Down for the count March 4, 2010

I have yet to progress in my sock endeavors. Well I progressed but then had to retreat. After my week long high from turning the heal of my very first sock, I waited to talk to an “expert” on the next step.

After a quick lesson on picking up stitches I was happily knitting away with excitement that the end (the toe) was in sight. 2+ hours into my happiness I checked my pattern to make sure I had the right number of stitches (a slipped stitch is not a good thing). To my dismay I should have been decreasing instead of simply knitting. A sub running the shop that night and there was some miscommunication between my understand of what she was saying and her assumption as to what I knew about the next part.  She said I could just leave the 8 some odd rows and start the gusset from there.

BUT my first pair of socks would always be staring at me. Yelling. You didn’t do it right!!

Once I got a consensus from the group, I started unknitting or what I have learned is called tinking. Let me tell you, it is not nearly as fun to tink as it is to knit. (I just realized why it is called tinking. *rolling eyes* k-n-i-t spelled backwards t-i-n-k.)

Okay. So I have learned a few things in this process. But process smocess! I’m too sick to go to knitting tonight so my sock has to wait another week! 😦

Sock, Part II February 20, 2010

I did it. I crossed over in knitting world. I turned my first heel of my very first sock!

For those of you that don’t knit, this isn’t a huge deal. But in knitting world, there is cheering and celebration from knitters everywhere.

With a little help from my friend, the EVOO bottle, here are a few pictures.

Starting to take shape...

It is a magical moment.

Just a little bit showing, but that's it. A turned heel!

Something you do, but while doing it, have no idea why or how it is working.

I love the fact the bottom of the heal starts with a new color. Couldn't have planned it better myself.

You have to let all understanding go and just follow where the yarn takes you. And I did it! *Insert happy dance here*

Next, there is something about picking up stitches. A gusset. And joining the heal with the other stitches I had to neglect to get to this occasion. But I think I will wait till Thursday, when I have the help of an expert.

Socks January 25, 2010

I have been slowly, let me say again S.L.O.W.L.Y. getting back into my hobbies.

Now one might think this means I would dive back into quilting and be whipping out quilts and other projects with no abandonment. But no. Me? I get back into a hobby I’m not sure I could have fully owned as a hobby in the first place. Knitting.

I dabbled in knitting a few years back. My friend Jenn was working on a project and I became intrigued. Hello! It was a new hobby. How could I not resist? But my first experience with knitting didn’t set in as quickly and comfortably as other hobbies in the past have. I had some problems with making things other than scarves. Okay. Basic knit and pearl scarves. I lived in Los Angeles, so really, how many scarves does one Southern Californian need? I did successfully knit and felt a purse. That would be my most accomplishing moments with knitting (thanks to my sister). But trying to figure out how to un-knit, dealing with dropped stitches and fixing them, trying to read patterns and not to mention, gauge is apparently important. And lastly, probably one of the biggest reasons I shied away… the throbbing in my hands and arms from holding the needles too tight.

So this time around I am coming at it full speed. I started back with socks. (Am I crazy, or what?!)

All is going well. I worked through a dropped stitch 6 rows down. I am working with double pointed needles and 4 of them at that! And I am trying to learn to hold them more gingerly so I don’t have to quit because of pain. Well physical pain. Emotional is still being weighed in.

And of course, Jenn is the one behind it once again. Just hope I end up with two completed socks not just a half of one.