Facing the Truth

It was like getting on the scale after you've been eating away merrily for some time and seeing that you've gained ten pounds...

I took the time to add up how many projects I've got in my yarn stash earlier this week. I knew things were adding up because (1) I've been buying frequently in all sorts of places and (2) honestly, I've outgrown my "one suitcase-worth of yarn" limit.

For starters, we have the yarn that needs to be wound into balls:















Next we move onto the yarn in the suitcase -- One side for socks and one side for other things such as hats, scarves, sweaters:

















And, then we have the projects pending:














What does all this add up to? A little over 50 projects with 33 of those being for socks. Because I work on two projects at a time, it normally takes me about one month to complete a pair of socks unless there's some type of vacation yielding surplus time sitting on an airplane or riding in a car. So, basically, I have about three years' of sock knitting ahead of me already without addition. Let's take this a step further, each pair of socks is something on the order of 10,000 stitches. Yes, socks are a commitment or as my friend, Maryann, says, "If you give someone a pair of hand knit socks, you must really like them."

I feel like an alcoholic facing up to the blackouts, dancing naked on tabletops in dive bars and waking up not knowing how I got where I am.

Oh, but the colors are so pretty and the yarns so soft and after you knit your little heart out, here's what you have:




My own personal collection of little sock-beauties (one pair is missing -- lives at SO's in case I somehow forget to wear socks). Who you don't see here are the numerous pair that I've made and given away to PEOPLE I REALLY LIKE. Yes, they are hard to part with after you've knit them. Oh, and one other thing, two pairs in the picture were knit for me by Maryann which just proves that I am a person SHE REALLY LIKES.

I wish I could promise that I've hit bottom, but it would be a bald-faced lie. For in a few short days, the limited edition of Lorna's Laces for March will be coming out and there's a good chance I will buy it. However, I know that this cold, hard moment of truth will slow me down on the buying. I can't knit any faster -- I mean I've already taken to knitting at stop lights in the car so you know I'm taking advantage of most of the possible knitting that life offers.