That was yesterday. Webex training on a new database system. Park the kid in front of the Wii, put the cell phone on speaker, and watch the trainer do her stuff on my computer screen. Perfect mindless knitting time. I chose the second sleeve to my Hourglass Sweater. 37 rounds sure do fly when you're having big fun learning iMIS! Here's the sleeve by the end of the training:
After that, my poor little eyes needed a break from the computer screen. On to the sock.
That's how far I got yesterday. Precisely where I had been when I decided to rip it out the day before. This sock really moves! I think it's a combination of the easy pattern and the patterned yarn. With the pattern being only 2 rows of knit stitches - even though everyone's results are stunning - I still consider this a plain pattern. If I was knitting these in a solid color yarn, I'd be bored to tears and I suspect it would feel like it was taking forever.
That's why I love these patterned yarns! If I don't have an obvious pattern repeat to gauge my progress, I like to use the yarn as my progress meter. I'll say to myself, "I'll knit until the next blue stripe" and before I know it, I'm there. I do the same thing if there is a more complex pattern. That's why I liked the Twinkle Toes socks by Cookie A. and why I didn't get bored making them with a solid yarn. Go once through the chart, you've got another inch! It was great!
I've thought about toe up socks. I've knit toe up socks three times. Duh, Twinkle Toes! Also, I used Ann Budd's On Your Toes basic toe up sock pattern from IK Summer 07.
I have no issues with the pattern. I made these with Patons Decor in First Spring and I love the way they turned out. They look great and the pattern worked perfectly. However, I don't really care for the short row toe or the short row heel. Perhaps they needed to be a little longer for the heel to be comfier, but I like them to be snug. The last thing I need is another pair of socks that end up looking like a flour sack on my foot.
I made the Coriolis Socks by Cat Bordhi and those are nice. I liked the construction of these very much. It was like magic AND they have a heel flap! These were the first socks I ever completely finished and are to date my only finished pair made out of sock yarn. I adore these socks and wear them as fast as I can wash them.
You know what? I really enjoy making socks from top to toe. And I enjoy wearing socks that are constructed that way. I tried toe up socks in order to spare myself the torture that is Kitchener stitch, but even that doesn't scare me anymore now that Sandi Wiseheart has graciously shown us how to graft on the needles AND I have Ann Budd's great illustrations in Getting Started Knitting Socks. I love the feel of a heel flap sock and I can't describe the giddyness I feel as I form a gusset. There's just something about the whole heel area of a top down sock that I find thrilling to knit.
I can't tell you if my sock knitting will continue - I change my knitting moods so often, but I have a goal to make enough socks this year to have them for every day of the week. I'd like to complete this goal by October so I'm ready for the cold. They really are fun!
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