Sunday, April 13. 2008
Ufo's, socks, and coffee beans
« How to care for a blog | Hauptseite | Synchronicities, coincidences, and such »
Like everyone else who sews or does needlework, I have quite a collection of ufo's (un-finished objects) – and for all sorts of reasons. Some I got stuck on, some got boring, some I wasn't pleased with, etc. On some I ran out of time so they got put aside and then it is always very difficult to pick up an already started, old job and get back in the swing of things...it‘s easier to start something new.
One thing that almost never ends up becoming an ufo is socks. I love to knit socks. They are relatively quick to make and when they are finished, they are ready to use – no blocking, no seams, just hide a few thread ends. They are my favorite take-along project because they are never too big and because they can easily be started and stopped without having to worry about “what do I do next?” (Having said this I must admit that I recently forgot to turn the heel on a sock I was making. I just knit the heel flap, picked up stitches along the side of the flap and proceeded to shape the ankle. The sock still fits ok, which makes me wonder why we bother to turn heels. I knit the partner sock the correct way and now I can compare how they both are to wear and how well each of them wears. Maybe I can comment on the results of this “study” in a couple of years....hand knit socks last a long time.) But I digress....
I (of course) have plenty of ufo‘s that I should be working on, but this weekend I finished one pair of socks and decided that I would try something new, sock-wise. A couple of months ago I found a nice knit pattern for socks in a Dutch needlecraft magazine that I subscribe to. It‘s a traditional Dutch pattern called “coffee beans” (“koffieboontje” in Dutch). A small pattern over 4 stitches and 4 rows. Perfect for socks, and a nice change from my standard 2k, 2p ribbing. I started the first sock and I really enjoy the pattern. Since it‘s so small, it‘s easy to memorize, easy to start up again after you have laid it down for a while, and easy to find and repair mistakes (guess how I know this!).
Here‘s a picture of the start of my sock. Serendipitously the color change of the yarn more or less corresponds to the pattern unit (dumb luck).
For anyone who is interested, here is the pattern:
Row 1: *k2, p2, rep from * continuously
Row 2: *k1, yo, k1, p2, rep from * continuously
Row 3: *k3, p2, rep from * continuously
Row 4: *slip 1 k-wise, k2, pass slipped stitch over, p2, rep from * continuously
Repeat these four rows as often as needed/desired.
Wunderfully witty and recognizable record of the life of a 'self-made' lady. Love the blog and look out for more merry Mary stories!
Lots of luck and warm greetings!