One done, one to go...

The last time I posted, I didn't have any pics to show because I was having trouble uploading them (damn PC at home!). So this time, I have a finished article to show you, and some of the In-Progress shots!I won't bore you with the complete history of the sock making progress!
So on the left here, we have the cuff of the sock.
See how smooth the transition is through the different colours. This fair isle business is so easy its unbelievable. I don't know what all the fuss is about.
Oh okay then, I used self patterning yarn, you have caught me out, I'm not a good liar, I always crumble.

I used Sirdar Town & Country wool rich 4ply sock yarn, it is 75% wool and 25% nylon, and (4) 2.75mm dpn's.
I added in another dpn to make it 5 whenever I reached the heel, but this was a 2.5mm one as I didn't have a fifth 2.75. It doesn't seem to have impacted too badly on it!
When we met in SnB on Saturday, I had just finished the heel part and I think was on the first white part after the heel here in this photo below, it was easy to get this far:



I then didn't touch the sock for the rest of the day, and the next morning finished off the whole thing, grafting the end point using kitchener stitch.
I have small feet so only knit 38 of the 48 rows for the foot part, but in hindsight I probably should have knit another couple of rows. I ended up adding another 2 rows onto the toe part after doing the decreases. I will try this in the second sock

Here is a close up of the toe and the toe decreases.

These photos are of course, unblocked, I'll do that when I have the second one done.

The sock is quite comfortable, I must say. It will be interesting to wear them for a while and see what they are like. I've never worn handknitted socks before!
Oh, the cast on I used in the end was using 2 needles together in order to make the stitch loose, and I cast on as I normally do using them. Its nice and stretchy now. Nothing worse than having marks from the cuff of a sock!
So, just as a distraction from all the knitting talk, for all you out there in blog-land who love to see a bit of other lives, here is a picture of my back garden (well, the corner of it) with my lovely chimenea residing proudly in it, next to the bird feeder. Please ignore the dullness of the pic, as I took it through the glass of the sliding doors, and also the huge amount of weeds, these beds were weeded to within an inch of their lives last summer, and I DON't know where they have come from! I'm too much of a wuss to go out in the cold and weed so it will have to wait for warmer days. Same for the grass! I'd rather knit.... ;)
The SnB meet-up went well, there were approximately 9-10 of us there, people ordered lunch and tea/coffee/soft drinks. Very civilised, us. I may have to suggest an evening knit at some stage and see how we get on with wine in tow! I'd say that would be fun.
Everyone was chatty, and one of the topics of conversation was what was going on in O'Connell Street and Nassau Street. If you haven't been near the news, there was supposed to be a march from Parnell Square to the Dail by a Love Ulster group, and it never even started. They were accosted by a load of thugs, who had no idea what any of it was all about and started a riot. (not that I am particularly political, or support Orange men marching, not at all! However, I don't support idiots who get a kick out of harming others, and other people's property, and causing general havoc for everyone. Im not even going to mention the bad press it gives us!)It didn't help that there were works in progress on O'Connell St, which added fuel for the thugs to throw items. there were tv shots of a guy picking up one of those large bricks and dropping it to try and break it in 2 in order to throw it.... The Irish Independent ran this story about it today.
Anyway this is nothing to do with the riot above, but I found when I got home later on, that I didn't want to knit at all (weird!) which is actually what happened the last time I went to SnB. The last time, I didn't knit for the rest of the weekend, this time it only lasted for Saturday (phew). In fact, I had the whole weekend to knit in peace if I wanted as my bf was down at his Dads for the weekend and I wasn't in form for going out with friends as I wasn't feeling 100%.
However, I did manage to get myself together yesterday afternoon in order to go and see this

Walk the Line, wasn't the normal type of film I would go to see, but I love Joaquin Phoenix, and I love Reese Witherspoon, and they both lived up to my expectations. The music even was great, and I don't normally like country music, in fact it has been known to turn my stomach. Of course both actors sang all the songs themselves, which was particularly nice to see, the talent they both have! The chemistry between Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon was electric at times, I love a good love story!! Heres a review from timeout

posted by tangelled angel @ Monday, February 27, 2006