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Friday, May 24, 2013

Ta-Da - It's a Sock!!!

May I present to you, my faithful readers, my very first knitted sock.....


Hooray!!!


I have to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who were so kind and helpful - you're the best!!!  I would never have gotten past the first 2 inches of dancing with those spider sticks if a couple of you had not pointed out that I was knitting it from the inside - really???  And suggestions for how to hold the needles so that it was a lot easier to work with them.......  And lots of helpful video sites....... invaluable!!!  Again, thanks - I couldn't have done this without you!!!

And I couldn't have done it without my friend, Joanne, either.  I got the sock to the point of the heel flap and then no matter what I did, I couldn't get it to do what I knew it was supposed to be doing.  I watched a few videos, tried a few times to get it started and ended up ripping out every time.  So then I put it in a bag and took it to Red Rooster with me and got Joanne to sit down with me and take me through that heel, row by row.  She figured out that I was completely ignoring 2 sentences - again, really???

But after that, I was okay.  I actually managed to do the second heel with no help at all......


Second sock almost finished!
Yes, my friends, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks LOL!!!

I used the pattern called Tesserae from Ravelry, recommended by Denise at Justquiltin.  I loved the pattern, but I probably should have started with just a simple stockinette until I practiced my rhythm and tension a little more.  There are one or two uneven stitches in there *tongue in cheek!*  And when I got to the gusset, I was so worried about doing that right, that I forgot about the pattern and just kept doing one pattern set over and over again instead of switching every 6 rows.


Guess what?  I decided to leave it that way and call it a design element! :*)

And I have to tell you, I'm as proud as a new mama!!!  I've shown this precious little sock to everyone who will spare me a glance LOL!!!  My husband was downright amazed!

I think it has pooled too :*)  It's really hard to tell with this busy yarn, but the colors are striping around it in diagonal waves rather in horizontal stripes.  I think that means it is pooling - am I right?


I should have entered Judy's pooling contest, but who knew I'd even manage to have a sock completed, much less one that pools, right???  And look at how this second one is going to town, pooling those lovely blues and purples diagonally down that sock - just beautimous!!!!  


I really actually like them that way much better than a boring old stripe.

As I was knitting the first sock, I was afraid it would end up too tight for me to wear.  So I was pleasantly surprised to find that although it fits pretty snug, it's not too tight.  It's close enough though that I'll have to be really careful to wash it in cold water so it doesn't shrink.  I've marked my pattern to add a few stitches when I use it again.


I'm not sure what caused those loose holes there in the gusset.  Maybe my stitches were too loose when I did the decreases?

Of course, I have to show you a picture of me "trying it on" to be sure I got the length right to the toe.  
Is this not hilarious???  Gives new meaning to the phrase "On the Needles" doesn't it?  It looks like I'm being tortured by an acupuncturist!  Or that I am trying to knit my own cast for a broken foot :*)
Oh too funny LOL!!!


I'll leave you with that laugh as I head off to Judy's Patchwork Times 
to see what everyone else has cast on their needles!!!

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

And remember that freedom is never FREE - 
Let's honor the soldiers who have sacrificed to keep us FREE!

Hugs & Blessings!
Teresa
=^..^=

14 comments:

  1. Yay! Not only did you tackle sock knitting, but you're almost finished with #2 - thereby avoiding the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome! I enjoy sock knitting - very satisfying - but I don't like wearing socks, so I don't knit them very often. Yours are lovely - I especially like the design elements! There are techniques to help avoid the holes at the gussets - one is stitch wrapping. I don't have a resource at hand for stitch wrapping, but try Googling for a solution, I'm sure it's out there.

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  2. Wow! Congratulations! Looking good. Your go girl :D

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  3. Oh yeah....and it looks wonderful.

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  4. I am proud of you! I think learning new things is good for us, I'm considering setting aside one or two hours a week as 'school time'

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  5. This whole post has me grinning ear to ear!!! I'm thrilled for you. Your sock is gorgeous. And in no time at all the second sock will be on your foot and you will be dancing for joy.

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  6. What fun, Teresa--you made a lovely sock. Congratulations!
    And I have no idea what polling is. : )

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  7. Love your 'sandle sock' picture. Congrats on the finish.

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  8. Congratulations on the finish and most of all congratulations on getting the second one done (I'm making the jump that it is finished by now). Now that you have mastered the dreaded double pointed needles may I suggest trying socks on a circular. I've done both and I have found that the circular needle is much easier to work on many levels. It might be worth a try.

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  9. Congratulations! I remember the satisfaction I had of finishing my first sock - it didn't look half as nice as yours!

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  10. Hip Hip Hooray!! You did Great! I really love your socks and am so envious that you mastered that so quickly. I especially like the new trend you are showing. You know the young girls will latch on to anything these days. You must make the 2nd sock a different color though to fit into the current fashion trend. Your sock colors are pretty and the pattern looks a bit more advanced for a beginner than most. You are somthing else.

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  11. Awesome sock, Teresa! I am very impressed! Whoop whoop!!

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  12. OOOOO, Ahhhhhh! just so lovely!!! I AM going to learn to knit - someday!!

    Blessings

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  13. Congratulations - they look great!

    Marilyn

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