#sockvirgin

The View From Here - well, I'm stuck in bed indefinitely while all my health problems join hands and skip down hill together. Technically, I'm not supposed to be knitting (or doing anything more strenuous with my hands than eating a sandwich). But .... I don't know what I'm supposed to do while I sit on my butt waiting to feel like a human again. Plus I want to wear these socks, and start a shawl with some baby merino/cashmere I spun last year, and I'm BORED. Bored bored bored. For someone who was terrified of sock knitting just 2 months ago, I sure seem to have got over it. This Welsh Mule (that is a sheep breed people, not an ass) that I dyed last year was meant to be part of a colourwork jumper. Then I looked at the stash and thought "Hmmmm... 1 jumper = 12 pairs of socks", so I've become a sock maniac. Each pair is a bit better than the last and takes less time to knit. If I ignore the many doctors (who don't knit and therefore don't get it) I can make a pair in 3-4 days. And that is probably why it currently hurts to hold a sandwich, much less knitting needles. Pain shmain - it's amazing what a knitter will put up with just to keep knitting (but if you ask me to put up with the same pain to, say, clean the kitchen, well ... let's just say the kitchen doesn't look great right now). I wouldn't say no to a knitting-elf, though. Actually, a skein-ball-winding-elf would be even better. Sigh. Last night I thought I would teach the bf how to crochet, on the basis that this is a useful skill and I could put him to work on pot holders and other useful domestic accessories. After 2 hours, we were both laughing so hard we were crying and he still hadn't got the hang of the basic move to make a single chain. How can you have a Masters in Engineering and not be able to pull a bit of yarn through a loop? It beat any comedy I've ever seen, anywhere, so if you are bored or just need a giggle, I highly recommend this for your evening entertainment. I'm looking forward to Episode 2 of "Crochet Masters" very much. I may have to film it next time. I wonder if it's possible to spin in bed?

Today i decided to learn toe up instead. I have restarted 4 times but finally got it. @zoozoostudio

The Sock-Virgin Diaries I've lost track of how long it's been since @iamtoni-the-roomie and I started our sock challenge. I feel like it's taken over my knitting life completely. So far I have knit and ripped 5 different socks on the basis that none of them were good enough to knit a friend for. If it's not wearable what's the point? I was happy with my slightly too big sock with the purple cuff for about 5 minutes - the 5 minutes it took to post about how thrilled I was with it. And then I decided I could do it better and I should keep practising. So now I'm having a go at shadow-wraps instead of German Short Rows, and I think I like it much better. Unfortunately, so much sock knitting on tiny dpns with fine wool has killed my hands. I've aggravated carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis to the point where I can't knit anymore. I shouldn't be typing either, but .... So my hands have been wrapped in ice for a few days while I fume in frustration at not being able to start a new sock. Or even pick up a wip. Some important things I have learned: Little dpns and fine yarn are painful (and slow). Knitting chunky socks is a lot less painful. Needles made from 2 different materials i.e. With a ferule holding on the needle tip, are a pain in the butt. My old-fashioned steel dpns work much better so no more Knit-pro needles for me (at least for socks). Square needles are a pain in the ass too, and no easier on your hands and the stitches get hung up instead of moving smoothly along the needle. For needles that are supposed to be good for people with arthritic hands, these sure did aggravate my arthritis! I won't be using them again. For any kind of knitting. (Stay tuned for a review of all the needles I've bought in the last 2 years and how they worked out for me. The money I spent! The money I could have saved!). Bamboo fibre (I had some left over) is just horrible for knitting socks - it splits and twists and generally hangs itself up. Never again. Baby cashmere makes a very very nice sock. They are like heavenly clouds for your feet. When my hands recover, I am diving into my baby yarns drawer and making several pairs. If you look hard enough you will always find a video or tutorial explaining things in a way that makes sense to you. Thank you Miriam Felton on youtube for her awesome demo of shadow-wraps. I love this technique, especially because you can see clearly where you are up to and therefore don't have to count, and there are no holes. It's idiot-proof. Or at least me-proof. Always cast-off the cuff in rib - not some purported "stretchy bind-off" that leaves you with a great looking sock that you can't pull over your foot. I'm an experienced knitter. I should know this. Doh. You can't knit socks and watch an action film, at least not as a novice. Dr Strange is responsible for a lot of dumb mistakes and dropped stitches. Tequila helped. Beer helped. Champagne helped. Margarita's helped. I think you get the drift. If your hands are hurting, STOP. Or be prepared for an embarrassing lecture from your doctor. "Why do you knit if it hurts?" "Well, because, ummmmmm.....". Because I do. Even though it hurts, it's really addictive. I just want to knit socks now, and nothing else. Will this pass? My borer collie has learned to roll his eyes. Every time he sees me sit down and pick up knitting, he just rolls his eyes and walks out. Not enough pats apparently.

@zoozoostudio I have two cuffs and two sore hands.

The sock virgin has a cuff. @zoozoostudio what do you think?

The View From Here - is still crap. The Knitting Squad descended and confiscated my knitting for 24 hours. It would have been longer, but the Squad is away on manouvres today, so I liberated my socks and finished them! Not blocked, but who cares? They are cosy and I'm very happy with them (and have already cast on another pair. Well, there is a list of sock requests ...). Definitely over sockophobia. Apparently this weekend we are shearing sheap. Our shearing gear just arrived, so assuming I can get out of bed, this should be an interesting experience. Neither of us has shorn a sheep before, and our sheep are big and full of attitude, especially Lennon. It's hard to imagine we're not going to stuff this up completely, or at least do a very crap job. Nothing ventured, nothing gained ... I will report back. Macktavish, our border collie, has been taking advantage of my incapacity by finding new places to hide at bedtime. Our other dog puts herself to bed without being asked, but Mack is always trying to find a way to sleep outside our bedroom door (where he can trip us up when we stagger out for a midnight pee). This week we have found him hiding under a pile of wool (a blue-white collie does not blend well with skeins of mohair in pink and purple), behind the stove (nearly didn't seem him at all, but that pesky fluffy tail gave him away), in the shoe cupboard (sucking on a Croc) and under the bed (communing with dust-bunnies, so it was the sneeze that betrayed him this time). What next? Answer to "can you spin in bed?" "NO". Well, not with a spinning wheel anyway. Turns out you can't really use a yarnswift in bed either, or a table loom. Or a sewing machine. Bummer. I wonder if I can paint in bed?

It's beautiful but it's too big. Damnit.

Sock Virgin Diaries - an addict is born. I finally made an actual pair of socks. Yay! So I put them on my feet and immediately cast on a new pair. This time i'm using Aquarius by @makingyarn. I'm still making fairly plain socks but this time i'm going with rice stitch for the top and leg and dropping another 4 stitches in size (52sts in total). Getting better all the time and definitely sticking with the shadow-wrap heel. Any tips for the bind-off? If i cast off in rib, it's a little tight, if i cast off using the super-stretchy bind-off, it's a bit loose. If there is some nifty trick i'm missing i'd love to hear it. Can't wait to see what @iamtoni-the-roomiedecides to cast on with. Come on sock-sister!