I am amazed and awed by the sock. It is hard to believe that something as mundane as footwear can bring so much pleasure. The knitting of a sock is a fascinating though sometimes frustrating process. I wonder how the first person figured out how to make a sock. I can understand the importance and the necessity of inventing socks but just how did that first knitter come up with a design?? The construction options are sometimes overwhelming. Should I knit toe up, cuff down, magic loop, 2 circulars, double points? There is the cast on – should I use the long-tail cast on, the knitted, the Old Norwegian, the Backward loop, provisional or some other cast on. There is the cuff – should I use the standard 1X1 or 2X2 ribbing or should I try for a fancy cabled or textured ribbing. There is the leg – should I use a lace stitch, a textured stitch, a color pattern, a simple but functional ribbing or the tried-and-true stockinette stitch. The heel – should it be heel flap, short row, afterthought, should it be plain, eye of partridge or patterned in some other way. The instep – plain or patterned – and will it feel funny in my shoes. The toe – should it be short rowed or grafted. And these are the decisions you consider before you have even picked out the yarn. The possibilities for yarn are seemingly limitless and can keep you spinning is circles for weeks.
But even with all its variations, the simple sock has given me many hours of great pleasure. The surprise of seeing how a variegated colorway will look on the completed sock. The joy of duplicating a difficult stitch pattern. And the realization that at the end of your exercise in creativity you have a useful object. This cannot be said for many crafts. There are only so many cross stitched pictures that one needs, there are only so many granny square afghans that one can use. But socks, these you can never have too many of. You can have plain ones, fancy ones, ones to match a specific outfit, casual ones, dressy ones. Socks for wearing in bed or around the house, socks for hunting or sports. The possibilities are endless. This means that I will have many, many happy hours to spend listening to the click of my needles and savoring to softness of the yarn before I run out of socks to knit. And I get to wear it after all that. Years of pleasure from one sock. Thank you dear sock.
That being said, I submit to you my latest socks. Baby socks for my new niece.
Project Details
Yarn – Bernat Softee Baby – Pink (not my favorite yarn, very splitty but it was available
Pattern – Chevron Lace Socks by Ann Budd from Better than Booties Baby socks – Interweave Press
Needles – Size 0 dpns
