One Sock
*Poof* Two Socks
I got around to grafting the toe yesterday in chapel (I attend a religious university, click here if you are interested in knowing more about it). I am very happy with the results. The short row toes and heels hug my feet in all the right places. I plan on making more socks this way in the future.
I've been reading around on the Blogsphere lately a substantial amount of knit bloggers are writing about their "Sock History" (the two I've found most interesting can be found here and here. I won't go into mine here, seeing that 4 pairs socks in 2 years of being a knitter won't be interesting content for this blog. I do, however, have a question that maybe you guys could help me with. Is it necesssary to block socks like you would a sweater and if so when is it appropiate to do so? I know that many people have professional sock shapers or even cheap homemade ones made out of metal hangers but I'm not sure if that is what I should be doing too. Any answers? I would really like to know.
Q & A
Nik asked me in the comments of my last post what type of Addi Turbos I would like to own one day. To answer that question, to start I'm not very sure. I already have a wide assortment of needles. Most of my straight needles were bought while I was studying in Argentina back in 2005, while the majority of my DPNs are Clover brand bamboo bought in the USA. My Circs are also all from the USA and they too cover a wide gamut of sizes and materials. I guess if I had to choose, I'd take the mid range needles of 7 US -- 9 US. I prefer to work with DPNs when it comes to small knits like socks, wrist warmers, and hats because they feel more comfortable in my hands than circular needles.
Weekend Plans
So next Monday and Tuesday I'm off from school. This just means that I'll have more time to do all of the homework that my teachers have assigned me for next week. Though I will be pretty busy with school, I am going to start swatching for the Central Park Hoodie, regardless of how much or how little homework I get done this weekend.
I've also been commissioned to knit for money! A friend of mine said she wanted some wrist warmers, so I agreed and we worked out the details this past week. She said that she didn't care to get them ASAP but I'm going to try and fit it into my schedule so I can get it to here within a week or 2.
I don't plan on knitting for money often anytime soon. I much prefer to teach a man how to fish than to give him what he needs for that day. Last year when I had more time, I hosted a knitting class and told people that wanted hand knits had to learn how to knit because my time was way more valuable than their money.
I finally broke down when a girl asked me to knit her 2 scarves over spring break last March. I knitted them out of chunky wool and she paid me $40. Not too bad for a first transaction. Now that I have bills and rent to pay, maybe doing some knitting for money isn't looking too bad afterall. What do you guys think? Would you knit for money if you needed some extra cash? If so, would you use the best materials possible or would you try and get cheap materials to make maximum profits? It's not like many non-knitters know the difference between acrylic and wool, right?
Anyway, I'll have more for you next week. Until then, happy knitting everyone!
1 comment:
hey kelly, here's my 2 cents. knit for what it's worth ... time is money, and the materials add to the value.
blocking socks ... don't do it, sort of .... okay, when the socks come off the needles, and the ends are woven in, i turn them sideways, in profile, and steam them, ... mushing out the lumps and bumps with my fingers. regular wools socks are fine to just wash and dry, (washed in the shower and hung over the rod), ... but some "superwash" wools really benefit, in my opinion, from a gentle low heat tumble in the dryer. it kinda pulls them back into shape. i don't give my socks that kind of treatment often because i don't have a washer & dryer, and must visit the laundromat.
i did make some wire hanger sock blockers, and i do like them! i do use them sometimes.
for me, the trick is to wash my handknit socks the next morning in the shower, and either hang them over the curtain rod, on the wire sock blockers, or flat to dry .... and this is only so the sock pile doesn't grow a mile high.
but, bottom line is, i do like to "block" them into shape so they don't get all elongated and stretched out for wearing.
happy knitting! i look forward to the CPH swatching :)
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