From Hooks to Needles Part 2

So, I have slipped (or slipp-ered) to the dark side. I finally finished the mate to my sock.

I love knitting socks! The double point needles were tricky at first, but I got the hang of it. Turning the heel was kind of touch and go. Like the first sock, the mate required lots of frogging and multiple starts. I finished around midnight last night and am so thrilled that I have a complete pair.

I also have to admit that the one pair of crocheted socks I made was not anywhere near as comfortable to wear. It was kind of like walking on coarse grain sandpaper. The knitted ones felt just like store bought socks only softer. I'm going to look into comfortable crochet patterns though. Crochet is faster for me than knitting and the knitting just isn't as relaxing as crocheting and I must say that I would far rather work with 1 hook where I can frog just to my mistake rather than 4 needles where I have to frog the whole thing when I mess up :)

From Hooks to Needles

I decided to try my hand at sock knitting. I haven't been able to do anything with a crochet hook lately. I pick up some yarn and a hook and blah! I stitch, I frog. I stitch, I frog. So I decided to try out the sock yarn that I've been looking at for the last couple of months.

I found some purple (my favorite!) self-striping sock yarn that I liked a couple of months ago for my birthday and even bought a book called Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman. It has a very basic ankle sock that I thought would be perfect for my first attempt. So last weekend I sat down with my needles--yes, double point needles-- and got started. It took me three evenings to do it, but last night I completed my first sock!

I should have made it about an inch longer and I think I should have reversed the decreases since I'm working left-handed, but overall I am tickled! I started the mate to it this morning and am getting ready to work on it some more. I hope to have it done by Monday!

I would like to dedicate this pair of socks to my Great-Aunt Jane. Who I grew up hearing stories about the tick, tick, tick of her needles to outfit her babies with plenty of warm winter wear :D I hope to learn some of the finer points of knitting from her.

2010 Winding Down

Well, this year is almost over. My Christmas shopping isn't done, but is planned. I know what I'm getting, when and where. I can move on to the whole resolution making part of the December doings.

My first resolution is to post more often here. I stumble upon it occassionally and realize that it's been 4 months or more since my last post. I have more than that going on usually. Of course that's also one of the reasons I don't post more often. So, anyhoo. I'm going to start blogging more often.

My second resolution is to find some way of getting into healthier habits. I never learned to ride a bike, but I know how to roller skate, love to dance and I have a great neighborhood to walk in. Surely I'll be able to work in something even in the winter! Maybe I'll be able to actually do something besides hand out cups of water at the Thin Mint Sprint in March.

I generally don't like resolutions, but I think that if I look at it as goal-setting instead of resolution making, it won't be so bad :)