Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Kiss Me, Charlene

As a dyed-in-the-wool homo, it's not often I get the urge to smooch a girl. But tonight I finished the Kitchener stitch on the second toe of the second sock, thereby joining the Ancient and Honorable Company of Sock Knitters. If Charlene Schurch were within lip distance I'd be all over her like a Lee Ann on a bag of alpaca.

My first pair of socks. Is there any pair quite like the first pair? They're not going to cause a fuss at the county fair, but they fit and I like them.

First Socks, Completed

Yarn: Regia Blahblahblahblah (I lost the ball band). It's part wool and part polyamory or something like that.

Needles: US size 1 dpns

Pattern: Garter Rib from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks. Charlene, I love you! Albeit in my own queer way! You're fabulous! I'm going to dress as you for Halloween!

Ted gave me Charlene's book, so I guess I oughta kiss him, too. Pucker up, kid.

Another Mean Kitty

I've redrawn the cat and the ball of yarn and put it in the shop on lots of stuff, along with a caption I feel is both true and appropriate.

Some Days

It's pure coincidence that the latest two designs both feature evil cats. Do not send letters calling me a cat hater. Send those to Rita Rudner, who once said she considered them to be "a waste of fur."

Heh heh. Rita, I'll kiss you too, if you want.

Oh hell, kisses for everybody.

74 comments:

Anonymous said...

should i close my eyes?

Anonymous said...

Love the new design, but I'd like to offer a suggestion... could you move the copyright? Placed where it is it looks like something the cat just... um... dropped. Sorry... I have cats. It's the first thing that occurred to me when I saw it. Other than that, I'd buy it.

Those damn copyrights... always cropping up where you least want them. Like, on nipples.

FiberQat said...

Hooray for the socks!! Charlene would be very proud of you. Well done!

My cat has that look of evil, but it's directed at pushing my buttons, not any animosity toward the ball of yarn. "Die evil attention stealer!!"

jayne said...

You know...socks doing a pole dance are kind of sexy. I'll take a kiss. Call me old fashioned, but I like a tender man-kiss on my forehead.

Anonymous said...

Nice socks! And for not liking cats, you sure draw them well ;-)

soapy said...

Looks great! Congrats!

Anonymous said...

Nice legs! um, I mean socks. You do know that sock-knitting is addictive, don't you? Now you'll have to learn the Magic Loop method,2 socks on a Magic Loop, socks-soar-on-2-circs method, 2-socks-soar-on-2-circs, folk socks, fulled socks, toe-up socks, kilt hose, kneesocks...somebody stop me!!!!
('See what I mean?)

WandaWoman said...

The socks look great. I think the yarn may have Regia Patch Antik. It looks like that style as I've knitted two pair of socks from that yarn.

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking it would be interesting to be around when you finish something complicated, like a shawl. Great socks! Congratulations.

Anonymous said...

Great socks. I've made the garter rib socks, too. Watch out, though, for some people, socks are addicting. I don't think there's a 12 step program for it yet. You probably already know this, but that book (which I love) has a boatload of errata. It's here: http://www.martingale-pub.com/Information/Corrections/B687_cor.htm

schrodinger said...

Congrats on your first pair, they will always be the best pair (well... until you knit the next).

Anonymous said...

Your feet look so toasty. :) Congrats on the socks, they're lovely, and with Chicago winter coming, we all need warm things for our toes (and ears and noses and any other exposed skin).

MsAmpuTeeHee said...

Yay Boy Socks! They look great!

No, I don't think anything is like the first pair...it's kind of like a first love. They always hold a special little place in your heart.
But like most things good yummy and entertaining, there will probably be more (and that should be alright since these are part polyamory, no?)

If you become and addict, welcome to the club ;-) ~bonnie

Anonymous said...

Nicely done!

socks are yet another addiction (as if I need another one!)

CelticCastOn said...

congrats on joining the dark side muhahaha
Love the kitty!

Anonymous said...

smooches back atcha, mr. sexy feet!

thanks for making today special with a cat drawing (I have 2; both love yarn AND needles).

anne marie in philly

Anonymous said...

Okay, I've been thinking this since yesterday. We know that you planned self control at the Market at Stitches, and that you are a practicing Buddhist, and now you are an accomplished sock knitter. What does the stash of a Buddhist sock knitter look like? Is it as spare as the altar?

rosesmama, owner of a modest Quaker yarn stash, but a catholic vintage cloth and notion stash from a former incarnation

LaurieM said...

Very nice socks. I love Charlene too. Do you have her other books: "Hats On! and "Knitting Marvelous Mittens"? I have them both and they owe me no money because I use them all the time.

Joanna said...

Well done Franklin, now you can join the club of socks that fit, or socks that are done, or socks you like, or whatever ..... do you have the next pair on the needles yet?

Yes, you have the evil look down pat, it looks like mine on my blog after the tree his the house last week.

Anonymous said...

You can't stop staring at your feet, can you? Just when you think it's no longer interesting to look at your feet with those socks on, you catch yourself staring again and giggling. Admit it.

I would like a bearhug with a cheek smooch, please. I know I had nothing to do with the socks, but what the hell, may as well ask ;-)

Rebekkah said...

tee hee hee

"part polyamory" has already made my morning. (And it's true! I've found that, now that I'm a sock knitter, I can never work on just one project at a time anymore. There will always be a sock, too. True knitting polyamory.)

Having taken many, many photos of my socks, I can't help but imagine the position knitting bloggers have to get in to take certain photos. That mental image of you, in that very silly position, is also making my morning happier. I've been in that position before. I know how absurd it is.

Unknown said...

Another heart-imbued talent you learned from a book. You either pick great books, or you're amazingly talented at bringing writing to life in your work.

Have you been losing mass in your calves? They don't look as big.

But I love your attention to detail...regia something-or-other.

Melody said...

Hey, Franklin, way to go on your first pair of socks. I taught myself to knit a couple of years ago and then taught myself to knit socks last October using the Magic Loop method...though the K stitch damn near killed me! lol. Now get started on that second pair.

Cheryl:) said...

They do look fabulous!!!
I can't wait to see the Charlene Schurch costume--ribbed for pleasure of course.

junior_goddess said...

Congrats-not for one sock, but the PAIR. You'll be wearing highwaters AND Birkis just to glimpse your sexy little foot-sweaters! ;-)

VickeryKnits said...

Yay for Garter Rib socks! I just finished a pair myself and I'm in love with them too!

Anonymous said...

Without a doubt, you have posted the best sock pic I have ever seen! (and, Joe, it's the position, er, gravity, that changes all proportion!!!)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on finishing your first pair! You started them at Camp, didn't you? Does that mean I get a hug AND a kiss for being around when you started them?

Just as sock yarn doesn't count as stash, the SIP soon won't count as a WIP if you're the kind who doesn't like too many WIP's...when people ask me what I'm working on I never think to tell them about the current SIP, it's just always there...

Love the picture, BTW. Am I the only one who hasn't taken pictures of her own socks? One of my socks featured in a friends blog once but she took the picture.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on finishing your first pair! You started them at Camp, didn't you? Does that mean I get a hug AND a kiss for being around when you started them?

Just as sock yarn doesn't count as stash, the SIP soon won't count as a WIP if you're the kind who doesn't like too many WIP's...when people ask me what I'm working on I never think to tell them about the current SIP, it's just always there...

Love the picture, BTW. Am I the only one who hasn't taken pictures of her own socks? One of my socks featured in a friends blog once but she took the picture.

DK said...

I'm in the middle of knitting my first pair, her Class Sock, too. I got all excited last night and was running around my house to anyone who would listen saying, "look what I made! I made a heel!!" (PS, thanks, Twig, for the link! I didn't know, and was confusing myself silly). You give me hope, friend! And if Cook County ever has a county fair, I solemnly swear to make a fuss over your socks.


Mwah.

Kate

Elizabeth said...

Great socks. They fit so well, you'll want to make enough to wear hand make socks every day.

I'm a cat person and I think your cats are just fine. They are kind of mean creatures, especially if you're a small rodent or a ball of yarn.

pacalaga said...

Kisses to you for that first paragraph. I need to read it about ten more times.
Your socks are quite wonderful. You always remember the first time...

Aidan said...

I love Charlotte Church, too. She can't sing, but the woman knows how to write a sock pattern. Sensational Knitted Socks is far and away my favorite sock reference book. I won two -- one at home and one at work in case I have a heel question while knitting on my lunch hour.

Mother of Chaos said...

LOL - the first pair does make you feel in love with the WORLD, doesn't it?!

They're beautiful. Welcome to the club. :)

Anonymous said...

Lovely sockage. Been lurkin' and enjoyin' for some time, although I am jealous that MY Regia ballbands have never said a word about polyamory!

Had to write and tell you that I thought of you at yoga last night - my 60+ year old amazing yoga teacher told us a story of how she was stuck in traffic, and the person who cut her off going the other way was still in the exact same stuck spot after she had parked her car. As she walked past, she thought "hmm, I could say something about how interesting it is that she cut me off and now she's stuck and how there's a life lesson, etc." but instead... instead? ... she just said "asshole!" as she walked by. Now THAT'S a spiritual guide! XOX Janet

Liz said...

Great socks; and the cartoon (and caption) are fabulous... putting some of these on magnets is a great idea.

Poor Charlene - I've heard her called everything from Charlotte Church to Caroline Scrunch. I love the way the instructions don't seem to make much sense until the exact second you need them when it all becomes blindingly clear...

Anonymous said...

Hey! Nice Socks mister!

Anonymous said...

Great socks! My first pair were a tad large. Actually, more than a tad. I gave them to my husband (who is a foot taller than I am) and they are too big for him.

So now I want to knit him a pair that will fit. Franklin, I think you found the pattern for me! Kisses back to you, too--I was in a welter of indecision. And, you have very nice feet and calves. Just in case you didn't know that already.

abbenormal said...

I almost shot diet coke out my nose at part wool part polyamory. Thanks Franklin, that made my day.

Lucia said...

Those will, too, cause a fuss at the fair. I recommend stapling your pants to your shoes at Rhinebeck, lest you be followed everywhere by women (not your lifelong dream, now is it?) hoping for a flash of sock.

As the proud slave of five cats, I must agree about moving the copyright.

Hannah said...

Lovely socks! Welcome to our little cult.

Disentangled said...

Congrats on the socks! They look wonderful :-)

DAWN said...

You're a step ahead of me, I've yet to knit my first pair of sock. Ah, but one day...yours look fantastic! and since your just throwing kisses around, here's a {{hug}} to go with it.

Ana Petrova said...

Those socks are AbFab!

Good Job!

dpaste said...

Sock it to me!

Sorry, couldn't resist. As a cat lover, I have no problem at all with the cartoons, they are spot on.

Olive Knitting said...

Those socks are really great...'specially when I heard they were knit on no 1's. Whoa. I'm just wondering what happened to your search for navy or black sock yarn. Did you find any?

Jillio said...

haha, kisses for everybody? you're like sophie in the hayao miyazaki movie "howl's moving castle."
yes, i'm 25. yes, i still watch cartoons. but i'm a knitter. so it balances out. ;P

Anonymous said...

Beautiful Socks! I haven't taken the plunge yet...scary. I'm new to Chicago and would like to ask if there are any boy and girl knitting groups out there? Moving up from FL I thought there would be more togetherness. Love your blog.

Anonymous said...

Right back at ya Toots! The socks turned out great. Welcome to the honored society known as sock knitters.

Warrior Knitter said...

YAY! for your first pair. I love looking at socks other folks have knit while working the dpn's on my own socks!

Anonymous said...

The socks look great! Congrats on completing your first pair.

Anonymous said...

Had the great honor to take TWO sock knitting classes AND a Komi mitten class from the wonderful Charlene herself last February at the Madrona Fiber Arts retreat in Tacoma, Washington. Not only is she a total whiz-bang knitter, but she's warm, extremely funny, and so knowledgeable about knitting history. If you think she designs a mean sock, might I suggest you take a look at her book "Hats On!" You'll never need another hat book. Or if mittens are your pleasure, she's got a book on those too! Mary in Seattle

Dana S. Whitney said...

Kiss back. Your feet and socks are lovely.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful socks, Franklin! (Geesh, between you and the Yarn Harlot, I may succumb to socks. Halp. Is there a Borg of Sock or something? I *never* knit on smaller than #5's...oh Bog.) And polyamory - that on top of seeing Stephanie here in Portland tonight nearly finished me off for good. Lovely work, and congrats! So - what are your next pair gonna be? [g]

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't call you a cat hater. I wouldn't even blame you if you *were* a cat hater. The cat I have now is a dyed-in-the-wool grouch who does not like *anyone* (she tolerates me 'cause I feed her); when I had to go out of town on short notice last year and couldn't take her with me, the lady who graciously agreed to take her at the last minute said she felt like a "lion tamer" and one of the other guys who saw her actually asked me if I picked up a feral and sicced her on my friends just to be funny.

At least it's always entertaining to take her to the vet. I'm sure they have "demon seed" written at the top of her record.

Anonymous said...

I dunno, I think the excitement level would depend on which county the fair was in. They look like excellent socks to me. (Just entered a purple pair in my local fair.)

Anonymous said...

A-w-w-righty now! Your socks look great. Nice fit. You know what happens now, right?

ALL of my knitting bretheren went on a sock phase, that ended after about ten to fifteen pairs.

And once you knit a pair with cashmere (knit the heel and toe w/ some nylon for strength), that's it. You're done.

Anonymous said...

I want those socks; gimme those socks

Anonymous said...

nice socks! dontcha just lurrrrve charlene?!

Gigi said...

Love the picture...hate the cat color. He looks naked!!!!! What self respecting knitter who spends time making wearables would allow a naked cat?! (tee hee)

Anonymous said...

Great socks! You have the best dressed feet in Chicago! May I have a cheek smooch, please?

Anonymous said...

Great job. Love the color, the ribbing looks nice and even. Looks like you've been knitting socks all your life. I'll tell you that wearing them is even better then knitting them. A bit of glamour for your toes.

Anonymous said...

Wait, the second sock has two toes?

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I'm thinking it would be interesting to be around when you finish something complicated, like a shawl. Great socks! Congratulations.

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