Like designing, there's more to blogging than meets the eye. I've been trying to get some of those cool buttons to link to other blogs, but all I got was a picture of said button. Bummer! Turns out you need a little HTML to do that. So I'm gonna be plowing through an HTML book this weekend to see if I can learn anything. Always something new.

Am reading "Blogging for Dummies". Some of it explains the obvious, like how to get to Blogger and read the instructions. Apparently I could have got myself in a real mess and decided to blog on WordPress. It looks nifty, but you have to download the software and publish the thing from scratch! How can you write great thoughts when you have to figure out geekspeak? HTML is going to be challenge enough.

Am nearly finished with a successful practice sock! Well, at least it will be wearable. I still get that itty bitty hole that shows up at the ankle when you finish with the short rows and start knitting in the round again. I think this time I simply forgot to pick up the wrapped stitches. Since I have to knit the mate to this one, there will be another opportunity to work with this problem.

This one I'm calling the Michelin Man sock for the horizontal ribbing at the cuff. Someone has probably done this before, so I'll have to check it out before offering this one for sale. It is a fun and easy sock, though. Knitty might like it, especially if I figure out the hole in the ankle thing.

Vintage KAL button

Here is a cool site if you are bored with instant knitting...

http://www.kitchenerbitch.com

Did it!

I've finally turned out a sock that looked pretty good. I used worsted weight yarn on #8 needles. Unfortunately my guage swatch was done on #6 needles that I thought were #8s...don't ask me how...so the sock was rather loose. But who would wear worsted weight socks anyway?

Finished up with a rather cool looking cuff of horizontal ribbing, rather like the Michelin Man, but the whole business stayed in place in spite of the large guage.

Sportweight is next, to see if I've really "got it". If it looks spiffy enough, it might turn out to be the Knitty sock. I'd have to get some current yarn for the final version, but hey! Simple and fun is a good thing.

Now it starts...

Well, the design euphoria is over and the work begins. After about 4 re-knits of Frogger's heel I have come to the conclusion that I need to spend some time learning how to knit socks. Basic, elemental practice on (supposedly) simple stuff. In the old days 6 year olds not only knit socks, but sold them! Knitty will just have to wait for now.

I've been messing with toe up socks and short row shaping. The advantage seems to be that I'll be able to remember the technique without having to look it up every time.

This weekend I did one toe with a provisional cast-on, then learned that some used a crochet cast-on. Sounded easy, so I did a toe with a crochet cast-on. I was still working with color stranded, fingering weight yarn. The short rows looked like lace...just the thing to allow toes to escape, durn it! Then the crocheted piece wouldn't unravel like it should.

That's when I decided back to the drawing board. The current project is with some ancient Green Mountain yarn from my stash. Worsted weight on #8 needles so I can actually SEE what is going on!

And...oh goody, I've figured out how to link to other sites!

Poor ol' Frogger

This poor sock is living up to it's name. I've ripped out the heel twice and am still not satisfied. Looks like this will be a dry run...I could never offer this to Knitty or any other magazine.

There is a heel stitch that uses slip stitches...I seem to remember using it at one time.

Maybe what I need to do is make some plain ol' boring functional socks so I can work on technique and not worry about color stranding.

I understand that Deborah Newton worked for an entire year on a design before submitting it to anyone! Guess I can do the same.