Whew

One of the things I have set as a goal for 2011 is a pair of socks a month.  I just barely made it with Februarys.  

Done but for the heels and heels are quick and easy to do.  They are between knitting, knitting in places.  Once you get the sock itself done, it is an easy task to get the rest in place.  Done.

So I knit on all sorts of other things.  I knit on the Shetland Shawl.  I knit on a little red vest I amplaying with.  I knit on a few rows of the  Seaglass vest which is so close to done I can taste it, but I have to rip some out so it has to sit for a bit before I can face that.  I knit on a scarf to match Fuzzy Wuzzy, the mittens from before Christmas.  

And then I cheated and started Marchs socks. I started a Spillyjane free pattern called Naive, a lovely cabled thing, but honestly it drove me nuts.  Topdown.  Pattern.  It took all the fun out of it.  I had a couple inches done but I knew that the knitting would be torture. I ripped back and began again.  

I played with a different toe, the garter toe.  Cast on, knit a garter square and pick up around.  Its sort of interesting, kind of cute and it makes a puochy sort of toe that ought to work nicely for my flat and stubby toes.  

And then, as you see, I did my own thing.  I've cast on a few more stitches than I normally would but with its cables, the extra width is going to be taken up with the twists in the cables.  I intend to play with cables, practising knitting them, playing with seeing them change and grow up the leg.  Its cable practise I am after, and the best way to practise a thing is to do it in a non threatening place.  Socks are as non threatening as it gets in knitting.  

It is without a doubt a response to something I have gone through lately.  The wee gansey had cables.  One simple cable, the same twist on every one and I struggled.  I struggled and reknit and reknit and I am very sure it isn't quite perfect yet.  If I am ever to get past simple wee cables and simple wee twists, I am going to have to learn to see when they are right and when I have screwed up.  

We all know I struggle to follow patterns, so if I set myself up to learn to see them in the same way I see lace, I will save me much time and energy when I decide to knit 

(photo from Knitting Plus by Lisa Shroyer, published by Interweave, sweater designed by Marlaina Bird, photo via Ravelry) The book is on its way to me as we speak.

If I ever decide to knit a traditional Styrian sweater, I am going to have to understand.  I already have this book, Twisted Stitch Knitting by Maria Erlbacher

So many things to knit, not nearly enough hours.  

PS.  The laundry is done. One to fold and one to put away.  How did that happen?  Where did I err?  What is this world coming too?