Sock it to me

Until yesterday, I was a sock avoider, surrounded by knitterly friends whose needles just seem to drip gorgeous socks. But I had a self-confessed phobia - I'm not sure if it was the skinny little needles, the 4-ply yarn, all those stitches or the thought of making my knitting go around a corner that really kept me off the socks. I don't like to think that I scare easily - so it was probably a combination of all those things.

That's not to say I hadn't tried in the past - despite my misgivings, I will always give something new a go - but stitches slithering off needles, joining the round only to find 6 rows later I've twisted it, knitting for hours and seeming to get nowhere...my early efforts always ended in despondent frogging.

I've been working myself up to this for a while now. I attended Ms Spider's sock workshop as part of the Knit1Blog1 exhibition, I mass-purchased sock yarn in that mecca of sock yarn, Germany, and I've been hanging out with sock-knitters, asking questions and soaking up some of the sock vibes.

So, yesterday, I took the plunge.

I'm a bit of a needy sort of gal, so knowing I'd never do it on my own, I invited some of my lovely, supportive enabling knitter-friends over, bribed them with food and the chance to meet Pirate Jim, and sat down to knit me a sock.

We had waffles, traditional German afternoon tea fare when served with warm cherry-sauce and whipped cream (huge thanks to Bells, who saved my skin by slaving over the waffle iron):

Disclosure: this is a stunt-waffle, taken in Germany. My pics from yesterday turned out rubbish.

After much discussion (and waffles, and blue cheese pastries and sausage rolls and bubbly), the consensus was that, given my fears, I would start with the mini-sock pattern from the Socks 101 tutorial form Knitty.

With 8ply (Cleckheaton Country) and 4.5mm dpns, I cast on, and managed to not twist it.


With my cheer-squad egging me on, I made it to the heel without incident. And with some expert hand-holding (metaphorically speaking), turned that corner.

I worked on - luckily we had plenty of sustenance, and my Beloved to refill the teapot when the going got rough. Thirsty work, this sock knitting.

Finally....a sock! Granted, a teddy-sized sock, but a sock, in form and function, nonetheless.

Take that, sock phobia! Begone, Sock Monkey on my back! I plan to finish the back of Little Miss M's red jacket tonight, and then I will let myself cast on an actual, real, adult sized sock.

My warmest, heart-feltest thanks to my gorgeous enabling friends, who helped me through and brought lovely things to share yesterday afternoon: Bells, Jejune, Othlon (and her lovely boy, who put up with a group of sugared-up knitters hollering and whooping over socks, of all things), Mick, Taph, Happy Spider and Olivia.

I'd better get cracking on that red jacket, there's socks to be knit! Bring. It. On!