I suppose this is what I get for not adhering to a long-forgotten tradition to put down the fiber tools on Solstice and endeavor to not pick them up until today. In my defense, I had a lot of projects to complete and rare was the opportunity to get spinning time in the same room as my daughters (one of which lives several states away.) My house was also a loving but chaotic train wreck the entire holiday with a multitude of dogs, the usual number of cats, houseguests, and one chicken convalescing in the bathroom with a broken leg. I needed a method by which to cope and since baking was out (we really are trying hard to watch our diet) and overindulgence in alcohol would have dumbed down my ability to keep the aforementioned dogs from eating each other, cats or the chicken, knitting and spinning were in. Traditions be damned.

That said, I’m paying the price now. In an effort to celebrate Distaff Day with a “let’s improve ourselves/craft” I dug out a project that’s been in time out, determined to get over myself and just finish it already. The universe has seen my move and has chosen to smite me. Here’s the backstory:

Three years ago, I thought my mom might like another pair of hand-knit socks for her birthday. I found the perfect hand-dyed yarn in her colors and cast on a familiar cable pattern with the idea that it would go quick but have maximum “wow” factor when they were finished. Because I also make a point of trying to learn new stuff with every pattern, I also determined that I was going to substitute a German short-row heel instead of the flap heel the pattern calls for. In my experience, flap heels are tougher, but short row heels fit way nicer. Mom is picky about her socks, so I felt this was the right call.

What happened with sock #1 was multiple tear outs as I worked on how to substitute in the alternate heel. The yarn I bought was splitty and didn’t take kindly to the abuse - so re-picking stitches after ripping back was a chore. However, somehow I persevered and managed to finish sock #1. Exhausted by the entire idea (and probably needing to give my attention to something else), I set everything aside. (This is always a bad idea - cast on sock #2 right away to avoid second sock syndrome and also forgetting everything you did on the first one. Also, I didn’t take notes - because I like to live dangerously.)

As I packed for a trip to WV in 2021, I saw the sock project and decided an airplane ride was the perfect way to get #2 mostly done. At the airport, I cast on the ribbing and went after it with gusto…only to discover that in my cable set up round, I had too many stitches. Disheartened, I put it back in time out and forgot about it for another year until I rifled my languishing pile of incomplete projects a few days ago

When I picked it up, my brain was thinking about the ass-kicking I got from the heel substitution and figured it was the intimidation factor that made me set it down. I mean, why leave myself a note when I broke it? That would be entirely too logical. With the knitting gods doubled over in mirth watching me, I picked up where I left off and started knitting…only to realize I had too many stitches still. (Past me…would it have been too hard to just rip it out before putting it in time out??!) Mad all over again, I ripped it out entirely and re-cast on. All ribbing rounds complete a few hours later and I go to set up my cables….and I’m two stitches short. I guess I need to re-read the entire pattern now because “familiar” doesn’t mean what it used to

So happy Distaff Day, y’all. I just threw a shot of whiskey in my coffee and tore this @$^%ing thing out again. May the fiber gods smile upon your efforts in the new year because they’re obviously distracted by screwing with mine!