The Seven Row Itch

I think I'm fairly loyal in most of my relationships. Aaron and I have been dating for seven years. I've been here at Purdue much longer than I should. I stayed in my last apartment for six years. Every time I pack a lunch, it's the same thing. I get together with my friends from High School whenever I can. And I still drive an '89 Honda.

But it turns out there's a fickle portion of my heart, and it's for socks. Six pairs of socks in progress is no deterrent to starting another....sock club makes a fine excuse. And I give my heart away so easily. Yesterday morning, I was hooked on entrelac. My entrelac socks went everywhere with me. Few things made me happier than the joy of completing another little square. I modified my knitting style just to accommodate these socks.

By last night, everything changed. I cruelly brushed aside the entrelac, in favor of a new woolen partner - the Braided Rice Socks. I only got to spend 45 minutes at Sock Club, but that was enough time for a relationship to develop. Just a few rows into the ribbing, I couldn't wait to see how the cables were going to turn out. All of a sudden, blue Gems rather than green and yellow Cherry Tree Hill occupied my thoughts and dreams. I packed my bookbag for work tonight with no fewer than three sets of socks in progress, so I can go wherever my cheatin' heart wants to take me.

So far it's taken me through three repeats of the pattern, and several periods of fondling the cable and enjoying the stretchiness of the rice stitch. But while this sock is lovely, it's a high-maintenance friend, requiring close attention and large time commitments. If it's left hanging in the middle of a pattern repeat it looks all warped and twisted, so this sock doesn't tolerate distraction (like actual work) well.

The Entrelac sock, on the other hand, is the friend who will take you out at the last minute for a pick-me up. Five minutes of knitting is enough for it...it doesn't complain. And dumping it back into the knitting bag won't endanger the relationship, as the small blocks mean the stitches stay on the needles quite nicely.

By tomorrow, the competition for my attention won't matter, as I'll turn to social obligations and Elizabeth's socks. The only other sock that will get any work then is the go-anywhere and do-anything Fascine Braid sock, which maintains its fidelity and its independence with a single ball of yarn, an easy pattern, and by working on two circular needles. But I'll probably have to keep in touch with everybody else.