Tales of traveling socks
Hey you guys, happy new month!!
Today, amongst a million other things, I cast off a pair of socks. The last pair of socks from our trip. Which made me think about those four pairs of socks that I knitted and the where's and the when's and the how's.
Back in July, just before we left home, I agonised over craft projects; What would I make? How much yarn could I fit in? What would happen if I ran out of yarn? And what would I do with the finished projects?
After a while I decided that socks were the solution. A pair of socks usually uses less than 100 grams of yarn so they are a small project and therefore very portable. Socks can be simple pimple or all kinds of intricate. And the finished product can be worn straight away. Yay!
So I wound a few balls and the night before we left Melbourne I cast on the pair above. I like to have the socks actually started before I go through the security check ins at the airport just in case they hassle me for having sharp pointy things in my carry on. They never have though.
I knitted that top pair in Israel and took the photo in the first Airbnb we stayed in in London. I wore them all the time in England after that. Summer hey?!
I Raveled them here.
The next pair I cast on in England and knitted most of them at Spoonfest. At Spoonfest I discovered that I am more of a soft, woolly type of person, than a knife and axe type of person.
A few people came up to me and said they wished they had brought their own knitting or crochet but they didn't, so I knitted while they all chopped and carved.
I finished the second pair in Tuscany.
I've Raveled them here.
I cast the next pair on on the train trip from Florence to Roma, knit them in Roma and then cast them off in Crete.
These socks were so very simple and quick to make and I think they'd be a great project for someone wanting to try colour-work. I really love them. In fact I love them so much that I think I have to keep them and not give them away to a friend as I had planned.
I've raveled them here.
I'm most excited about the next pair because I bought the yarn to knit them from Loop London. I have a whole blog post planned about our pilgrimage to Loop, hopefully I'll get to it soon. Just know that it is as cosy and gorgeous and inspiring as you've imagined.
Virtually as soon as we walked in the door Miss Indi spotted the yellow Socks That Rock yarn and begged me to knit her a pair. I love how cheery it makes that pile of gorgeousness look.
It took ages for me to get going once she'd picked the pattern. I think that was partly due to the fact that the pattern I was following was written for socks that are knitted from the cuff down to the toe, whereas I knit from the toe up to the cuff. And also I find that there is a point in cable knitting when the pattern just clicks and makes sense, for some reason this one took a few repeats to get there.
But after that beginning bit where I had to concentrate like crazy - I knit them everywhere. I knit them on a boat, by the beach, in a cave house, by the pool, I could even knit them after a few shots of raki!!
Ahhhhh how I loved living in a cave house. (Except for the bit where we had to throw the toilet paper in the bin after use, ew!)
I cast those sunshiny Greek Island socks off today. My farmer boy was in Ballarat with Indi at the orthodontist and I should have been planting seeds but instead I was squooshed up to a sickly Miss Pepper on the couch while she watched a movie. Good Mothering + the last few rows of my knitting = win-win!
I've Raveled them here.
Tomorrow I'll darn in the ends and hand them over. I'm excited to move on to a new project, but at the same time a little sad to see another part of our adventure ended.
I think I need a quick and chunky project next.
So how about you?
what are you making/baking/creating/growing?
I hope your October is oh so awesome!!
Lots-a-love,
Kate
xoxo
ps I saw my first snake of the season today in the rhubarb patch. Not happy.
ps It's 11pm and one of Indi's friends just came in to thank us for our hospitality. So sweet!