Pretty

I finished and sent off my Unique Sheep sample socks last week and felt rather out of sorts without a sock on the needles. Since October, I've had a sock of one sort or the other on the needles, so no sock-in-progress felt...like I was missing something.

I did not feel like taking on anything too complicated, or too plain. So I dove into the stash to see what I had at my disposal.

I came up with this:


Beautiful Fleece Artist Merino. This yarn is so pretty all on it's own, that a fancy sock pattern would not work. Either the loveliness of the yarn would be lost, or (more likely) a fancy stitch pattern would be lost in the pretty colours.

However...a plain stockingette sock was just not going to cut it. I had just finished a plain sock. No way was I going to do another.

Then I remembered this pattern, by the darling Deb Barnhill. And I thought to myself, hmmm...it's different, somewhat of a challenge, yet it will showcase the yarn.

I snatched up my needles and headed over to the Magic Cast On article.

I looped, and failed. I looped, I failed again. I read, re-read, looped...FAIL! My husband looked over my shoulder and said "Maybe if you do it like this" and did something that did not work either. I (feeling delicate) wailed that this is never going to work and I am obviously a moron. WAHHH!

Deciding I was not going to give up, I used my google-fu to search for Magic Cast On. Maybe, out there somewhere on the internets, is a tutorial on this cast on that would make it click for me.

Then I found it. Cat Bordhi, on YouTube, demonstrating the Magic Cast On. And...I got it. I recommend you go watch the video, if only to amuse yourself with the voices she makes as she demonstrates. Heehee!

The point is...I got it. And I started to knit the increases on the "weird toe". And I declared that Deb Barnhill is out of her ever-loving mind if she thinks anyone can actually do an increase like that the woman is CRAZ...oh wait, nevermind I read the instructions wrong. My bad.

Then I declared: DEB BARNHILL IS A FREAKING GENIUS!!! What a clever toe!

Knit, knit, measure, knit knit measure...gusset increases in the new places, knit knit knit...heel! Clever clever heel! Ribribrib up the back, reach the ankle and try it on.

F*ck. It's too big. By an inch.

Rip rip rip rip rip.

Continuing along with new measurements (and skipping the bottom gusset increases, which let to a re-jiggering of the heel, with late night math and note-taking...all my fault, nothing to the do with actual design of the sock, just the design of my foot).

This time, I reach the ankle...beautiful fit. Ah.

Then I cast on, from the other end of the yarn, sock # 2. Knit it until it reaches the same point as it's mate and then I started knitting them at the same time. Clever knitter I.

Then stop that because I'm all tangled up and annoyed. Get to a leg height I enjoy and voila!

I have pretty pretty socks:


But the best part?

Today I got to hoist up my pant legs (I even shaved my legs for the occasion) and say "Hey Deb, look what I made..."



And see the look of sheer delight on her face as she recognized her design. It was a very cool moment.

(BTW, those of you in blogland and in real life who know Deb will be happy to hear that she looks great, healthy and glowing. And she looks absolutely FANTASTIC in her Thermal Sweater)

(and she makes wicked good coffee!)