Block-tastic!

These are the Socks that Block! I am totally chuffed with my sock blockers - not only were they desperately easy to make, I just LURVE the hooks on the top, perfect for hanging up the blocking socks to dry! They took about 5 mins (total) to make, and work perfectly.


Here's the finished items. I am sure my sockpal is going to enjoy! I have kept the label from the original yarn so that it can be attached back onto the socks (it's 'locally-sourced' yarn from the Yarn Yard).I'd just like to take this opportunity to apologise to Natalie at the Yarn Yard for the fact that not one single photo I have taken of this yarn does full justice to the richness and beauty of this colourway. If you want beautiful sock yarn (or even laceweight now, I believe) please consider buying from the Yarn Yard. You won't be disappointed with the yarn, and Natalie's customer service is second to none!


Meanwhile I'm racing along with this ever-so-easy item, something that has been requested from me for christmas. I'm not showing the whole thing just in case the intended recipient is looking, but do I get a prize for the earliest start on christmas knitting?!

Sock blockers

I don't own any 'proper' sock blockers since I usually block my socks by wearing them. But now the Baudelaires are finished (*phew!*) I think it's probably only polite to block them before I send them to my sockpal. And DEFINITELY polite to use something other than my feet!

Anyone got any suggestions for household items I could use instead?

Carnage!

Well, the tricky part of the second Baudelaire is completed - but my knitting basket has paid the price! This was the scene late last night in Chateau Knit Nurse. The air was somewhat blue...! The front and back cable increases proved just as difficult on a stationary sofa as they were on a jerky London bus - and more destructive, as you can see from the fact that my set of five Brittany 2.25mm dpns is now somewhat depleted.



So, I have a few recommendations if you are planning to knit yourself a pair of these socks. Have some aluminium needles on hand - even if you don't use them throughout, you should at least bring them in to play for the front and back cable increases. Another suggestion would be to make the sock without the larger instep - no increase is required for this version. Or you could make the smaller sock on larger needles. Or you could make a different pattern altogether...

That last suggestion wasn't really made in any seriousness, however! It's worth the struggle, and the finished item is going to be rather gorgeous, I really hope my sock pal appreciates it and realises how much I've suffered.... I mean how much I've learnt from this experience. It has truly made me a better knitter!

Incidentally, I notice from the Brittany packaging that these needles come with a five year guarantee. Is it worth me returning them? Do they have an exclusion clause relating to Baudelaires?

Baudelaire!

So, here's the first one! At last!

I followed the pattern slavishly, apart from using a crochet cast-on at the toe instead of the 'magic loop', and of course I made my own (ahem!) alteration to one of the cable increases. I also used the sewn cast-off for the first time, as Cookie suggests. Makes a much more elastic top to the sock, which is much easier for getting on and off. I often have problems with the top being too tight, no matter how loosely I try to cast off, so this is a revelation to me. The alternative, which I try to do when I remember, is to use a larger needle for the cast-off, but it seems the sewn cast-off is a better solution.

Already cast on for the second sock. No point putting off the evil moment...!

Devilishly difficult

So there I was, coasting along with the Baudelaire socks and feeling all cocky because I'd managed to memorise the lace pattern, I'd successfully turned the heel and what's more I'd left no holes, when suddenly CRASH BANG WALLOP! She hit me with three little words. Front cable increase.

Now to be fair to Cookie A, I'm sure she didn't intend this dastardly difficult manoeuvre to be carried out on a bus. Much less a London bus driven by a Lewis Hamilton wannabe. Either that or this guy thought the brake pedal was the bass drum and was obviously fantasising about being in some banging rock band.

While all the jerking was going on, here was I trying to execute the following move (at the same time resisting executing the driver);
"knit into the front of the next 4 sts, without dropping those stitches from the left needle: you will have 4 sts on you right needle which overlap with 4sts on your left needle; knit the 4 sts from your left needle through the back loops, dropping them from the left needle as usual. You will have increased 4 stitches, with the new stitches forming a cable twist (to the right) over the old stitches".

Just like that, of course.

No mention of the contorting, stretching, slipping, fiddling, frogging, knitting again, cursing, more cursing, tutting and sighing, the splitting, unsplitting, bodging, trying again, etc etc etc. And that was just FRONT cable increase. Follow that with BACK cable increase and you then have to scrape yourself up off the floor in a sweaty, frustrated and angry mess.

Little wonder then, that when I got a few rounds further on (luckily this manoeuvre is only one per sock!) and realised that Something Was Not Right with one of my increases, I just shrugged and thought 'no-one will know'!

So that's just between the two of us, OK?

Sock progress

I'm now increasing ready for the heel. Good eh?

Celebrated Knitting in Public day yesterday afternoon with Ellen and Bojana - sitting outside the Coach & Horses in the middle of a bustling Greenwich Market. No-one even noticed I don't think!

Ready to sock it to 'em!

Well, I finally got the yarn from the Yarn Yard (having b**gered off on holidays just after ordering it was not probably the best idea..) but it was worth the wait! Lovely brown, fawn, orangey shades - I do hope my sock pal will like it, she said she wanted browns!

And after a few false starts and unworkable ideas, I've decided to use Cookie A's Baudelaire sock pattern since it fits in terms of gauge, and I love the pattern!

Well I've got a few long flights and long waits in the next few days during my trip to the USA, so by the time I return later in the week, there will be either progress, or despair to report!! Keep your fingers crossed for the former!