well, you can’t knit shoes . . .

but I’m going to show you some anyway. I thought, for a change of pace, I’m going to occasionally give you something from my shoe wardrobe, and tell you a bit of their history. And I decided to start with these favourites:

I bought these in Paris in May 2006 somewhere in St. Germain around where the Rue du Four, Rue de Grenelle, and Rue du Dragon intersect. As soon as I spotted them, I knew I wanted them, but since it was only the second day of our trip, I thought I’d better hold off buying them. After all, I might just be Buying Under the Influence (of jetlag) and something better might come along. But nothing did, and we went back a few days later to pick them up, having made careful note of where the shop was.

Besides being able to say, “Oh these, I got them in Paris,” I just love the stacked heel, the natural leather, the heel gathering, the stitching up the centre front, the whimsical point of the toe, and those three buckled straps. I’ve had comments that they look medieval, but the most amusing conversation I’ve had about them was with a fellow in our city apartment’s laundry room. His fashion taste seemed to run more to t-shirts emblazoned with beer or heavy-metal logos, but he commented on my shoes, wondering if they were uncomfortable to wear. When I started to answer that the heels were actually a great height, super-comfy, he interrupted me, excitedly, saying “I know, my . . . ” Seriously, I thought he was going to start comparing his favourite heels and we’d end up having shoe swaps. Not sure if I was relieved or disappointed when he continued by talking about his cowboy boots. In fact, that’s when I realized that the heel on these shoes is shaped quite a bit like a cowboy heel, altho’ on a slighter scale. One more thing to love about them.

Anyway, this year in Paris, I thought we’d better go check out that shop again, but although we got right to the same area, and walked up and down many, many streets that looked much the same, we couldn’t seem to find it. And of course, one of us was way more motivated than the other. Paul couldn’t really remember specifically which shop I was looking for, until one day I got really frustrated with him (I know, it’s irrational, don’t even bother telling me!) — damn him, he has the more precise sense of direction, mine’s way too impressionistic to be useful. Anyway, he listened more carefully, I was able to remember other things we had done last year on the day we found the shoes (in other words, remembered food things, way more likely to lodge in his memory), and then he went off on his own to reconnoitre for about half an hour, and came back triumphant. We headed off together and, sure enough, there it was, just as I’d remembered it, and within a half block of our previous searches. After all that, there were no shoes I loved, but it was a relief just to be able to retrace old footsteps. (I did buy shoes again in Paris, though, and I’ll show them to you some day.)

While you can’t knit shoes, there has been knitting going on around here. The Rocketry cardigan is off the needles and blocking right now. When it dries, I’ll sew buttons on and show you — it’s really cute, and I’m already thinking about ordering another (or two). Since I finished one project, I felt justified casting on another, this time the Montego Bay scarf from this summer’s Interweave–I think the Seasilk colourway is called Sangria, and if it isn’t it should be — beautiful, you’ll see. The Icarus is coming along–I’m on the 3rd repeat of Chart I’s Rows 19-42 (there are 5 repeats required) — of course, each repeat has more stitches, so that I’ll be at 343 by the end of the 5th repeat. Stocking stitch with regular interruptions that have to be paid attention to. On 3.25 mm. needles. You can see why I need other projects on the side.

Time to put on some much homelier shoes and get out for a walk, then back for lunch, when I’ll finish off this Nicoise Salad I made yesterday. Pretty, no?