Monday, March 23, 2009

Well, here we go London-wards. Blogging should resume on the last day of the month, all being well. The weather has been lovely recently, prompting longings to go in the other direction. It is predicted to deteriorate this week: that’s good, on the whole. Greek Helen will be briefly in London this week on an unknown mission – we’ll see her at Rachel’s house on Sunday. It will be a great treat to have a couple of hours with her out of season.

Many, many thanks for all the help and advice about socks for diabetics. I’ve read the article in Knitty, which was most interesting. I shall certainly go for 72 stitches, probably keeping to the No 1 needles of which I am rather fond. I will cast on with double yarn – that’s an easy change which can only help.

I was most interested in your suggestions, Ted, particularly the alterations to the gussets. The problem with the last socks I knit for my husband was too-tight-in-general, but the heel seemed to pose particular problems. I had been thinking of going through a sock book to look for alternatives, but I will try this first. And you credit me with too much sense – it hadn’t occurred to me to measure the circumferences of my husband’s leg and foot and compare the results. I will do that.

Other comments suggested other interesting ideas. Perhaps the thing is to knit a small (=short in the leg) sample sock and see how it goes. Not even finish the foot, maybe. Just something to try on.

I will look at sock yarn in I Knit on Thursday. Anyone who suddenly finds him/herself at loose ends in London that day will be more than welcome to join our little party. About half-past two in the afternoon.

Meanwhile I have decided to take the Adult Surprise along today, not socks.

I’ve reached row 31 of the Princess centre. When I get to my signature box in the middle of the row I’ll do a series of YO, k3tog,YO,K3 to make a border for the lettering. I advance in a constant state of anxiety that I have miscalculated and will reach the end of the centre before I’ve done all my letters. Counting and re-counting continues to suggest that I’ve got it right.

My Calcutta Cup mug is back on its hook on the kitchen wall. I drank my morning coffee from it all last week, but for the other 51 weeks of the year it is out of bounds. No mugs were issued in '06 or '08, or I'd have a set.

2 comments:

  1. Jean, may I suggest a yarn with some bamboo content?
    It is reported to have some antibiotic properties. While I do not know much about that, my diabetic boyfriend with hot sweaty feet says that the pair that I made him out of Crystal Palace Panda Wool (46% bamboo, 43% wool and 11% nylon) are very comfortable and his feet don't get nearly as damp any more.

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  2. Have a lovely time in London. You will be missed.

    Another consideration for making the socks easier to put on is a longer heel flap. This will give a wider mouth for a foot that doesn't bend as easily as it used to more room to move and is less binding. I have a high instep and am diabetic and found that Cat Bordhi's Coriolis socks fit wonderfully.

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