Sock Blank Kits

Sometimes things occur to me, in those moments just between deep sleep and waking and surprise me, but mostly the rewarding thoughts come to me while knitting.

Yarn Harlot wrote about Elizabeth Zimmerman's afterthought heel in her December 28th post. I've usually done the afterthought heel using a piece of waste yarn, but I could instantly see how doing socks using this method would benefit me.

On the lovely red things, my goal was to try the EZ way. (Be still my beating heart. I cannot possibly explain how much I love these silly brilliantly coloured socks. See the neat almost bargello thing? Is that cool or what.)While knitting these up, I was struck by brilliance of this particular approach to afterthought heels. Elizabeth Zimmerman was obviously a very very brilliant woman (though I'd be willing to hazard a guess she would have said no, just sensible).

Just think. I could knit up dozens of almost sock pairs -sock blanks if you will - tubes with toes. I envision piles of tubes with toes. It won't matter if I knit them up or down, or sideways even so long as tube to toe they are complete. Tucked into each pair of tubes will be the yarn needed to complete the heels, so that when I go to finsih up a quick pair of socks, everything is right there. If I am sensible I would also write down and tuck a note with the needle size into the blanks. Each pair would then be a little kit, ready and waiting for customising.

Off to visit someone? Are they really in need of a good pair of handmade socks? Grab a suitable set of blanks, and go. When I arrive, a simple how big is your foot, and just a very short time later, whilst sipping tea, swilling coffee, or quaffing all other manner of beverage, and I can deliver custom fit socks for anyone. What a delicious approach to socks making. Sensible, practical. Heaven sent to those of us who are never ever going to knit a bunch of stuff in December as gifts again.

If like me, you have a fondness for the look of the old fashioned workmans socks with the differently coloured toes, you could even set up a supply of toe blanks, ready at a moments notice for the addition of the tube.

Ok, maybe that is taking it a little too far, but you know, its like making big batches of tomatoe sauce, and using it for all kinds of dishes later. You still get the 'taste' of homemade, but the 'homemaker' ends up with some timely leeway and is speedier getting the final product to the table.

So, just because I could and because I'm going to need a little mindless knitting over the next few weeks as I train the new person (I can't see why I shouldn't manage to fit in a little knitting time), I'm going to prepare some of the single skeins to be ready to knit up sock blanks. I'm starting with

one ball of Patons Kroy, this time in Tutti Fruiti. These, like the red ones above, will have the plain cream toe, heel and ribbing, (a cream coloured Kroy) so they will make nice shortie socks (which I prefer).

I have some of my stashed Cascade Fixation with me too. This yarn was always meant for Son 3 and his wife. She chooses not to wear animal products and Fixation is cotton and elastic. I've been waffling getting these started, because though I know his size fairly closely, I don't know hers. By using the sock blank approach and the EZ afterthought heel, I can do them now and then next time they are over for dinner, custom fit them.

Its an interesting way for me to think of simple socks. I'm sure others have thought of looking at it like this before, but for me, for today, I will bask in a revolutionary to me way to look at knitting ahead.