In Which Our Hero Changes Her Mind, and Is Okay With It

I've been working on the Medallion Lace Socks all month. I want this yarn to be a pair of socks by the end of this month, and I thought that this pattern and yarn were meant to be. I love this pattern. It looks so charming, the finished projects are delightful, and it looks fine in a variegated yarn. But I really had trouble knitting it. Sometimes it can take me a year or longer to finish a pair of socks. But if I'm actively trying to knit one, and get it done, it shouldn't take me more than two weeks to get one sock done. Heck, in college, I could get a finished pair in two weeks or less.

Here I am, halfway through the month, and only just coming to the heel flap of the first sock. Guys, I have one pair of tricky socks on the needles right now, I don't need two. I hated that I had to consult the pattern so frequently, I hated working it on 5 needles instead of 4, and it was taking forever. I just wasn't loving the project as much as I thought I would. At least not right now. I'd like to knit this pattern someday, and be able to dedicate the attention to it that I need to, but right now I need something straightforward.

So I ripped out the whole leg and started over, and I already feel so much more relaxed knitting these. Mostly stockinette, with two purl columns down the sides for interest. Totally relaxing, and just enough to keep track of to not feel like a total black hole. This project is just what I need right now, and fighting with the other pattern might have contributed to feeling like I've been in a funk this month. These pictures are from my lunch break yesterday, but since then I've already knit the whole leg of the first sock and started the heel flap, so I know I made the right decision.

So three cheers for listening to myself, and being okay with changing something that didn't work. Life's too short to knit things you don't love knitting, or to end up with a finished object that's not quite what you hoped for.