Sock It To Me: A New Knitting Challenge

A guest blog by Dragon Dave’s Wife.

Dragon Dave is busy Christmas shopping, so I thought I would tell you about my latest knitting challenge.  Since I started knitting in the round a couple of years ago, I have been interested in learning how to knit socks, so when I received a knitting book with a pattern for socks for our anniversary I went looking for sock yarn. Yes, sock yarn is different from the other yarns I use for such projects as hats, fingerless gloves, and animals.  It is much thinner, and more refined.  I found a fun yarn, which also had its own sock pattern, so I decided to try that pattern first.  I dug through my stash of needles until I found my size: two double-point bamboo.  Then I got started.

While I found the pattern a little more difficult then I had originally thought, at least I knew all the stitches the pattern called for.  Using the sock yarn and smaller needles proved a challenge, as my eyes needed good light to make sure I was knitting the stitches correctly and picking up the yarn correctly.  I found the first part easy--the cuff and the leg--but then the progression of the sock seemed to slow.  

Finally, I made it to the heel.  For the heel I had to knit rows back and forth like a scarf, but I also had to add and decrease stitches.  The hardest part was counting the rows to correctly turn the heel and set the gussets (where the heel meets the rest of the sock).  As the weeks went by, the sock progressed.

One Saturday afternoon, I finally completed a sock.  I tried it on, and beyond my belief it fit.  But my moment of joy faded as I realized that I now needed to complete another sock to keep my other foot warm. 

After completing the first sock, some friends requested some fingerless gloves, so I took a break to make those, and then turned my attention to other fun projects.  So now, as the days get cooler, I must pick up the size two needles and start the second sock, as I need it to keep my other foot warm.  Wish me luck, as I hope to finish it this year.  Just don’t expect to find a pair from me under your Christmas tree this year, as I am not sure I really like making socks.  Still, you never know what you can do, or what you'll enjoy doing, until you actually do it.  

Or, as Yoda would say, “Do … or Do Not. There is no Try”.

Dragon Dave’s Wife

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