Saturday, March 29, 2008

A pathetic appeal for socks arrived from Thessaloniki yesterday, in the form of a comment on Thursday’s post.

I am re-thinking the immediate knitting future. I finished the right arm of Theo’s gansey last night – husband appreciably better, sat up for television all evening. I’ve ripped out the neck and started again. I had 32 stitches too many, if the neck was to be 40% of the original body number – this time I abandoned fancy thoughts of mitering and took Meg’s advice to decrease them all at once in the first round of ribbing, by purling two together as often as necessary.

It’s looking pretty good. And I may finish today!

It does seem rather perverse not to devote a few weeks to sock-knitting. I used to get six or seven pairs done a year, when my mother was alive and I made twice-yearly trips to the US to see her. Now it’s down to three or four. Not enough for all these people.

I had supposed that there wasn’t all that much demand from the ladies – Rachel wears socks a lot, I know, but I thought maybe the others didn’t. Ketki often goes barefoot around the house in the evening. She’s got beautiful feet. But the holes in the socks of hers which I have brought back from Loch Fyne to darn, testify to hard use.

If I were to sit down and knit socks for a while, I could actually use some of the beautiful yarn which is piling up around here from my membership in the Yarn Yard Sock Club. I could knit some more KF’s – ladies offer real scope for fun sock-knitting, as well as having smaller feet. I’ll do it!

I figure I’ll need to start the dinosaur sweater for my Games entry someone around the beginning of June – I hate to hurry. Thomas-the-Elder, for whom the original was knit, remembers it fondly and is pleased to hear that it is going to be reconstructed.

I appreciate the comments from people who have actually knit with the new Noro sock yarn. For the moment, I’m going to hold off.

3 comments:

  1. If you work on the assumption that everone in your family really needs seven pairs of handmade socks each, would that use up your sock yarn stash? *grin*

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  2. Anonymous12:00 PM

    If you like a slightly thicker sock than Regis and the like, why not try the Mirasol Hacho 100%merino from Peru? I've made 4 pairs to date and love how they knit up. Granted the yardage (137 yds)per skein is scanty, requiring 3 skeins for a decent pair, the price is certainly affordable - $7.95 Cdn per skein. Reinforce the heel and Bob's your uncle - a fine pair of socks. Glorious colourway choices. And supports a worthy cause for funding a school in Peru. Can't go wrong. Jayne

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  3. Anonymous12:27 PM

    Good news that yur husband is better! Noro yarns are wonderful for scarves and sweaters; but, I was not happy with the color distribution in socks ... tho I love the colors of Noro ... Perhaps the best thing for you to do is knit a pair or even one with the Noro ... Knitting is a very very "personal preference" art.

    Now I really don't want to start a whole new dimension to your blog, but any chance for the recipe for apple/celery soup!!
    peace, Elizabeth

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