Try, Try, Again....

I am currently making my second attempt at toe up socks. This time using a traditional heel. Last time I tried using a short row heel and well.....I just can't ever seem to see the wraps. It could be the solid colored fingering weight yarn on size ones that is causing my problem....I just can't get it. I will have to practice short rows on something else in maybe a variegated worsted weight fiber. The upside to the first pair is they were going to be for a friends baby so I made it to the heel part rather quickly before learning that I just couldn't do it. When I tried to frog back my yarn got all tangled up and well I just cut it off and tossed it. This time though the socks are for an adult male. They are Walt's first requested knitted item since I started knitting. I have put lots of love in to them so far. I even hand dyed the yarn. My first hand dyed yarn. I am feeling enormous pressure from myself to make these the most perfect pair of socks I have knit thus far. I want him to love them and wear holes in them (seriously I want him to want to wear them all the time!!) Hopefully the heel will go fine and it will be smooth sailing from there. Had a slight mishap with these last night. I dropped stitch and it tinked back about 2 rows. Usually, not a huge deal, but when you are knitting with size 1 needles there aren't a whole lot of things you can find to help pick up that stitch. I didn't want to move my working needle at all for fear of making the stitch fall further so finally a found a safety pin and all was well. They are black and white striped socks with rather wide stripes (Walt's request) and I am on my second black stripe. I am actually really enjoying knitting on these and can't wait to see the finished product. Special thanks to Julie for helping me dye self-striping yarn!!!

In other try, try, again news. I got my first drop spindle last month. A swap partner on Ravelry sent it to me. It was her old one. It is so beautiful and I have been dying to learn to spin. She also since this B-E-A-UTIFUL pink roving. This is where the problem begins. First, I am a perfectionist. I like things to be perfect! I like to be GREAT at things! Second, the roving is such a pretty color that I just don't want to waste it. I want it to be beautifully spun yarn that I can actually knit with. I have watched endless youtube videos and I just can't seem to get it right. I am having a hard time drafting. I am going to try to predraft & see if that helps. I am just so frustrated with it that I can't even pick it up. I want to do it, but I want to do it well. So I am pledging to try, try, again!!