Who would do this? What kind of monster would create so many lonely socks and gloves?
It’s never on purpose. Really. It’s not. Here is the current wall of shame (actually my living room table) complete with explanatory notes (aka excuses). (The photo will enlarge if you click on it.)
Clockwise from the top:
1. Ah, yes. These are for my husband. The yarn is Opal — a very nice sock yarn. I first made a bull’s eye heel, but it doesn’t work for his feet because he has such high arches. He needs a more traditional heel flap. So, I ripped out the heel, did part of the heel flap, and got — uh — distracted. But I only started those in January or early February so I don’t feel too guilty. Yet.
2. The very first sock I ever made. I’d finish it if I could find the rest of the yarn.
3. This is perhaps the saddest case here. I finished this pair and wore them proudly. It’s a nice cotton/wool blend — perfect for summer. Alas — the mate misappeared in the wash. I have no more yarn and have never seen this colourway since. It’s not my fault!!!!
4. Eric’s glovelets — a famous fingerless glove pattern. So close and yet . . . so far.
5. Beautiful lace socks knitted in Koigu. I think the colour looks like melted ice cream. This, too, was an early pair. I knit it on two circular needles. The pattern is from Interweave Knits. The mate is cast on. And has been for nigh on to two years. I think.
6. A lovely glove don’t you think? Out of self-patterning sock yarn. But they were for my son and I never thought they fit him all that well. I knit these without accounting enough for where his little finger is placed on his hand. And he’s only grown. So . . .
7. Another Koigu sock in a rare solid. This is a really beautiful pattern that you can’t see unless it’s “stretched.” The cuff is actually knit on this one. There’s hope. I love them.
8. More fit issues. I may rip down to the start of the fingers and fix these ’cause I really like the colour.
9. This yarn is from Socks that Rock. It’s lovely to work with and a little heavier than the others shown. Instead of zeros (size 2.0 mm) I knit these on 2.25. I felt as if they were flying. Well, at least the first one. I just finished this one recently and its mate’s cuff is finished as is the beginning of the lace pattern. (Again, unless stretched you don’t really see the openwork on this — it’s a ladder lace pattern.) I’ll definitely finish these. I promise.
10. I just finished this sock today and its companion is already cast on! This is Lana Grossa’s Mega Boot Stretch shade 703. I love this yarn.
11. Camilla gloves in Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk. I lost momentum, but they are lovely and I do want to finish them.
Well see — that wasn’t so bad now was it? And I DO finish pairs of things sometimes.
Amazing! I love them all, but I think I love sock No. 10 the most. That yarn is beautiful. Even though I’ve knit two pair (yes, I’ve proudly finished both pair!) I have yet to master the kitchner weave the toe business, so I’ve switched to gloves. (The socks are worn by my sons as slippers, so perfect wasn’t quite necessary.) I think in the fall, when I’m ready to do socks again, I’ll get them to the ending point, and beg to buy Sally lunch as a bribe for a lesson to finally get that grafting down pat. I found a web site with a little video clip, and I get the sequence of the stitches, but I cannot for the life of me see the pattern in the stitches to tighten up the correct loops to make it match the knitting. Any way — thanks for pulling these all out for show and tell! True confessions might be to admit to how many sets of tiny little double pointed No. 0’s and 1’s you own!
Thanks for sharing. I’m proud to say that my sweater back is almost done — I do think, however, it’s going to need mega-blocking. I’ll be looking for advice on that, I’m sure. Is there an advice column in the works??
Comment by Wendy — March 29, 2006 @ 4:57 pm
I just saw this and had to share after seeing the earlier Venice hat. It’s knitted (I hope this link works):
http://www.magknits.com/Jan06/patterns/loopy.htm
And I’ve always liked these:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATThallowig.html
http://www.theshed.co.uk/elviswig.html
How DO you find the time for a blog … when you should be busily knitting mates to those beautiful socks???
Comment by Keith — March 30, 2006 @ 6:21 am
You’re killing me Keith. And I’ve been being very faithful to my Mega Boots stretch yarn. I’m halfway to the heel on the second one!
Wendy — We are planning an advice section soon AND I’d love to do lunch. You won’t even have to bribe me.
Comment by surly — March 30, 2006 @ 7:44 am
We ARE the advice sisters, or would be if we could communicate in a 2-way fashion! We aren’t able to get to people’s e-mail addresses with a click — still a work in progress, our blog! We really appreciate that you are reading and commenting.
Keith, your links are absolutely hysterical! I am for sure going to make the Hallowig in bright lime green acrylic for next Hallowe’en. My kids are already mortified so it doesn’t matter….Â
Comment by lv2knit — March 30, 2006 @ 7:52 am