Well, Christmas is over, so I can now post photos of everyone’s tootsie-toasters online. I’ve actually already got them in my Ravelry account, but the family doesn’t visit that site, so no chance of them having seen them there.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve taken an interest (in my usual obsessive over the top way) in learning to knit socks. I’ve been hanging out at Silver’s Sock Class, with a set of #6 double pointed needles and a whole bunch of worsted. Typical of the way I approach life, one pair of socks to follow the lesson wasn’t good enough. Since Thanksgiving, I’ve knitted six and three-quarters. The three-quarters is because the pink pair with the windsor blue heel and toe in the photos above isn’t done. I’ve got a sock done, plus the cuff, heel flap, heel turn and gusset of the second. I’ll finish that today.
While cranking out Christmas Slocks (“slock” = a sock you wear as a slipper, phrase coined by my daughter Jess … at least in this house, though I’d bet others have used it, too), I got to the point that I could knit a sock a day, if I really focused. Of course doing things like eating, sleeping, working, and going to the bathroom would sometimes rudely cut into my knitting time. This latest pair, I’ve taken longer to work on, though, and have been at them for about three days already.
All of the socks above were knitted with the one Silver’s Sock Class lesson set (one cuff-down sock on four double pointed needles).
For Christmas, however, my darling son (who looks smashing in his red socks … which my hubby almost made me go outside to knit, being a Yankees fanatic) gave me a fabulous book: Charlene Schurch’s “Sensational Knitted Socks“. I’m now itching to get to work on some of the great patterns in that book, and turn out something other than a basic sock.
Plus, my bestest friend in the whole wide world (::waves to Dede::) sent me an entire set of KnitPicks interchangeable circular needles! I’m so psyched. I’ve been watching videos on YouTube about knitting socks on circular needles for some time. Silver’s class has two circular needle lessons as well, and I am really intrigued by Cat Bordhi’s (etc) method of knitting socks on two circulars.
So, the next step in the journey deeper into sock addiction will be to make the “class sock” from Schurch’s book, do the Silver’s Sock Class circular lessons, and start making really cool socks with regular sock type yarns that you can actually fit into a shoe and wear as, well, as socks!
It’s a darned good thing socks are one of those items of apparel one can never have too many of.
I’ve also, just as a mention, been told that I can pick out whatever fleece I want from the animals at Northeast Llama Rescue and Barnyard Sanctuary at shearing time. I may try to figure out a way to make that into a fundraiser … as soon as I figure out how to clean and prepare the fleece, spin the yarn, etc. Yes, I know … spinning is as addictive as sock knitting.
Well, if I’m going to be addicted to anything, at least it’s something that will keep me and my family warm in the winter, right?
Links of Interest
- Charlene Schurch’s “Sensational Knitted Socks“
- Silver’s Sock Class
- Northeast Llama Rescue and Barnyard Sanctuary
- My Ravelry account
- Cat Bordhi’s Sock Books
