I’ve been knitting socks for the last 10 days, or rather one sock. How is it that socks seems to go so slowly, when they are small? One of life’s mysteries. Maybe it’s just because using double-pointed needles is quite inefficient, with all that turning, sliding stitches from one end of a needle to the other and swapping of needles.
Anyway, sock no. 1 is beyond the heel (I’m knitting them toe up rather than top down), which means I’m on the home straight – literally, no shaping now, just ribbing. The Rico Superba Bamboo yarn gives a fantastic result. Those who are ignorant of such matters think I’m doing something clever when they see a complicated, multi-coloured pattern emerging from my needles, but it’s all in the yarn. Unfortunately, the Fair Isle-type pattern is far more apparent in stocking stitch (stockinette) than in the 2×2 rib that I prefer for my socks, so the sole is the best part. I think I’ll work the instep in stocking stitch too the next time and save the ribbing for the leg where it’s really needed – I hate the Norah Batty look of socks that refuse to stay up. Then at least the impressive-looking patterning will be visible when I’m wearing Mary Janes.
I do get a bit bored with socks. This is only my fourth ever pair and I have to stay glued to YouTube to do the closed cast on and turn the heel, but the rest of the knitting is very straightforward. I’ve relieved the sock tedium by knitting accessories for a local Oxfam shop using some donated yarn, much of which was chunky (bulky) weight and above. Using 8mm or 10mm needles, it’s possible to make a hat in an evening, or two at most. To date I’ve made:
a cabled beret and a pair of zig-zag handwarmers,
an ear-warmer headband and a child’s bobble hat.
All of the patterns were free ones found on Ravelry, links above.
Between us, my knitting group has turned most of a half binbag-full of donated yarn into money-raising knitted goods. All that is left in the bag are a few balls of black DK yarn which none of us can face knitting on these dark winter evenings. I’m thinking about knitting two ends of it together, which should give a thickness approximately equivalent to a chunky yarn. It would certainly knit up quicker like that, but knitting two strands with enormous needles in artificial light still won’t be very enjoyable.
