Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Guppy vs. Socks...SOCKS WIN!

Usually when I utter the phrase "SOCKS WIN" I'm referring to the White Sox. Unfortunately the Pink Sock is more ruthless and cunning and, frankly, the better player. Hey, I love the Sox, but I'm realistic.

So...I've been working diligently on my first sock. I was enjoying the challenge of it. It took me a while to get going on it though, but I was going to muscle through it! I was not going to let this sock beat me! It's small. It can't do that much to me!

*waving white flag of surrender*

Grab a Snickers and have a seat. Allow me to tell you a Fish tale...

Saturday: Went to knitting class at my LYS and figured the basics for starting it.

Sunday: I measured my foot wrong, so I had cast on way too many stitches. Frogged it. Found a pattern chart online and spent two hours trying to wrap my head around the numbers and calculate the math for my sock.

Monday: I wasn't actually knitting in a circle. I had somehow managed to turn the cast on as if I was knitting on straights, so it didn't join. Frogged it.

Tuesday: Working with 5 dpns was too much. So I went to four. And managed to drop enough stitches doing it that I needed to frog it.

Wednesday: I somehow twisted one of the needles. Frogged it.

Thursday: I accidentally flipped my work over, so instead of working the sock counterclockwise in a circle, I actually went down the left side, across the bottom, flipped the sock and went back across the bottom and UP (what turned out to be) left side again, then flipped the work and went back DOWN the left side...You can see it coming, can't you? Yup. Frogged it.

Friday: Hallelujah! NO FROGGING! I got it started! Finally! Stayed up until about 2 a.m. trying to get as much done as I could because I had class the next morning and wanted to at least have the leg portion done.

Saturday: Talked to Anita at class and found out how to at least start the heel flap. By that time my arm and wrist were in agony from all the tight knitting on itsy-bitsy needles with skinny yarn, so I switched to the ribbon scarf for my mom. Ahhh...Blessed size 13s.

For a few days I didn't work on it because I was giving my arm a break. Picked it up again last night...

Found out in all the frogging and recasting, I somehow managed to cast on 8 too many stitches. After contemplating which would be quicker: head in the oven or knife to the wrists...I took it off my needles using some waste yarn. I decided that I was having enough problems with this particular sock that I just was done with it. I may go back to it at some point and just do it anyway, but at this point...no.

I wasn't particularly happy with the yarn. It was a pretty color, and the stitches looked nice and tight, but if you stretched it at all, it would sag. I also found out most people like to use a size smaller needle for the rib, and that makes a lot of sense to me, so I want to try that, too. So I'm going to return the yarn I bought, and look for something a little nicer.

See? I was so proud of myself for finishing mom's scarf that the Hubris Gods decided to smite me. What's that quote? The best way to make the gods laugh is to tell them your plans. Well, there you go. Living proof.

A Humble Guppy
AKA The Fish With Sticks

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