. But it was more than that. I just didn't feel that strong internal drive to pick up skinny yarn and toothpick sized needles and knit socks. But I also had a duty to fulfill.

I HAD to knit a few pairs to complete some commitments I had made to others. So, over this summer I knit a pair of men's leisure socks for the Socks for Soldiers group and then knit the heel and feet on a pair in the mandatory regulation army green (see button on left side of blog for link to the group). Another knitter had cranked out the long leg on her circular sock knitting machine and sent me the pair to finish.

Not exciting stuff to be sure, but the organization had sent me the yarn and I owed them the socks. I still have yarn for one more pair of men's leisure socks and a couple of regulation knit hats. I owe, I owe, it's off to knit I go...

So while other knitters are scurrying about digging through their yarn stashes as the weather cools, I just keep sighing and feeling unmotivated. Oh sure, I knit a sock as a tester for another designer - that was fun. And, I've got 1 1/2 fingerless mitts done for Jonesy whose hands are cold on the boat. But I'm still feeling like I have a mild form of PTSD. Or is it the after "vacation" blues? I remember when I was a kid I was always unhappy when Girl Scout Camp was over.

CHAIN LINK FENCE MITTS

Or perhaps I pushed myself too hard to knit those 52 pairs of socks as if my very life depended on it. I still feel shell (sock) shocked.

So, was it worth it? Yes. First, 50 of those pairs were sent to orphanages in Kazakhstan through the Motherless Child Foundation. In fact the Director is packing up the boxes that will travel with her right now. That will make 50 kids smile with warm feet. Then of course, it was fun to make the monster socks from all the leftover yarns from many sources. Those are my hands-down favorites to knit! I love playing with the colors and getting to feel the softness of high quality yarns that I wouldn't otherwise get a chance to work with if not for the donations.

Today was fruitcake baking day! Each year I bake a set of 2 gluten-free fruitcakes and then let them marinate in brandy (or whiskey) for a few weeks. Jonesy and I love this tradition - oh, not the baking part as much as the slicing a bit off the loaf for breakfast part of the tradition. This year I included the zest of 2 tangerines and an orange in the batter and they smelled so good while baking!

The cold weather here in Georgia (although I am in shirt-sleeves today) has meant that I can finally wear some of my wool vests! Here's a photo of me wearing my Grass Creek Park vest that I knit many years ago. I actually got to wear it to the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival this past fall too. It's been stashed away on the boat for the 8 years that we were in the tropics and survived just fine.

Life is good.