A Perfect Pair of Socks--FINALLY!!!!!!

I'm getting faster, and better. I started this while watching Dancing with the Stars and finished after I watched Nightline. I only had one dropped stitch (that ran all the way down the foot and took me 1 hour to fix). I changed the yarn from Trekking to Lion Brand's Magic Stripes because I didn't want to continue to use the expensive stuff while practicing. I used the SoxophonePlayer's "recipe", as he calls it, for hem top socks, with adjustments for my son's foot: 40 rows mock rib, hang hem, 50 rows leg, heel, 60 rows foot, toe. It fits my son's foot a little bit too snugly, but it's okay since I know for a fact he won't wear these socks because 1) of the color and stripes, and 2) they don't wear wool socks in the Philippines. If I had known they would turn out so well and so easily, I would have used my nice yarn! (but not the green Trekking yarn, because I'm officially sick of it).

I can't believe I knit a pair of socks in a few hours and I didn't even have to frog it and rewind the yarn!!!! I think it is all in the tension.....the Magic stripes yarn is a bit thicker and rougher and so the tension I set my machine up for was probably perfect for this yarn, while not too good for the 4-ply Trekking and Opal I've been knitting on. Now I know!!!!

Now I've got to teach myself the Kitchner (sp?)stitch. Karen in the Woods has a great tutorial with photos. I'll look at it again, but not tonight, since tonight I have to read my articles and prepare my presentation for tomorrow's class. Wish me luck!!!!!

Knitting Socks is SOOOOO Frustrating!

Note to self: Do not, no matter how sleepy you are or how late it is, DO NOT stop in the middle of making your sock! Or else you might end up with two heels one after the other on a sock, or you might end up with two totally different sized socks.

Ask me how I know.



The one redeeming thing is that I can (and believe me, I have! Numerous times on this one project!) unravel my work. I don't know how many times I've knit these socks for my son. First finished product: One sock was too big, and one sock was too small. He couldn't even pull the second sock on. It took almost a week to make.....a week of sleepless nights working until 3 a.m. with nothing to show for it......This is sooo not funny. I am so frustrated. When oh when will I ever make a decent sock?

My son's birthday was yesterday and after we got back from his birthday brunch (AND after I endured everyone's laughter and teasing remarks), I set to work unravelling and re-knitting his sock. I switched from the ribber pattern to the easier hem-top pattern. The result? TWO heels on one sock!!!! I could cry.

He's leaving on Wednesday for the Philippines. He wants to live there. So I won't be able to give him something I made before he leaves. Waaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Ta Daaaaa!!!!!!!! My First PAIR of Socks

Here it is......Allow me to present to you my first PAIR of socks.....






I made these on Sunday, November 4th, but just kitchnered (if you can call it that! ) the toes this morning before I went to work. They are slightly smaller than a size 8 (I'm a size 8), but oh well. I used Karen in the Wood's pattern for hem top socks.
And YES, I know that the stripes don't match.....that's because I added a few more rows to one of the socks.......the yarn is Lion Brand Magic Stripes....It took 4 hours to make this pair....it took 4 1/2 hours to make the other sock that is on Ravelry. that's right. SOCK. NOT pair. Just 1 sock. And it took HOURS to kitchner the toes because I was too lazy to look up how to do it correctly.......that's why the graft looks more like a seam.....and a botched up seam at that.....I wore them to work today and showed them off to my co-workers....that's why I'm wearing jeans.....some were very impressed and some were completely underwhelmed.....I love my new socks.....