It's All Fruedian Don't You Know

After traveling to Memphis for a weekend of Shelton Reunion, next weekend is the annual Rock Reunion. Unlike Hubby's family, my family is realistic. It is probably for the best that we only get together for the afternoon instead of an extended weekend. there are just too many of us for those who married into the clan to have any hope of feeling like that know all our names.

One of the things that happens at the reunion is an auction. This year, I am donating a pair of handknit socks.

I am knitting the socks from the toe up to have another opportunity to practice the technique. Because the socks need to fit a variety of sizes, I chose to knit the foot and leg in a 2X2 ribbing, with the toe and heel in plain stockinette.

You cannot knit a toe up sock with a ribbed foot and plain toe anywhere near a guy without getting some untoward comments due to the unfortunately suggestive shape of the sock. Now I am not one to blush, but when Hubby says that it would be best not to take the sock to work on while at a July 4th cookout, it is probably for the best - especially since small children will be present. No need scaring the little girls and making the little boys feel dreadfully inadequate.

The form the sock takes has confirmed some of my observations about knitted items. I have been fascinated for some time now by how knitting allows the knitter to craft garments to fit any shape or size by simply manipulating two stitches - knit and purl. It's all in the technique.

Here is where my knitter snobbery will show. I am happy that knitting has become trendy and popular. I know that not every one who takes up a craft or hobby when it is popular or trendy will become committed to the craft. I am glad for all the publicity that has brought new yarns to the market. What kills my soul, however, is that so many remain stuck in the scarf zone. If all I knew how to do was knit garter stitch for miles, I wouldn't want to stick with knitting, either. If I had no idea that I could make a sock that fits the foot perfectly; a prosthesis for breast cancer survivors; chemo caps; or shawls in every shape imaginable I would probably not be an enthusiastic knitter.

This is why knitters need knit night. There is something that happens when knitters get together that is good for the craft of knitting. That something is called project envy. Project envy has forced me to try my hand at Fair Isle knitting. Project envy drove me to lace knitting. Even worse, project envy tempted me into toe up sock knitting and carrying around what looked to be models for sex education classes in my knitting bag.

A controlled form of project envy is the knit-along. Getting knitters to pick one pattern is difficult enough. What happens when they all knit the same pattern with different yarns and in different colors is a special type of project envy hell. I have sometimes thought that there should be some type of blind trade at the end of the process since everyone covets everyone else's fiber and color choice.

All of this is good for the craft. It keeps us honing our skills and keeps the craft alive in much the same way knitting has survived for centuries. People getting together, sharing techniques and patterns. It is also the way all good knitters are made.

Without my group of knitting friends, I would be doomed as a knitter. I would sit in my room knitting to my DVD's of Law and Order: Criminal Intent, knitting the same sock a million times. I would grow old and become known as that creepy sock lady. That is just too horrible to contemplate.