A Book and a Sock[ish]

A week ago all the employees of The UCC were lucky enough to go on a two night staff retreat in Laguna Beach compliments of our boss/owner Angharad. We spent a relaxing two and a half days learning, crafting, hanging out, and sipping some good wine. (No complaints here!)

One of the things we learned how to do was bookbinding. Everyone created their own blank book entirely from scratch. I had never really known or even considered all the steps involved in binding a book. It was a six hour process, and we were doing a simple method! It gave me a new perspective on how truly treasured books must have been before mass production.

We also learned to knit socks while we were there. Well...we started to learn. On one sock. On one cuff of one sock. I worked on mine fairly diligently for two and a half days, and left with just a cuff. It's the softest, prettiest heathered red alpaca yarn, and I fully intended on having a fluffy warm pair of alpaca socks at the end of the retreat. I didn't quite get there. It again made me think about how at one time the simplest items, things we take for granted every day, had to be individually, painstakingly created. 

Yesterday I bought a bag of socks at Walgreens because I was out of clean socks and I didn't have time to do my laundry. They are almost disposable now. Thank you for mass production, Industrial Revolution. Without it, I'd be very, very sockless. But I like learning how to make basic things. It gives me a sense of self sufficiency, and I have an irrational comfort in knowing that if I unexpectedly had to flee to the hills, I would at least be able to have socks on my feet. Or foot.