Aug 18 2006
Finished Scarf Pic and the Sock Progression dilemma
So here is a pic of the finished scarf with a close-up for a texture shot.
Now on to my sock progression dilemma:
I am just learning how to knit socks right now - I am 3/4 of the way through my first pair, and have taken a toe up sock class. My mom is interested in the idea of hand-made socks and has said that a pair would be a lovely gift for her birthday this year (Dec. 24.) So while at stitches, I told her to pick a style/yarn/pattern and I would make them - she in her ulitmate PITAness picked a 2 color fair-isle pattern. I don’t knit colorwork, by both preference and ability - now not only to I have to get up to speed on socks well enough to make some for someone else, I have to do it fair-isle. So I figure the bulk of my fall knitting will be socks (I hope my hands don’t cramp up from the little needles :p) and that I will have to work on my skills in progression to get to where I need to be to have her finished pair by her birthday; sort of a training program.
- to Knit a pair of matching socks
- to knit a pair of matching socks that fit
- to knit both top down and toe up
- to knit a matching pair with more than one color
- to knit a matching pair with more than one color on the same row
- to knit a matching pair with a series of different two-color patterns in the same sock
I need to finish the pair I am working on now (just need to finish the foot and toe). Then I was thinking a pair of toe-ups (I have started the swatch already). And then I am not quite sure which skill to buff up next: more work on fit/style or start in on color work. I have 4 balls of koigu and I was thinking about using them to try to experiment with some color work, one with stripes, and one with actual 2 color patterns. Because I’ll want to know what I am doing before I have to knit the more complicated one that mom picked. I have a few other balls of sock yarn I bought myself and I am hoping to use them to work on fit - because considering how the pair I am knitting right now turns out - I am concerned about the sock fitting properly, especially because the fair-isle patterns don’t generally allow for much or any ribbing so there will be less room for a slightly not correctly sizes sock.
le *sigh* - so much knitting, little time . . .
anyway here is a bonus shot of the swatch for my next pair (the toe ups), the yarn is turning out beautifully and I am really looking forward to seeing how these turn out.
As much as I want to encourage your sock-fest — unless your mom’s sock pattern goes from the opposite direction of the sock you’re knitting, you don’t HAVE to learn both toe up and top down before learning color work.
nor… indeed… need you learn the color play on a sock. I mean, it works the same way on a hat, or scarf or……. which could actually let you practice that more than one color per row thing on larger needles.
I’m just’ sayin’
Actually the toe up is for my satisfaction - I took the class last week, and I would like to make a sock that way to reinforce the class I took. But good point on the color work - I could do it on a much bigger project which is a great idea.
[...] few months ago I talked about my proposed Sock Progression plan to teach myself how to produce a specific pair of socks for my mom for her birthday. Well her [...]