Knitting, Revisited

Many years ago, in Guelph, a good friend (Wendy) taught me how to knit. For a couple years after that I was an avid knitter and made many scarves, hats, and started two afghans (I promise, Shaun, I'll finish that one yet!). Then two years ago, another friend (Melanie) taught me how to crochet, and I was hooked. (hehe, get it? Hooked.)

I gave up on knitting, since it can be frustrating, and it's easy to drop stitches if you aren't careful. When you drop a stitch while knitting, you MUST be able to pick it up, or...you have to rip out your entire work and start over. Gah. Crochet is nothing like that. It's easier, you have to REALLY mess up in order to have to rip it out, and it uses one hook instead of two (or four!) needles.

However.

Many of the coolest patterns are for knitting only. And crochet, although nice and easy, is not knitting. And I wanted some knit socks. Therefore, I have re-taught myself to knit, and with Ben's help (thanks babe!), have taught myself, using an online tutorial, how to knit in the round using 4 double pointed needles and have begun my first-ever knitted SOCK!!! I'm using an awesome colorway called "Big Deal Teal" in Bernat's Jr Jacquards (it's a double knit weight). I got the yarn from Lens Mill for $4.29 a ball, each ball is approx 346 yds so it'll take just over one ball to do one pair. Which is pretty good. I got three balls, so I can do two pairs in this yarn.

I LOVE what Bernat has started doing with their labels; one of the most difficult things for me to do when picking out my yarn is to imagine what the colorway will look like when it's worked up. This is a self-striping yarn, so it's a mix of all different colors - instead on one solid color, it has different pattterns and variations of color all thru the ball. It's practically impossible for me to project the future pattern and YAY Bernat now puts a picture of the worked up yarn pattern on the label. If you go here you'll see what I mean!

Another thing I love about this yarn is that it's green: "product group from well-managed forests, controlled sources and recycled wood or fibre."

I will post again on this topic once the sock is a little further along.