Joy of Sox

I'm feeling a lot brighter today, so I thought I'd make the most of it and bash out a quick blog entry!

I love knitting socks.

I love trying out new heel types and patterns.

I love the smallness, lightness and portability of socks. Not that I have to port stuff all that often, but even so :)

I love how quick they are to knit.

I love how comfy and warm wool socks are.

I love knowing that they haven't been produced in a Third World sweatshop.

I love the way people look at me in amazement and admiration when I work with dpns.

I love how people really thank you for handmade socks, in a way they just don't seem to do when you make them a sweater or a hat.

I really love the magic of turning heels.

None of this was much consolation on Saturday when I had to unpick two socks. I knit pairs of socks concurrently, alternating between them (as opposed to one inside the other, which is really magic, but which I have yet to try). This means that, when I finish one, the second is so nearly finished that I don't suffer from Second Sock Syndrome. Sadly, it also means that, when I make a mistake on one, I usually make it on both before I realise what I've done wrong.

The bigger problem with this mistake was that the wool I am using is a tad splitty, and picking up a whole round of stitches looked so messy that I ended up frogging the whole thing :(

My consolation is that it's a pretty quick pattern, and is making back up fairly quickly. Still - frogging two socks.....

My other consolation is that, although these are the socks I am making for my sister's Christmas present, they are not the 'This Little Piggy' socks (from 'Socks, Socks, Socks') which I originally intended to make for her. Those have individual toes, and duplicate-stitched pigs on the legs, and, had I made an error on those, my screams would have been heard on the moon.

I'm also making a pair for myself with printed yarn (some Fortissima Colori by Socka, which I've had in my stash forever), and I've just made a pair of black socks with Feather and Fan cuffs for my mother.

If you've never tried socks, this website is a brilliant place to start. It has a great range of free patterns, advice, lessons on techniques and stuff.