Rejoice And Recycle

Today is day seven of my self imposed yarn diet. Last night I sat on my living room floor and rearranged all my sock yarn so that the labels were all going the same way. Then I put them back in the Rubbermaid container in the order that I was going to use them. After that I spent about an hour online looking at hand dyed sock yarn. Houston, we have a problem.

Back in January of this year I started crocheting the hat in the picture. I *thought* that the pattern specified two skeins of Koigu KPPPM in complimentary colors. The hat was crocheted holding two strands together, in single crochet, on an F hook. Ugh. But I persevered because I really loved the pattern. And so I crocheted merrily along until I realized that I was going to run out of yarn. Was my gauge really off? Had I increased by WAY too many stitches? I took another look at the pattern. Umm, oops. The pattern actually called for 2 skeins EACH of complimentary colors. Yes, I really liked the hat but I didn't want a $46.00 hat. So I stuffed the hat and the yarn away and promptly forgot about it.

That was until I woke up this morning, a drooled on copy of Nancy Bush's "Knitting On The Road" laying open on my pillow. And I remembered ... there was more Koigu in this apartment. Koigu that could be recycled and used to knit SOCKS. Was it in this box? Maybe this container? In this basket here? Blurry eyed, pre-tea, I tossed my apartment. Finally, at the bottom of what was once my knitting bag, I found it. But not only was the hat there but 'lo and behold, the Koigu that Andy had puked on. I will spare you the horrific details. Of course the yarn was washed and dried after he puked on it but yuck ...

Recycled Koigu

Ta da! It's almost like I went out and bought it! But all I had to do was undo the hat, make sure I'd gotten all the cat puke off the other two balls, and rewind it all on my ball winder. Now we all know that it takes two skeins of Koigu to make a pair of socks and none of these yarn cakes are the same. But I *think* that if I use one color for the cuff, the heel flap and the toe and the other color for the leg and the foot it might work. Especially if I just make ankle socks. At least I hope it works. Fingers crossed.

In other sock news, Broadripple #1 will be spending the summer at Knitting Arts as a store sample. I have no plans to wear wool socks this summer so I found the sock another job. I have entrusted her care to Marie who I know will take good care of her as I continue to spread the Gospel of Koigu.