Secrets of a Sock Jock Wannabe - Part 1

This episode adds to Knitlark Lane Podcast Number 20C, but you don't need to listen to the podcast to read the blog. See the link on the right of this page if you decide you cannot go any longer without hearing my voice.


And NOW... what you have all been waiting for ...


SECRETS OF A SOCK JOCK WANNABE

For all the time I have been knitting (not sure what that adds up to, but it is a better beginnining than Once Upon a Time --- see my fairy tale podcast reading for that) I have not been interested in knitting socks.

Why, you ask? Because I am a philistine. Yes, I admit it. I did not see the point of knitting socks that I could buy for 2 bucks.

Plus it looked really hard --
Four or even five (!) needles at once?
Gussets?
Turning a heel?
Eyes of partridges?
Yikes.

But, holy mackerel! The knitting world is in SOCK FRENZY! Sock podcasts, sock blogs, sock patterns, sock books and then Sock Summit, the ultimate sock dreamland con(ference). (I learned that word con from the Brass Needles Podcast -- check her out)

Other knitters say you will start and get addicted. Did I need an(other) addiction? Hardly.
But was I missing out on the best thing since circular needles?

My downfall was when I started looking at the sock yarn. It wouldn't hurt, right? I could always make a scarf or mitt with it. And it is SO GORGEOUS, espeicially the indie (independent) dyers.
So I started collecting. Every trip I went on, I stopped at a shop and picked up some cool sock yarn. I have a luscious stash now. (more on that in a later podcast)

The yarn was the gateway. I was falling fast. I started printing and reading patterns. I loved the names ... Monkey Socks by Cookie A; Cabletini by Wendy Johnson.

Then -- I hate to admit this -- I started knitting socks virtually. That is, when I had to attend a boring meeting, I would knit a sock in my head. (Does anyone else do this? Please post and make me feel better). The advantage to this is that they all come out great. And it is cheap.

You should also understand that knitting in my head was all I can do at these things. Really. If I EVER decided to knit in public there, I would probably be BURNED AS A WITCH.

Time to do it for real. I took a class. Not the Basic Sock Class that I should have taken. No, not for me. I took a Toe-up-MagicLoop- Weird Heel-No Pattern class. We were supposed to increase at the toe until "it fit." I had nice yarn -- Claudia Hand Painted in the Sharks colorway. I cast on ok using Judy's Magic Cast-on (easy to find if you Google it). But the socks were icky. my toes looked like I had bunions the size of golf (or tennis) balls on both sides. And I had a hole at the gusset that my cat could poke a paw through.

See?



I frogged it.

By I was bowed, but not beaten. I bought Ann Budd's book Getting Started Knitting Socks.
Good pictures and explanations. I started again from the cuff down. I found a youtube video by Charlene Schurch on how not to have a hole at gusset. (google Charlene Schurch gusset hole to find this or email me at Knitlark@gmail.com and I will send you the link).

I am now at Gusset Decreases on Sock #1 Redo.






I am not yet a Sock Jock. I am only a poser wannabe. But I am strong. I am invincible. I will prevail.

Please post or email me if you are a sock jock already or if you are a wannabe like me. I would love to hear your stories. I will put them on the podcast, too, if you give permission.

More to come. Stay tuned.

Knitlark Lane Podcast
Starting with Episodes #20
A = Old-fashioned Fairy Tales
B = The Hunchback of Notre Dame
C = Moonlight Madness (medley of knitting, travel, books and Life Flavor -- What is Life Flavor?
You have to listen to find out. This month it is BUTTERSCOTCH.)