Monday, February 02, 2009

Maslow's hierarchy of craft-related needs

microsocks
I seem to have fallen off the bottom of it recently. If knitting things of intricate beauty, taking photos and blogging are at the top, and urgently making warm stuff to keep your family's extremities from falling off during blizzards is at the bottom. (Maslow's hierarchy is defined here if you've never studied psychology. Obviously he wasn't originally talking about knitting, more about life in general). So I've been mostly spending January being distracted from my major WIPs by small but important projects for the warmness and general wellbeing of those around me.

Like the above tiny baby socks made out of DK yarn scraps. Pattern is Socks in a box from the January issue of Knitting magazine. I've never read this before but I rather enjoyed it - I bought the mag, cast on and finished this project on the same day - don't think that's ever happened before with a magazine. They're just like normal socks to knit, but gratifyingly swift. Not quite as awesome at staying on as Christine's stay on baby booties, but they took almost no time at all and used up tiny bits of yarn that were otherwise utterly useless.
hat of boringness
I also had to fulfil a request for head warming gear from Mr. Rubbishknitter, so made this manly muted coloured hat. It's just a plain 1x1 rib beanie from Rowan Pure Wool DK. I thought it would be a tedious knit but it is the loveliest yarn ever I have to say, so it was actually a pleasure. Really springy and light but warm merino, feels lovely against the skin. (Yes, I have stolen this hat a couple of times to walk the dog, although pleasingly it is rarely off the big fella's head.) File under boring-but-useful. Oh - and I did have something of a hat-knitting epiphany - I knitted it on two circulars. Honestly, how much unnecessary hassle have I caused myself in the past by using dpns for this? Constantly picking up dropped stitches off the ends, and wondering if it's going to fit, but not really knowing until I reach the crown because I am too lazy to put all the stitches on scrap yarn. With two circulars you can cast on, knit a couple of rows of ribbing and check fit straight away while it's still on the needles! Easy enough to start again at that stage if it isn't totally perfect... I feel like something of an idiot for my previous slapdash trial and error approach. No more giving away failed hats I had earmarked for my large-headed self to children! I can see more hat knitting in my not too distant future...

I'm also in a frenzy of activity to finish the baby's quilt, as my mother in law pointed out winter is nearly over and he might not fit it next year... and it's gone mightily cold in the nights round here... it's quite laughably amateurish looking but excitingly, I'm nearly there....

4 comments:

Linz Knits Now said...

heh heh heh I chuckled my way through this post....you sound like me :D

I love your knits, they're ace.
Now tell me...why am I going to knit my DH a jumper without telling him and why didn't I pick a hat????? and your otherhalf wears it 'bow'

brittunia said...

Love socklets Dear! And a double circ hat? Oh you must share your secrets. Finally made it back to 8th Day last week and am planning on going tomorrow (as my time as a childless knitter is dwindling). If you can't make it, let's see if we can't have coffee sometime this month! x

CatR said...

Not often is Maslow invoked... Hurrah for successful need satisfaction knitting!

rubbishknitter said...

ladybirdlinz: thanks. You are truly brave with the jumper - awesome effort. I don't have the cojones for such an endeavour.

brittunia: I am planning on 8th day tomorrow. But every time I announce that a last minute spanner seems to fly into the works. If I just tell you, rather than the whole ravelry forum, maybe it'll happen this time :)

cat: hurrah indeed! :)