For the Love of Socks

Socks have been a part of my knitting since the early 1990’s.  It was Brigitta, first owner of the Wool Cabin, who taught me to knit my first sock. It was largely unsuccessful, but mostly because she had us knit with 100% cotton yarn (?). After a couple of years the idea of socks became more real as Nancy Bush, who owned the Wooly West, published her book Folk Socks. It was then I went back and finished the cotton sock, with the knowledge it would be much nicer in wool.  The magic of turning the heel had hooked me, too.

Even when my main hobby was  needlework there was a sock on my needles. They were small, portable and made traveling much less stressful and boring. For about 5 years all I knit was socks. As more books, patterns and fabulous yarns hit the market knitting socks became even more exciting.  You can knit socks forever and never use the same pattern or yarn twice. Every single pair would be as magical as the last.  At one point I realized that all the time put into a pair of socks could produce a sweater and I expanded my knitting knowledge and repertoire.  Socks, however, have remained a main part of my knitting.

Friday night, when I could feel a cold coming on, I sat with the Jaywalker's in hand and watched a movie. (Thank you for your kind words and I am feeling much better.) The comfort of knitting a sock was like watching a movie with an old friend and good progress was made. As is usual with hand painted yarns, the second foot was turning out a bit different than the first.  The first spiraled and the second kept the stripping pattern of the leg.  You just never know, but it is fun to watch how each sock develops its own personality.

You'd think that getting close to the end of the Jaywalkers would have kept my knitting monogamous, but that just wasn't the case. Cara’s Prove It All Night just would not stay quiet. (It could have been my non-stop listening to and watching Bruce the past week, too.) Let's just say curiosity got the best of me.  What would the color look like in the knit fabric? How did it feel to knit with STR? Cara is totally hooked so there must be something really wonderful about this yarn.  So yes, I caved and began another sock before the JWs were finished.  It's the Fancy Silk Sock from Nancy's new book. Oooo...aaaahhh...it's gorgeous!  Just enough knitting ensued to quiet the shouting and I can now finish the Jaywalkers in peace.

Comments

[Laura]

Oooo.... aahhh.... c'mon with the Jaywalkers and get 'em done... I wanna see more of the PIAN STR!!! Looks beautiful so far! But don't hurry too much or it wouldn't be about the Process, it would just be about the STR. :)

[Lolly]

I loved learning about your sock knitting history! :)

[Amy Boogie]

My way of the sock lately is to allow myself one NEW sock then I go back and finish up a UFO. It's incentive and it's working.

[Alison]

I love how handpainted yarns pool. Socks and sweaters seem to be my winter knitting and the summers are for lace.

[marie in florida]

that third sock is very very pretty. i'm glad you're feeling better. a pj day once in a while is enough, i've had way too many in the last four months and now it's time to go back to work.
marie in florida

[Zarah]

I'm glad you kept going with your jaywalkers! When you finish, would you write up a little post with all the tips for knitting that pattern (or maybe someone else has already done this). I'd like to knit it, but I know lots of people are having trouble making them the right size.

[Beth]

That's hardly enough to tell how it'll look - just a few more rows! ;)

[Kim]

Oohh....the new STR yarn is soo pretty!! I can't wait to see these new socks move along!

[Karen]

I love that new sock pattern you are starting. It's so pretty. It's one of my favorites in that book.

[Norma]

Socks, socks, socks.........it's time to do the do-....I mean socks.....

Can you tell I'm in a trance or something? That's sure what it feels like! Pretty socks, though.

Your Weather Pixie looks extra-cute this morning. Perhaps I should get one.

Ok, I'm rambling, I agree. ;-)

[stitchnsnitch]

Must get some Socks that Rock...Must get some Socks that Rock...Must get some Socks that Rock! :)

[Stacey]

your Jaywalkers look like a similar colorway to mine! (mine aren't STR though - very sad!)...they are great!

[Cara]

PIAN looks amazing. I might have to knit some of mine up. Generally I just sit and stare at it and touch and can't believe someone made it for me. I'm glad I was able to share it with YOU!

Jeez with the Jaywalkers already. FINISH! ;-)

[claudia]

There must be some kind of world's record being broken here for most socks made from one pattern (Jaywalker).

[Carole]

Finish the Jaywalkers. THEN knit the others. Didn't I already tell you this?

[Chris]

Eek. I have some STR screaming my name, but I am diligently trying to finish my Black Purl Chaotic Jaywalkers first.... Trying. You're not helping here! ;p

[Theresa]

I'm loving Nancy Bush's new book - the Fancy Silk Socks are on my list, after I finish my "Gentleman's Fancy Socks"

[Jennifer]

The Jaywalkers are awesome!

[Stephanie]

What a wonderful history of your sock knitting. Thanks for sharing. Jaywalker looks great and I love the new sock (and I love just about every pattern in that book).

[Anne]

Those Fancy Silk Socks are on my list too! Another great colorway.

[Beth S.]

It's the process, of course, so there's nothing at all wrong with a little side trip mid-Jaywalker. ;-)

[Snow]

I still haven't knit any of the socks from Nancy's new book. I definitely need to.

[Alex]

A friend gave me that book for the holidays, and just last night I was looking at the Fancy Silk Socks with that gleam in my eye! I'm excited to see how yours turn out.

[amanda]

I love the beginnings of that Fancy Silk Sock you have there---the yarn looks yummy!

[Imbrium]

Mmm...socks. They're just so addictive, aren't they? I'm trying to resist going crazy and buying a bunch of STR, but it's tempting....

[Jenna]

That's a good way to do it. Start the new sock, do a little bit as an appetizer, finish the main course of the JW's, then go back to the STR for dessert. Sounds just right.

[Kim/Chef Messy]

Hey, happy 2nd Stitch n' Bitch-o-versary to you and all the other Salt Lake girls today! Your socks always look great. I don't have any idea how you finish so many projects so quickly!

[Debi]

Your Jaywalkers are some of the prettiest I've seen M. You're a better woman than I for hanging in there :)

BTW, you gift is even more precious now that I know you gave up you first experience with STR for me! Thank you once again, hunny!

[Rebekah]

hee hee, we flashed our socks at each other at our LYS today. This lady was wearing a very cute pair of shoes and bright socks, so I asked, did you knit them. The answer was of course yes. So I showed her my hand knit socks in my boots. Of course I'm wearing two unmatching hand knit socks, oh and I don't mean unmatching as in they are the same yarn just not identical, I mean unmatching as one is Regia and one is Opal. They totally don't match, because I can't find their mates and ifgured the still needed to be worn.

[ann]

putting the fancy silk socks on my list of to do's!

[Sibylle]

I really like your Jaywalker socks, the colour and the pattern :)

[--Deb-]

Hey, I got my Vogue Knitting today, and there was a little blurb in there about Give A Little having raised $100,000 for Katrina victims. No names were given, but--congratulations, anyway!

[Laurie]

Such bright colors! Wonderful antidote to feeling the blues, and under the weather.

[Vera]

Your Jaywalkers look great. The yarn is so lovely.

Making socks was one of my first goals when I learned to knit. For some reason, the little dpns fascinated me. I couldn't figure out how to make socks on my own, so I took a class, and made a baby sock, and then made a pair for myself.

I still think heel turns are magic.

[Paula]

Pretty STR socks. I love the Jaywalkers too, mine are fitting on my third try. My STR is now clamoring to be Jaywalker, though.