Ravelympics2010

I'm having mixed success in the 2010 Ravelympics. The rules said to Challenge Yourself and I figured the December kit from the Lord of the Strings Sock Club would fit the bill, with its elaborate colorwork and charts. Sigh. First off I couldn't manage to knit at the specified gauge (11 sts/inch! Yikes!) so even the smallest size was too big for me. Rip. Then I decided to modify the pattern with fewer stitches. It should go faster, right? The leg turned out OK, but my mods to the square heel didn't turn out too well, on one side anyway. No more ripping, I soldiered on. Now I've reached the foot, and have succumbed to the siren call of faster/easier socks. I cast on a Roza's Sock with the new Malabrigo Sock I've been dying to try, and am almost done with the first one already. And it feels good!

All Socks, all the time (or not)

I feel pressured to write another post to this blog, even tho all I wanna do is have some fun knitting and designing socks. Unfortunately there's relatively little time for knitting this week, since I'm being Bird Mom while The Spouse is out of town. Can't knit around the Princess Bird, because she loves playing with dpns and would want to chew on the yarn too. Sigh.

Luckily the bird goes to bed early, so I have evenings to knit at least. I've started a toe-up sock from Wendy Johnson's new book, Socks from the Toe Up: Essential Techniques and Patterns from Wendy Knits - Ribbed Ribbons Socks, in Yarntini merino in shades of yellow. I'm thinking of entering it in the September Sockdown! Haven't done a Sockdown before...

I had to rip my first attempt at this sock because it was way too big for me. The pattern calls for 66 sts with size 0 ndls, but I want to use my Addi Turbo size 1 circ + dpns. So I revised the pattern down to 60 sts and it looks like it will fit OK. I'm still a newby when it comes to toe-up socks. When I get to the heel I'll have to figure out sizing issues again.

Everybody says that the advantage of knitting socks from the toe up is that you can try on the sock as you go along, but I have no problem trying on cuff-down socks. Usually I put the instep sts on a circular needle temporarily for fitting. My main problem with toe-ups is determining where to start the heel expansion, and if it's a short-row heel I have to make it wider and deeper to fit my ginormous heels.

Do Hobbits need socks?

Well, maybe if the weather gets really cold. But I don't think it snows much in the Shire.

The real question is, do Hobbits want to knit socks? And the answer must be a resounding Yes! Because knitting socks is fun, interesting, soothing, colorful, satisfying, occasionally frustrating, obsessive, and sometimes you just gotta do something with your hands. And modern Hobbits do not have pipes to mess around with.

   "Good Morning!" said Mary, and she meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at her from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat.

   "What do you mean?" he said. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

   "All of them at once," said Mary. "And a very fine morning for knitting a sock out of doors, into the bargain. If you have your knitting bag about you, sit down and take out your current project! There's no hurry, we have all the day before us!"