On the dangers of blogging...

Blogging can be a very dangerous activity. Today, I will tell you the tale of two things that happened to me as a direct result of blogging. Both of which are in the picture below.
It all began with the blog over at "Color and Texture" which I found, thanks to someone else's blog - I forget which one. I read a post about a lovely cardigan she made and had the lack of sense to start following her blog.

Next thing I knew, she made her Hedera socks post.
http://colorandtexture.wordpress.com/2009/01/07/hedera-socks-finished/
This post caused great pangs of jealousy and much gnashing of teeth. I ogled her socks and eyed my own, boring, store-bought socks with disdain. Oh, the shame...

Then, to add insult to injury, she posted about her Pomatomus socks post. Pomatomus? But, that's a Latin name for a genus of fish! What on earth did that have to do with socks? Foolishly, I visited the post (which nearly made me lose all control).
http://colorandtexture.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/pomatomus-socks-are-done/

When I was home for the holidays, I mentioned briefly to my mother that I would like to learn how to knit socks. "Oh," she intoned "well dear, socks are quite difficult you know." I pondered this statement. My mother is an incredibly sensible and intelligent woman. She knows what she's talking about, my Mum! It is wise to pay attention to her words. But alas, my independent spirit led me astray. Never let it be said that I did not tackle something because it might be too "difficult." (She said, as she slogged through her fourth University degree while still working full time and managing a farm full of animals).

And then, there was the blog over at Farm Witch, full of temptation and delight. She blogged about the bad reputation of spun "singles," which are skeins of wool that are not plied. They are just a single strand.
http://farm-witch.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-reputation-of-singles.html
I was intrigued by her post, and of course had to visit her Etsy store, in the hopes of obtaining my very own "single" to work with. But no, I was thwarted! No singles were available. So what else could I do, but buy this delightful skein of plied yard with the alluring name of "Gypsy" and a swirl of colours that delighted my eye.

That's it. No more boring socks for me. I bought the book. I bought the yarn. I will conquer the frightening and intimidating prospect of knitting a pair of socks. And I will prevail, no matter how many times I have to unravel them and start all over again. That's just the way I am: independent, fiercely determined, and stubborn as a ram (which is characteristic of an Aries).

Maybe that's why I have a certain fondness for sheep...