Socks: Completed

Socks I
Originally uploaded by i_bugsy.

I have completed my socks! I am so very proud how they turned out, including all of the little errors, mistakes, and tiny holes. It was a journey worth taking and I'll be taking many more in the future.

It all started late in 2008 when a friend gave me some yarn that was dyed for Gay Pride. She also thought I should knit socks! Now, my friend had just showed me how to knit. I knitted a scarf. A very, very, very long scarf, which is great to wear while shoveling snow.

But socks?! I felt overwhelmed. So I let it sit for awhile and then near the beginning of last year I decided that my goal for 2009 was to start knitting a pair of socks. I felt that was a very doable thing.

I then set took a basic knitting class, as a refresher, and knitted a nice blue scarf for my sister-in-law who was undergoing chemo therapy for breast cancer. She assures me that the scarf helped to keep her warm during chemo. So success!

I then moved onto a knitted hat, because I and SU have little to no hair on our heads and they get cold. So I took another class to learn how to knit a hat. I was the slowest knitter of the group, but not by far. As usual, I was the only guy knitting, but I'm used to that with my quilting. The hat kept my head warm and was a success!

Now I was ready to learn to knit socks! I found a couple of books: Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch, and Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Bud. I also found Knit Fix by Lisa Katrus, which is invaluable for new knitters to help fix mistakes.

I then started and even posted some blog entries about the first sock, so I won't go into a lot of detail with the battles and learning. Instead, I'll hit the highlights.

Being the first sock, I had lots of learning to do, but also lots of wonder. I found it amazing it was to turn a heel and how difficult it was to pick up stitches when rejoining the heel flap and heel to the socks insteps.

I learned how to rip out stitches when I messed up my first attempt at the heel turn. I also learned how to pick up stitches when some fell off the end of the double point needles (DPN). Then, I learned how to pick up stitches after I went a few rounds before realizing that I had dropped them.

This was all good and I learned a lot more about knitting. It also resulted in some weird stitch results and a few holes, but that's what life is about: learning from one's mistakes and trying new things.

The socks are just a tad big, so I'm planning on moving one size lower than I chose for these socks. I'm also more aware that I'm a real tight knitter and I'm practicing on relaxing. Yet another reason for knitting.

I have found that these socks are warm, even though the yarn is very fine. Wool is a warm fiber and breathes nicely.

I'm looking forward to my next pair of socks.