Knitting and Fringe

I have to say, I've been having a lovely time the past week doing some evening knitting while watching TV.  I have avoided TV most of the summer as most reality shows suck and I don't watch repeats. But now that there is some new programming on (and I finally have a DVR), I'm back in my knitting chair, casting on and knitting away.

While I'm almost finished with one of my Trekking color 126-Brach's Candy (currently sold out), I've decided that I don't like the sock and I'm going to rip it out and start over.  I won't even bore you with a picture because the sock really is that boring.  I just knit simple stockinette, which is fine for many self-patterning yarns, but it just isn't moving me much.  So I'm going to frog the entire thing and do something with a bit of a rib.  It just needs a bit of elasticity to keep the sock up on my leg, and the plain stockinette makes the sock slouch, thus the pattern of the jacquard gets lost in the slouch-folds.  Not cool.

So I've cast on this little beauty:

 

Does it look familiar?  It may, because it's the same color and pattern as this sock that I knit two years ago for Sockapalooza (which is coming back soon), but instead of Fleece Artist's merino, it's Fleece Artist's BFL sock.  And I adore it.  I remember how much I loved knitting the Embossed Leaves socks from Interweave Knits Magazine (the pattern was republished in their book Favorite Socks) with the Ivory colorway.... and so I did it again!  The BFL sock yarn takes the color differently than does the merino base, so the yarn is deeper in color, so it almost feels like I'm knitting a different color than before.  And I really like the slightly fuzzy halo to the yarn.

*FYI, I'm out of the BFL in Ivory, but I do have it in Merino, Casbah and Sea Wool.

These are going to be gift socks, so I'm trying to make sure there are as few mistakes as possible, but I don't think I've ever knit a technically perfect pair of socks.  There's always a slight mistake somewhere, and I'm not the type to care.  What about you?  Do you knit perfect socks?  Or are you of the "perfection-is-an-illusion" camp?

I'm sure I'll make great progress on this sock and it's mate in the coming week, as more new TV shows come on the air.  I'm already hooked on Fringe (Alias meets X-Files, what's not to like?) and Bones, and I'm really looking forward to the new seasons of The Office and 30 Rock.  What shows are part of your perfect knitting-TV combo?

Comments

[SusanB]

I too have never knit a technically perfect pair of socks. There is always a mistake. As long as I can live with it, I don't rip it out. But if I agonize over it, then it must be corrected. (so far no ripping )

I like to watch Dancing With the Stars, Bones, and CSI while I knit. But then, I knit most evenings to whatever is on the tv.

[Abby]

I thought those socks looked familiar - I recently finished a pair of Embossed Leaves in CTH supersock (from SSYC, natch). Pix on my blog.

NFL football is my knitting TV companion. Baseball works well, too, as does golf, but not basketball.

[Tiffany]

The socks look great. What's perfect anyway? :)

[Kathryn in Minnesota]

I'm in favor of leaving a small mistake or two in my socks. It's an offering to the knitting goddesses/gods/spirits. If the mistake affects fit, though, all bets are off. I will frog mercilessly to get my socks to fit me.

With Abby, I believe in the virtue of knitting while watching sports. I get too wrapped up in plot to be able to knit while watching Monk, Psych, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, and the Closer. Though I do seem to be able to knit during House. Unlike Abby, I like knitting while watching basketball. I'm a huge knitting-while-watching-soccer fan.

Love the socks!

[Donna]

I've become hooked on the political shows on MSNBC over the summer (nothing else of interest to watch). I'm a huge fan of Keith Olberman & especially Rachel Madow. Lately I've even become a little fond of Chris Matthews. I also have a bunch of movies on Tivo that I like to watch - some more than once. The Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple movies are favorites & I also have several Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy movies (from TCM) that I haven't found time to watch yet. Mostly I've become hooked on Tivo -even if I'm home sitting in front of the TV when a show is airing, I will start watching it about 15-20 minutes late on Tivo so I can just zip through the commercials. I also have Fringe on Tivo but haven't watched it yet.

[Donna]

Oh yeah - I don't correct mistakes unless they affect the fit of a sock or are so blatant as to be jarring.

[Vickie]

Unless they are major, I consider mistakes to be "persian flaws." I like the story behind the concept, so it makes me happy to have a flaw or two in my work. My perfect knitting show has to be "The Young and the Restless". If I only actually look at the screen once or twice per episode, I still know what's going on. And of course, Star Trek and Lost in Space reruns work for me too.

[charito]

I knit watching anything on TV, I can't watch without doing something. I like the Home Improvement shows and movies. Love the color of your socks. I made the mistake of buying the Favorite Socks 2 and everybody seems to knit from the first one. Maybe I should consider buying this one.

[Allison]

Okay, I have to admit that the Young and the Restless is something that I watch once in awhile too... I find that if I watch it once every two weeks I can keep up on the storyline.
And I've seen every episode of every Star Trek series at least 3 times. Yes, I'm a closet Trekkie.

[yoyosocksister]

In my group of knitting friends someone said the Indians would make one mistake (on purpose) in their weaving in order to let the evil spirits out - this works for me. I love the concept... whether it is true or not!