Tag: socks

Mend March: honeycomb heel

kathleenjowittLeave a comment
A grey sock is stretched over a wooden disc. A worn patch has been mended with coral pink thread

This is your proverbial stitch in time: I got to it before the worn patch wore right through, and have consequently got away with a honeycomb darn. I like doing these: they are comparatively quick; they take no set-up whatsoever; the technique is easy (it’s just blanket stitch, with each stitch of each inside ring catching the bar of the one before), and when the worn patch inevitably gets broader you can add another round or two. I probably shouldn’t have used pink; it’s going to look like my heel’s bleeding. Oh well.

December Reflections 19: proud of myself for…

kathleenjowittLeave a comment
Knitted sock in two shades of purple. The beginning of the second sock is still on the knitting needles.

Apparently I knit socks now. Which is another way of saying, persevering. I have learned how to knit in the round, on double-pointed needles, from a chart, in a fancy pattern.

And this pair in particular has called for some pig-headedness. The first one had several mistakes, and came out too big (I *did* knit a swatch, but clearly not a big enough one); with the second one I lost the game of yarn chicken so had to finish off in a different colour; then I unravelled the first one and started all over again.

Of course, with knitting it’s a choice to keep on going. One could easily put it back in the box and sulk; and quite often I do. With bigger, harder things it isn’t a choice: what else are you going to do? And yet I think we can be proud of ourselves for doing it.

(The pattern is ‘Christmas Eve’ from Niina Laitinen’s ‘Knitted Socks from Finland’, which I borrowed from the library purely on the strength of knowing the translator. I doubt I’ll get it done by Christmas Eve, but I’ve just renewed the book so I have it until 18 January…)