Shidderwins

Take a good look. This is the Knit Nurse Widdershins attempt. Take a good look because this evening, when I get home, I intend to joyously frog this little bugger. Seeing me struggling with turning the heel a few days ago, the Curse remarked that it looked as if I was torturing the poor sock. Believe me, it was definitely the other way round!

Now I'm no sock virgin, I have turned out quite a number of beautiful examples in my time, but all have been knitted from the top down. This time I decided that it was time to try a toe-up, just for the technical challenge you realise, and I quite liked the look of this pattern from Knitty. I had some lovely yarn from The Natural Dye Studio on Ebay, and I was quite looking forward to stretching my abilities a little and producing something of beauty to soothe away any stress.

Harumph! I should have known when I couldn't work out how to do Judy's magic cast on without leaving holes or lumps that the project was doomed from the start. Having consulted my fellow Meantime Knitters (none of whom could do JMCO either) I decided to use a different method, the link for which now eludes me, but which involved using some waste yarn to start one side, go over the toe, and then back down the other. Or something. It's now so long ago and lost in the mists of time and other frustrations, that I'd have to dig out the printout I've got somewhere at home.

(Here it is - may fortune shine on Wendy!)

Well the ensuing frustrations went something like this:
- main part of foot was fine, cable pattern easy if rather fiddly at this scale
- turning the heel - VERY fiddly. I've already admitted my shortcomings when it comes to 'wrap & turn' and this was no exception. Let me pick up stitches any day rather than wrestle with what seemed like a dozen dp needles. This was the point at which the Curse claimed I was breaching the Geneva Convention.
- ankle: failed to read the line of the pattern that mentioned extending the cable pattern around the full circumference of the sock over the ankle section. Noticed after about 10 rounds and decided that I did not have the energy to frog it, and that no-one would think it strange. Possibility of Getting Away With It was rated at about 95%, good enough for me.
- decided I wanted some ribbing at the top of the sock: didn't pay enough attention on the first round and somehow ended up with two adjacent knits on one side of the sock, and hence two adjacent purls on the other side. GAWI rated at about 80%, hence no frogging required here either.
- cast off
- couldn't get sock over foot
- frogged casting off
- cast off as loosely as I could
- couldn't get sock over foot - this time the top of the heel was to blame. That's why I'm modelling it on my hand in the picture.

Oh sod it! The sock must die!

It's all my fault, I freely admit it. This pattern is not at all stretchy, not like the last socks I knitted, which were in a lace pattern and very forgiving. What's more I *mumble* didn't make a swatch. I have only myself to blame.

(SHORTLY AFTERWARDS - couldn't wait till this evening)



I can't tell you how much better I feel. Normally I am crying at this point.