On your mark -

get set -
knit!
Thank-you to all of you who were concerned enough about my sanity to warn me off the size 0 needles. (Those who know me well know I need all the help keeping my sanity that I can get!) I stopped in at my LYS (local yarn shop) to see just how small they are (SMALL!), talked to the clerks, got some good advice (use slightly heavier yarn and the needles you already have) and a ball of Plymouth Encore Sock yarn in a colorway of Brian's choosing. Then, like a knight in shining armor riding in on a white horse, Melanie emailed me with an offer to help me learn how to knit socks. Remember Melanie? She's my twin (must have been separated at birth) who gifted me with my very first pair of handknit socks for my birthday last year:How much does Melanie love me? Well, besides giving me the awesome socks pictured above, when I told her that I was really drawn to the idea of using one or two circular needles and doing two at once toe-up to combat second-sock syndrome and running out of yarn, she set aside her beloved DPs, ran out and bought some circs, and set about learning something new so she could better help me! Oh, and she also sent me her easy, foolproof pattern to start with. No, it isn't toe-up, but I'm fine with that since there is NO chance I will run out of yarn making a pair of socks for my seven-year-old.

The road to Sockdom did have a few bumps at the beginning. Melanie recommended using the twisted German cast-on, so I found a couple YouTube videos on it. Watched both videos, then got my yarn and needles in hand and tried to follow along. Thought I was managing, but after several stitches it looked all wrong on my needle. Tried again, same result. Watched the videos several times more and FINALLY figured out that I was supposed to drop the yarn off my thumb with each cast on stitch, then pick it up again. (In my defense I've never before tried any form of long-tail cast-on.) I finally got 48 stitches cast on, did the magic with the loop (thanks to more YouTube videos) and started knitting - WHEEE! Oops, I'm supposed to be doing ribbing. Ripped it out; cast on again. Did the magic loop and started ribbing. Finished the first side, then pulled on the wrong cable. Thought I got all the stitches back on the needle correctly but found otherwise when I got around to that side again. Sigh. Ripped again. Third time was a charm (seems I often need to go through this exercise when starting something new in knitting) - until I realized that the sock in progress was going to be too big for my long, lean lad's "chicken" legs. One more time, with fewer stitches. I doubt I will ever forget the twisted German cast-on now after doing it four times in quick succession!

That's it for now from the knitting corner at . . .