Finished, rather. Yes, I've been bitten by the sock bug, but had hitherto not enough patience to complete the second sock. Sadly, with me, the "second sock syndrome" hit me harder than the "sock bug".
However I have conquered my fear of committment and I finished not one, but two pairs of socks! The first was Cookie A.'s Twinkle Toes socks as seen on Knitty Gritty. To my dismay, I just learned that the Leader deleted my pictures of these socks! Curses! They are a little big, but they are cute. I made them out of Lion Brand Wool-Ease that was cream but I overdyed it with orange and pink Kool-Aid. I like the effect that the dye has when used on wool blends. I'm into the semi-solid thing right now. The yarn might not be the best choice for socks, but I had it on hand and wanted to use less expensive stuff for the first completed pair. To get my feet wet, so to speak.
The second pair, done in Bernat Sox, is pictured above. I did the Garter Rib sock in Charlene Schurch's book "Sensational Knitted Socks". Bernat Sox is not ideal, being 100% acrylic, but it was cheap ($1 per ball at Smiley's) and I thought it a great way to get used to sock weight yarn and a pattern using it. I knit the socks at 7 sts/inch on size 3 circular needles - perhaps a little loose now that I'm wearing the finished socks, but it's still delightful to be wearing my own creation.
I thought I would be clever and try to do them two at a time on two circulars. I'm very new to the technique of using two circulars and equally new to knitting socks, and given my affliction with "second sock syndrome", I had never knit two socks at once. So I got going on the legs, two at a time, on the two circulars.
Legs were knit without incidence, but then I got to the heel turn. I had to transfer a stitch from each needle to the other needle and couldn't figure out how to do both at the same time. So, one sock went on dpns and was set aside while I completely finished the first sock. To my surprise, I actually wanted to pick up the second sock right away and finish it. I finished them both yesterday evening and while I still have issues with Kitchener stitch, they turned out pretty darn good.
My next sock exploit is with Patons Decor in First Spring. I love the colorway (cream, tan, green, mauve) and I love the yarn so I'm excited. I started out with the Round Toe Cast-On in Sensational Knitted Socks intending to then move on to the Fan Lace pattern. The round toe deal went very well, but after two complete pattern sequences in the foot, I decided to rip back and do 2x2 rib. Because I'm still a sock rookie, I want these to go well without having to worry about losing my place in a pattern. Plus, I just like the feel of 2x2 rib and how resilient it is. And heck, I don't want a lacey - i.e. holey - sock what with the winters here in MN. My footsies get cold!
"A sock is but a sock...mere covering for a foot. But personal taste and personal craft, makes a perfect form of art, for the wearer thus clad."
-Me
No comments:
Post a Comment