Just Sit Back & Knit

On The Subject of Socks

                                                                     
This is my very favorite pair of socks.  I did not even know I had a favorite pair until I thought I had lost these!  Jim bought them for me 3 or 4 years ago for Christmas.  They are made by Dansko for wearing with their clogs.  They fit perfectly, which most likely means they are made of absolutely NO natural fibers.  So, one of my favorite things about these socks, besides the snug-but-not -too-tight fit, or the color - brown, is the height.  They are just right.  I have problems with varicose veins and they can be quite painful.  Tight socks make it worse and are just plain  uncomfortable.  So here we are, the perfect socks.  Which you can not buy anymore.  Isn't that just the way.

Now, I don't imagine even for a minute that I can replicate these, I won't even try.  For awhile anyway.  I have, however started my first pair of socks:
                                                                     

THREE DAYS LATER.....

I finished one sock!  I can not, however, show it to you in it's complete state.  My digital camera has gone on the fritz.  Here it is almost finished:

       The yarn:  Socks That Rock

The pattern:  from Sally Melville's Book 2: The Purl Stitch

The needles:  US Size 2, Lantern Moon - very nice, also a gift from Kathy!

Here is the hole you get at the corner between the heel and the instep, for which Sally recommends leaving a tail at that point to close it up.  I did.  Thank you Sally!

                                                               

So......  I am hooked.  I can see I will become obsessed with sock yarn, sock patterns, sock needles.  Maybe feet in general.  I was so nervous to start one.  I had heard horror stories about turning the heel.  And not that it was so simple, but doable, even enjoyable.  I would not put one down in the middle of the turn - that could be a nightmare.  Socks are satisfying!  So quick, so cute, so easy to carry along, and, well, so useful to have.

I have promised my loving husband I will not start the other sock until I finish his Birthday Slippers, and so, back to the grind!

 

 

Things

I've been working on this post for SIX days. It's kind of boring but I am going to hurry up and finish it so I can move on!

Fletchersmama, I love your PLEATS! That is awesome and so inventive, no wonder you don't frog! Oh, but wait! Now you do! It's a new world, let me tell you. Next thing you know you'll be unravelling a column of ten stitches just to fix a little spot that know one else would notice.

Short Rows
Jess, you asked me about Short Rows & I'm not sure my answer was very good. I recently discovered this:

What the ---- are short rows?

Ahh, a wonderful technique that no knitter should be without. Short rows make curves or soft angles on the mostly straight-edged, flat-paneled knitting landscape. They accomplish this by partially knitting an existing row to a pre-determined stitch count, then turning the work and working back to the same (or another) count, and turning again. So really, you are adding shaped rows within the body of the garment without increasing stitches, or casting-on more stitches. Most importantly, you're not changing the overall shape of the exterior of the garment.
Short row shaping can eliminate the step effect you get when you bind off shoulders. Or they can make sock heels elegantly curved. OR, and this is where we are going to live for a while, short rows can add some curve if you got the nerve.
A little cuppage created right into your garment might just be the difference between gaping armholes, an un-intended ride-up by your belly button, or having to make a size larger that fits your chest but sags on your hips and shoulders, because the garment is just too big. This is an easy, sophisticated, non-obtrusive technique.

--from the La Bonne Tricoteuse article at Knitty by Bonne Marie Burns

SKP
My latest Secret Knitting Project is consuming all of my knitting time. And Fletchersmama, I feel like this projet is a real adult knitting project for me...Monday night, despite several hours of knitting, I was no further than I was when I set the SKP aside the night before. In fact, I had less done. Yup, I noticed a mistake made many-several-lots of rows before and had to frog back to fix it. And then I did it again. And frogged again.

I've also tried to be adult about this project by not waiting until I'm done knitting to start weaving in ends. Turns out that is a good idea because what I thought was a pretty good job of weaving in ends on wrong side has proved to be a not so good job. As I knit more I realized that my ends were making the front side bumpy then the very end of the ends started popping out onto the front side and fraying. I think part of the problem is that the yarn I'm using is a 75% cotton and 25% merino wool blend and the cotton just doesn't want to stay woven in!

I bought a pair of little Clover circular needles for this project. I like them except...

I bought the size that had a huge "8" in the corner & took them home only to discover that they 4.5mm rather than 5.0mm. So woe is me I had to buy another set, these ones claiming to be US 10 but measuring at 5.1mm. Of course this all works out in my favor as I happen to me a needle hoarder (right Jess?) and love buying new knitting accessories almost as much as I love buying yarn.

Okay, I'm gonna finally wrap this up. Here to brighten your day...bad cellphone picture featuring Ted the Brown Dogman in all his glory!