Thursday's Knitting, One Sock Done, One Begun

Okay, Sock One is done. Not without trial and retrial! Also, note Sock on the foot of our lovely sock model!

After a morning of computer, errands, etc, I didn't really get much time to knit. I did get a start on the second sock, so I could work on it at pt, if there was still time after redoing the toe on sock one. Dumb thing to do, as you will see.

I had grabbed the dpns and put them in my bag, along with some tiny ones, for threading the stitches on, in preparation for frogging the toe of sock one. That worked out just fine! Then I realized that the directions called for the stitches to be divided between 4 dpns and that was all I had. Oh dear. In a case of mild insanity, not wishing to give up on sock one--and for some reason, not wanting to just put them on three dpns???--I used one end of one of the circulars (with sock two cast on and joined) as one of my dpns. It actually worked out quite well, and all would have been fine, except I started to worry about running out of yarn before the end (should have frogged a couple more rows?) AND a woman who works at the office there came and talked to me about the knitting (she used to knit years ago when she lived up north, but had never done socks). I was distracted enough that a dpn fell out! Then, while trying to recapture the elusive stitches, another one fell out! This was at the next to the last decrease row! I really thought I was knitting tightly enough that it wasn't likely to happen once, let lone twice. I wisely called it quits, put all the knitting back in my bag, and Anne was almost done anyway, so I just had a short, non-knitting wait.

I repeated my saving line with tiny dpns last evening, placing them a tiny bit lower down the knitting, and frogged again. (you don't know how thankful I am that I read the book I did ages ago, that talked about putting a needle through and catching up the stitches, so you could frog with impunity) This time, all went well. I used the circulars to knit the toe this time . Before that though, I once again decided I didn't like the way the start of sock two was looking--I think mostly having forgotten just how awkward I find the beginning of the knitting of socks to be. I ripped it out, went to the computer, found that lovely site, cast on and got the sock started again. I then returned to the world of Olympics, etc, and knit enough so that the top was looking right. I then transfered to dpns to hold it, so I could use the circulars for the toe of sock one.

I realize that very few people, if they even read this, will find it at all interesting, but I realized that at the very least, I have a record of what I did, and who knows, I might have to refer to it sometime?

Anyway, sock one's toe was completed without any problems at all, and in no time flat. The sock model was eager to try it on. She does report that the toe isn't as comfortable as the wedge toe was, but we both agreed that it might be at least partly because the sock is a little shorter now. I do like the look of this toe, and it was very easy to finish off. I am determined, though, that I WILL do the wedge toe again, and I WILL master the Kitchener's graft. My brain has been quietly working on it, reviewing it, thinking of ways to do it, and I know it can be done -- surely without those ridges. (The thing that bugs me most is that I had the stitch done just right, it was the placement and the resulting ridges that defeated me this time.) I have my own thoughts on that, and will be interested to try it again sometime. I do think though, that I will try it out on some samples knit specifically for the exercise, that can lay flat and aren't at the end of a narrow toe!

By the way---I had the interesting experience of seeing a chart in a shoe store (Italian) at our local newest outdoor mall. Don't think lovely designer type shoes. Think comfortable (???) but rather old people looking shoes? I didn't see anything that I would want to wear. Anyway, I already knew my European shoe size, thanks to years of wearing Birkies. According to this chart, the average 7 year old wears the same size shoes I do. Can you believe it?????? I really find it hard to believe. Does that mean that Mom Walters wears the same size as your average 5 year old???? Are children young giants these days? I guess I can be sure that any sock that fits me will fit an orphan, in any case?