Belligerent

I try to think of myself as a positive person, although sometimes I just get into a negative state of mind about things. Like my bank, which I need to leave because I hate them. Yes, a minor thing happened and they (eventually) sorted it out, but now I just shudder when I see their logo, and get angry when they send me letters, and that includes my bank statements. When an organisation is making me belligerent, it’s time to go.
Belligerent is a good word for how I feel about Raph’s socks. There is nothing inherently wrong with them. The Old maiden aunt yarn is lovely, I love knitting on my Signature DPNs, David’s toe up sock book is easy enough to follow. And yet this project just feels beset by problems.

Partly it’s because I’m knitting for someone who can’t try it on. What if it doesn’t fit? What if it’s too short? Or too long? Or long enough but too tight? Or, or, or.

Partly it’s toe up socks. I like knitting on DPNs, and toe up socks are best suited to other needles. Also, I got the first sock started with no issues on DPNs. On a train no less. The second one took me five tries. FIVE. It was something about the way I was doing one of the increases. I was so frustrated by the time I got it going that I was thinking of presenting Raph with one sock and teaching him to knit so he could have a pair.

Partly it’s that I decided to knit from the centre of the ball. I haven’t done that for absolutely ages and that’s because it can lead to yarn barf, which I’m suffering from now.

Partly- a big part really – is I hate wrap and turn short rows, and that’s how the heel turn works on these socks. I’ve finished that part now I just need to do the heel flap and then it’s smooth sailing. 2 x 2 rib until it’s done, and being the second sock, it’s done when it’s the same length as the first sock. And then I can take a deep breath, gift wrap them and pretend I knitted them putting love and care into every stitch, as Raph deserves, rather than rage and hate, seething and anger.