Sock Anatomy

How many different sections form a whole sock?

For these socks, L knitted each part with a different color. The resultant rainbow is both beautiful and an excellent look at what exactly makes up a sock.

Starting at the top, there is a dark yellow cuff hugging the ankle. This cuff is followed by a dark green leg.

Below the green leg is where things really get interesting. The burgundy heel flap leads directly into the light yellow heel turning. Heel turning is notorious for its supposed difficulty. However, you shouldn't be frightened by it. Remember two very important things. 1. Many, many people have done this before and lived. 2. You're knitting - anything you do can always be undone and the fate of the world is not dependent on your sock being completed before midnight.

Unless it is a very special sock.


After the heel turning, some magic happens and that heel turning, heel flap, and leg get connected to the orange portion, which is known as the gusset. The gusset leads into the blue foot of the sock. The final section is known as the toe. The last two sections of the sock are my favorite, mostly because I can remember what they are called.

In the end, all of the segments come together to form a harmonious whole. Isn't it the cutest little sock?

Just Barely

L finished the pair of socks. I really love the pattern on these ones. L wears them all the time.

The sox yarn knits up very well. The socks are lovely and quite wearable.

The last few inches of the second sock were very intense for L. She vacillated constantly about whether or not she would have enough yarn to complete it.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the sock now has a companion and can relax in the comfort and security of belonging to a pair. In the picture above, you can see that it was a very close thing. There was only a short strand of yarn remaining.

Best Foot Forward

L has begun another pair of socks, still using the same skein of Bernat sox yarn. The most exciting part of this sock adventure is that there is some doubt about whether there is enough yarn left to complete the pair.

If the sun hadn't been shining so brightly, you could see in the pictures below that the finished sock and the unknitted yarn have the exact same weight.


L is using the pattern, Best Foot Forward, from 'Knit Socks!' by Betsy Lee McCarthy. She adjusted this pattern by making it slightly smaller than the original and with a shorter leg length. Hopefully, these adjustments will allow her to finish the pair, and not leave a lonely sock doomed to wander the world alone.

Toe-up socks

L's first pair of toe-up socks went well. The Bernat sox yarn finally spoke to her and told her what it would like to be. She enjoyed knitting up from the toe. It was not unusual to see her hopping around on one foot with an unfinished sock on the other.

Here's a handy tip for you. Don't step on knitting needles. It will either be very painful for you, for the knitting needles, or for everyone involved.

These socks have a lovely wave-type pattern that doesn't show up as well as was expected. Try squinting a little bit.


Did you see it? Do you see the waves?

All wave issues, aside, these socks certainly look warm and toasty. Current temperature outside? About seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe the next project should be a wool sweater or something light like that.

Torvald the Gnome

Teeny Torvald here was knit using Alan Dart's Teeny Tomte pattern. Alan Dart (http://www.alandart.co.uk/) has quite a selection of lovely knitting patterns available on his website. I'm definitely looking forward to trying more in the future.

There were some issues translating Torvald from an English knitting pattern into my Americanized intelligence. For instance I had no 3mm knitting needles and so was forced to use US size three. A couple of the stitch/pattern names also were a little different than those I knew.


Much to my surprise, Torvald was knit flat and then mattress-stitched together. On my next foray into the world of gnomes, I plan to attempt knitting in the round, since that much stitching feels like a complete waste of time. In these pictures you can see that he isn't quite finished ans still has some loose yarn strands floating around.


This was a really enjoyable project. The size was fairly small, so I didn't have to wait too long to be finished. And Torvald is very cute.

Another new knitter

Naomi has joined the hordes of needle-brandishing people. She did it in her typically quiet, subdued, perfectionist way - sneaking upstairs to see if she could do it on her own first.

She can. And she has nearly as much speed as I do, demonstrating a natural dexterity that I wish I could imitate. She has not yet progressed to knitting in the Continental style as does L, but I feel that a change in style may be in her future.

For now she works diligently on her chosen project. She knit the half of a scarf shown in the picture in less than twenty-four hours. Speedy, indeed.

socks - finished

After long hours of endless knitting, around and around and around, L completed the pair of red-and-white heart socks.

They are thick and warm, perfect for whatever cold weather April chooses to bring, an occasion that looks more and more impossible with each progressive day. She chose this pattern (Fair Isle Heart Socks) from Just Socks by Lion Brand Yarn.
http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Brand-Yarn-Favorite-Patterns/dp/0307345955

This was her first (and is threatening to be her last) attempt at the Fair Isle technique. Depending on what time of day it is, she is more or less positive about it. The negativity generally surfaces around mealtimes and after ten o'clock at night.

Obviously, they look just as socks should look: quite peaceful, no holes, an attractive pattern, and possessing all the requisite parts.

Currently, L spends her time combing through a multiplicity of sock books, looking for the perfect pattern to match her yarn. This is a little more mystical than it sounds, since she insists that the pattern will speak to her when she finds it. Or is it the yarn that will speak?

Girls Knitting

Having selected appropriately ambitious first projects, Ivy and Caeli continue to knit steadily. It is encouraging to see that they haven't lost interest, and that they both are determined to finish what they've begun.




Ivy is using a variegated cotton to knit a washcloth. At this point, probably about a third of the washcloth has been completed.


Caeli's scarf is intended for one of her dolls. She returns to her knitting often, at different points throughout her day.

She possesses intense focus

Both of them work hard, or not, depending on the time and mood. After all, knitting is not all smooth sailing.

Needle Case

L's needles have been falling out and littering up the corners of her knitting bag - in danger of being lost and broken. So, being the crafty person that she is, she whipped out a nifty knitting needle case for herself.


If I had done this, there would have been many tears, ripped seams, and cries of pain. Since it was L, it looks just like she wanted it to, and took only a short while to complete.


After some discussion, we've decided that next time it might be better to sew a case that also had an upper flap so that when closed the needles can't slide out either the top or the bottom.


Currently it ties shut with a loose and unattached red ribbon. I don't know if this will change or not. I would misplace the ribbon in approximately 8.3 seconds if it was me.

halfway (or a little more than) there

The first sock, lovingly modeled by L who is carefully trying to tuck the yellow sock (also knitted by her) on the other foot back out of the way.

Here is the first completed sock, the second sock that is underway, and the new needle case.




The completed pair will be gorgeous. Though we'll never probably see their like from L's hands again. She claims that she will never use the Fair Isle technique again, unless she absolutely has to. I believe she muttered something under her breath about guns and them being held against heads.

No Progress without a Little Discouragement

One sock is completed. The slight puckering in the pattern around the ankle has led to complications with the fit. You really have to want to wear this sock in order to put it on. There's no stretch in that portion, so it is tough to get it over your heel.

L has decided to be discouraged by this, but I think she did a wonderful job with her first pattern. Next time it's just a matter of remembering not to pull it too tightly.

My octopus has part of a head. It begins with casting on 90 stitches, then stst a million rows. Well, not a million, but definitely over fifty. So far I have not enough.

Lydia's sock fervor has resulted in the purchase of yarn meant for socks. It is a lovely variegated blue and brown. It almost makes me want socks.

Starting to Knit

Knitting enthusiasm is sweeping across the household. Ivy and Caeli decided that they would like to pursue knitting in a more intensive fashion - both having tried knitting before, but not recently or seriously.

In order to learn properly, they are using the dvd The Art of Knitting 4 Kids
http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Kids-Leisure-Arts-4406/dp/B000PGTF2I

Setting aside my deep disgust at the use of a numeral instead of simply spelling the word out - kids who want to knit can probably also spell the word for - this is a very interesting dvd. It features both adult storytellers and child instructors. The instructions are clear and memorable. However, the best part is the visit to the Alpaca farm. Not only is it interesting to watch the process of wool-making, but alpacas are so cute.


The first step is making knitting needles. For this, the girls used wood dowels and a round wood ball with a hole drilled in it from Dad's woodshop. If you don't have wood balls and a drill, don't worry about it. There are many things you can use as the ends for your needles. I think some of the suggestions were acorn tops? Be creative!

The girls sanded the dowels smooth and sharpened points on them, then sanded those to the correct smoothness as well. There are still squares of sandpaper floating around that they haven't yet taken care of. But I have hope for the future.

The end product, I think, was worth all of the effort. They are beautiful wood needles, and the girls started using them right away.

hearts and legs

L is hard at work on her sock - a red and white pattern using the fair isle method in order to create hearts. So far the only difficulty encountered in carrying the two different strands is a slight puckering and tightness in the patterned areas.

She continues to forge ahead, knitting steadily long into the night. But not without a few murmurs and whimpers.

While I arrange my eight legs on the floor, gaze at them wistfully, and wish they would knit themselves a head and form themselves into an octopus.

Guess also refuses to knit for me.

I suppose that means I'll have to keep working on it myself.

Springboard

The world of knitting is a vast one, filled with whorls of richly coloured yarn waiting to be twisted and woven into new and different creations.

It is exciting, but also terrifyingly daunting. As sisters, L and I work together and apart. Mostly we work separately, except for when I am stressing over having to redo a row yet again and yell (loudly) for some knitting assistance.

Currently in progress at the house of the knitsters:
a pair of red and white heart socks (L)
an octopus (K)
a gnome (K)