Sock progress - not

I've had a manically busy knitting weekend & but sadly have very little to show for it.

On Friday night Manna Uknitted cast on for the Knitting World Cup. We were delayed due to one member being held up so missed kick off but did get started. Susoolu taught me the Turkish Cast On but it took me 4 attempts to get it right. We had a fun time & one person made me laugh so hard that I was crying & nearly had an accident

I had planned to use this yarn for my Toe Up socks:


Regia Havanna Color

It came my way via a swap for an out of print Rowan book that I no longer wanted. I'm using it to make Oriel from Sensational Knitted Socks . The toe is finished and I'm ready to start the lace pattern.

I spent a lot of the weekend traveling up & down the motorway as I went to the Funky Socks workshop at Rowan. I had a lot of fun & met loads of brilliant women but didn't learn too much from it as it was aimed at beginner sock knitters. However I did teach myself lots & below is a run down of what I did, frogged & subsequently learnt.

I started off with Rowan Wool Cotton in 2 shades of purple,a pale pink & some dark purple beads.

Did a guage swatch & came out with 6 stitches per inch so decided to do another pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks . I started off cuff down & used 3.25mm addis for the cuff, intended to then change to 3.75 for the main body of the sock. However I only had two balls of the main colour so then decided to be brave, frog, go toe up & adapt the pattern to suit.

So I did the Turkish Cast On again & knitted the toe. Only then did I realise that I was still using the 3.25mm needles & I had intended to use 3.75mm for everything bar the cuff. So it got frogged again.

I did it again with 3.75mm, changed to the main colour (having ditched the pink ages ago) & inserted a lifeline. The I sent time using 3 different methods of putting beads on (one I learnt on Saturday - thanks CW) & took onboard comments from the other knitters on my table as to their preference. However there was a general consensus that the dark purple beads couldn't be seen properly in the purple yarn so that was frogged back to the lifeline & done again with silver beads. One the way home yesterday I decided to use a smaller needle for the sole as a loose knit is uncomfortable to walk on so the instep was on 3.75 & sole on 3.25mm.

I did about 8cm of the pattern on the foot (the beads are being used on the leg only as it would be extremely uncomfortable to have beads in your shoes). The pattern was a two row repeat the first being 3x3 rib. It was going well & I kept trying it on my foot. It was a bit baggy & when I decided that it wasn't working I checked in the book to see which pattern I'd been doing - I hadn't. The second row was a different stitch combination but I'd carried on doing 3x3 rib. So off to the frog pond - yet again.

This & hopefully the final time I cast on with 3.25mm needles for the whole sock. I got the same guage & it's a much firmer fabric. I know that I'm more likely to wear them now but the toe is only half done so there's nothing to show

I set myself the task of learning how to knit Toe Up socks for my Knitting World Cup and am not sure which pair I'll do for the event.

Now for something totally different - I was right with my guess of my extra One Skein Pal. Knitty Fred sent it to me as a belated birthday present. He has done this before & both were much appreciated - thank you.

I also received my first parcel from my Secret Pal 8 but don't have any photos yet so that will come as soon as I can tear DH away from the football. I'm really surprised at him as football isn't his sport & he really isn't wasn't bothered about it but that's all changed at the moment. He's currently demanding a yellow card as I write