Well, the early years is quite understandable that I wouldn't know how to knit socks.. there was no sock yarn sold in my southern region of Oklahoma.. it took years to find someone to teach me how to knit. As a matter of fact, I used to buy Vogue knitting magazines (the only option at that time where I lived) and had already taught myself the knitting abbreviations/etc. I just didn't know how to knit. There was no such thing as the Internet or any books at that time (at least not where I lived) that taught you how to knit.
So, I'd ask everyone I met.. for years.. if anyone knew how to knit.. none did.. they all knew how to crochet. I was finally taught how to knit by someone from Australia who was living in my little southern Oklahoma town.. for a few months while her husband learned how to fly helicopters! What a small world. She was in line in front of me at the grocery store and when I heard her accent.. I knew that she was from: AUSTRALIA
And.. to my mind: Australia = sheep = knitting
So, I asked once more.. the question that I had asked time and again.. "Do you know how to knit?" She did and she taught me how to knit. I took to knitting immediately... I learned knit and purl on my little swatch.. then, I asked her to show me how to make cables.. she did and I was off in my own knitting world. After mastering my cable on this swatch, holding my beginning knit and purl stitches, I do remember that she suddenly grabbed my first knitting attempt.. 'my little swatch' out of my hands.. and proceeded to rip the stitches out so I could start over now that I had even tension. I was aghast- after all I was so proud of my first rows of knitting.
*As a result, I always let those that I teach how to knit to keep their first little swatch of knitting.. it is a big milestone after all.
My first project? A cotton summer sleeveless top out of the only cotton yarn available to me: Peaches and Cream
I went through my knitting magazines and I found stitch patterns that I liked and figured out how to knit these different stitch patterns in little squares of different stitches on my first garment. I added a crochet picot edge. I wore it all the time.. of course, at the time I wasn't aware of cotton's tendency to 'grow and stretch' out of shape. As a result.. it got wider and shorter over time.
About two weeks ago, I decided it was time to knit some socks. I selected the pattern: Fuzzy Feet (found on ravelry or from an Internet search) I used some felt-able wool from Wool of the Andes... and some fun fur that had been in my household goods storage shipment that came this summer to add a nice fun touch to the cuff of the soon to be felted 'slippers'... Even though the yarn looks 'pink' in the skein, I was delighted to find that it was really a purple-ish and white mixture of fun fur and it went perfectly with the purple yarn that I was knitting my 'fuzzy feet' out of..
I have had these giant socks finished for about 10 days and yesterday.. I finally decided to felt them. Remember, I am living in Germany.. which means: FRONT LOAD WASHING MACHINE.. which means:
YOU CAN NOT STOP THE WASH CYCLE
Oh no.. Oh no... Yes, you can see where this is going.. and you can also understand why I had not attempted to felt the giant socks for 10 days?
So, here were are... the finished and felted socks where are now 'slippers'.. I think that they turned out cute, though.. Just as I had imagined that they would look..
Right? I can see now that my color selections were perfect together.. the fun fur did add just that right 'fun' touch...
Except.. Of course.. they are never going to fit even my toes...
I have not given up the 'knitting socks' skill though. Fortunately, I did not felt the giant and now big enough to fit a 4 year old 'Fuzzy Feet' socks.. for 10 days.. otherwise, I might not have attempted to start a pair of 'real fit you when you finish' (at least you hope they do) socks with no felting involved.
I've been really busy lately.. but, I do knit at least a 1/2 inch on them every night .. see?
I'd also started knitting little sock ornaments. I knitted a sock from a variety of patterns that I found on line- to find one that made the best shaped socks... and of course a pattern that made sense..
6 comments:
Once you get bit by the sock knitting bug, you'll never get rid of it! Sockitis is a chronic disease, best be prepared :)
Even if I knit slippers big enough for a giant and then the washing machine felts them small enough to a 4 year old size? lol
Luckily enough, my front loader has a 'pause' button. The other thing you might be able to do, is re-wet them, (read soak them) in the sink and then just start stretching, and re-shaping them to your size. Stuff them with whatever you have to stuff them with until they dry, and voi la, you have fuzzy feet that fit.
Opsie on the slippers! I love knitting socks... I always have at least one pair going, right now I have two :)
i like toe up socks cus you can try as you go....lots o stuff on youtube...you can even see how to do 2 at a time...thus avoiding the single sock syndrome
That was an entertaining read! You could seem up the back on your "slippers" and they would be good for a child? You are still braver than I... I fear the making of socks and have not yet tried.
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