Every knitter has a fear. Every knitter pretends they don’t. I can’t take it any longer. I have to confess. I have a fear of toe-up socks. I can’t bring myself to knit one. This morning I decided I needed some mindless knitting to make up for the Twisted Flower sock and the working out of bust darts on my Cashsilk top. I dug out some gorgeous Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn and decided that today was the day I stuck the needle in toe-up socks. I got out my Cool Socks Warm Feet. Hmmm. I got out my summer issue of Interweave Knits which has an extensive article about toe-up socks. Hmmm.
Nope, didn’t think so
The Jitterbug stuff is lovely though. It gives a thicker but not denser fabric – if that makes any sense at all. There is more purple in the colourway than I had bargained for, but I love the cool greens and blues. At least with cuff-down socks there is always the surprise of whether or not you’ll have enough left for the second sock 😀
Yesterday was busy enough and Mum’s friend Mary (hi Mary!) came to visit so I made good progress on the instep of my Twisted Flower sock while everyone was catching up on news.
It’s funny because when you’re grinding your way through the chart it seems as though things are going very slowly. But in actual fact, I am really surprised at how quickly this has grown. The chart is challenging enough that I’m not dreading the tedium of knitting the second sock. That’s really saying something!
So not much other knitting to show but I have been doing a lot of poking about online recently. If you have subscription envy of those who get the digital version of Craft magazine, I offer you two remedies to the situation. I was in Hodges Figgis yesterday and spied both Issue 1 and Issue 2 on the shelf. At €14 a pop, they’re not cheap. Lots of people love the magazine but I must confess that I don’t find it thrilling. Maybe it is because I lean more towards fibre crafts and not DIY-type crafts. If you are like me in that way then you’ll find the Craftzine Blog far more exciting! I love it! Tons of new things to look at every day.
And for general quirky, crafty goodness, have a look at Not Martha and Angry Chicken. I have been getting a strong urge to sew these days but I’ve made a strict promise to myself that it will have to wait until after my exams. My strong urges to sew usually bring on strong urges to throw my sewing machine out the window when I’m hot, tired and have pins sticking out all over me.
I’m still a sock newbie, but toe-up strikes me as being easier somehow (not that I’ve tried it yet). What is it that freaks you out?
i have completed one toe-up sock. not sure if i like it better or not than cuff-down, but i do think i like the short-row heel better than the flap and gusset type.
hope you’re having a lovely spring!
Hi there, I too loathe toe up socks- I just frogged some feeble attempts that never fit right. For my Jitterbugs I was contemplating the same thing…… but then I did this: I cast on with scrap yarn and knit three rounds, then I knit the heel, foot and toe. Then I attached the leftover yarn and knit that up the leg. I don’t mind a cuff knit the other way but for some weird reason I don’t like the bits before that. If you’re worried about the cast – off edge curling out you could always knit the leg on the inside out sock and then turn it when you’re done.
Check out Hello Yarn for fantastic instructions on how to do the figure eight cast on, then go over to My Fashionable Life and follow the cast on for Elfine’s socks, its the most perfect toe up cast on/start of pattern that Ive done yet. After that, choose your pattern to follow!! I admit that I prefer the short row heel to the heel flap (I think, may change my mind again)and most toe up patterns seem to use this.
Good luck if you are trying it again! 😉
was it today or yesterday we were meant to have dinner? I guess now youre feeling better it doesnt matter anyway 🙂
S.
Ouch, that twisted flower sock is really looking challenging, to say the least!
I have a single skein of Colinette Jitterbug, and I think I’m going to knit it toe-up with a different yarn for the toes, heels, and cuffs. Because that’s not a lot of yardage (meterage?). 267m is almost 292 yards, and ÷ 2 = 146 yards per sock. Not Even Close to enough for a decent sock. That’s a short sock. Bleah.
I think my Jitterbug colors are the complete opposite of yours: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarkasmo/459400611/
I love a toe up sock! I suppose it’s a sort of “to each their own” thing. Top down socks just seem to go on forever & ever to me!
Your socks never cease to amaze me! Lovely, just lovely!