A Sock By Any Other Name...

I've never designed a pattern. I've tweaked a few to suit my needs over the years. (Or to cover up a mistake or two...that's more likely the case, I suppose) I have a vague idea of what goes into the process, though. You can't knit for a while without picking up a thing or two.

I would imagine that a great deal of thought goes into the naming of a pattern. The designer, no doubt, spends hours upon hours agonizing over the matter and wondering if the "right" name will somehow reveal itself before the thing needs to go to the publisher. I'm guessing there is probably some angst along the way. There is probably also great joy at finding that perfect combination of words and letters that will give the knitter a sense of what it is they are about to create with their sticks and string.

I am certain that the designer of the Broadripple pattern might have gone through a similar creative process. Perhaps not. But it could have played out that way, with the angst and whatnot. I wasn't there. I can only guess. When in doubt, I always lean towards the angst, though.

Which is why I can't help but feel badly over my insistence at calling this sock the Bripple pattern. It is nothing short of disrespectful, if you think about it. All that creative energy, not to mention the angst and I can't even say it correctly.

There is a special corner of Knitter's Hell for people like me. I just know it. The needles are all very dull and the cables on the circs are not at all flexible. The only patterns that can be successfully knit are for toilet tissue cozies or beer can hats from the '70s...

But, make no mistake, my need to call them Bripples doesn't diminish my love for them in any way, shape or form.

I think the yarn felt the same way. The colors in the photo are a bit washed out, but I think it is safe to say that never before in the history of knitting has a yarn so wanted to be knit into Bripples. I can't imagine it being anything else at this point. This is Fibranatura's "Yummy" and yummy it is. The yarn came to me last summer from the generous kmkat and has been happily marinating, just waiting for Sheepie to remember that she likes Bripple socks. Some might say it was too long to wait for socks, but I think it all worked out.

I believe this qualifies as the first "official" FO of the summer vacation. The last pair of socks was really more along the lines of "housekeeping" since they'd been on the needles long enough to be classified as a thing to be crossed off the to-do list. Starting off the parade of Summer '09 Projects with a nice pair of Bripples is a pretty fine thing, indeed!

The next pattern will be referred to more respectfully. I promise. It just won't be as much fun as yelling out, "Brrrrrripple!!!" every now and again.

SA