Boggles Me Mind

It still makes me thrilled to take a ball of yarn like this one and to make something like this....

These are my St. Patty's Day socks - delivered a little late for the holiday, but still within the month of March!

I'm really proud of this work. To tell you the truth, these socks aren't the best stitch work I've ever done, but I made a huge leap forward in my knitting education by making them. I followed Wendy's toe up pattern, which I've coveted since I began reading her blog a million years ago. When I knit top down socks I tend to hate the toes, they always end up pointy and with this little dollop of point yarn at the front as a result of using the Kitchner stitch to bind off. With Wendy's pattern you get that nice rounded toe and you ended up doing less work on your heels. Over all it's an awesome look. I tried this technique following pattern notes and tips from Wendy's blog and even in her book - but I failed every time. I just couldn't get my mind around the wraps that make up the short rows. In an act of true generosity Wendy published a very detailed instructional manual on how to accomplish these socks. A few rainy Saturday's ago I sat down on the couch with the tv turned off and worked out the problems. All of a sudden it was there and clear to me.

Since I was pushing myself to create with this new short row technique, I figured what the hell, let's conquer something else that I've been afraid of - picot edging. In trying to understand the picot edging for the top of the sock, I was forced to understand a Cable Cast On. Guess what dear knitters, Ms. Zimmerman was right - we do this fun. What I also came to learn was that when we push ourselves to learn something new, it's a little like learning to fly. I'm ridiculously proud of this work. The socks are a little out of shape and you can see some mistakes, but I know with a little blocking that these socks will reach their full potential and I have moved the ball forward in my knitting education. I feel fantastic.

Socks off the feet ...

And this is the wonderful yarn that Nancy sent me from the Romancing the Yarn contest. I've decided that they'll be summery ankle / tennis style socks.

I think I'll go cast on!

Another brief note to anyone who was kind enough to keep my dear Aunt Carol in their thoughts and prayers - she's doing better and resting at home after a set back that had her back in UPMC. But I understand that she's feeling better now. To give you an idea of how much my auntie is loved, she received over 100 cards in her first week in the hospital. Over 100 and they're still pouring in. She's that great and we love her so much.

That's all the news that fit to knit!