2010 Knitting Olympics

I took the Knitting Olympics pledge Friday night and committed to finishing a project in 17 days!  I just couldn't let the Yarn Harlot down and not join this year.  Last time i check on her website there were 3789 knitting athletes. My choice of pattern was of course not straightforward. I joined the Blue Moon 2010 Rockin Sock Club and had this hank of gorgeous yarn staring at me.


 The colorway is Happy Go Lucky. 

 There were two patterns included in the kit. I was torn between which one to do. I prefer toe up socks since you can try it on as you go and you can ensure you don't run out of yarn by just making the leg shorter if you run short of yarn.  The toe up pattern is Cascadia by Sivia Harding,  The top down pattern is Flabella by Christian Bain.  I really liked the top down Flabella but I didn't want to knit from the  top down and have to do a heel flap!  So I've decided to do a hyrbid where I'll do the toe up and then do the pattern from Flabella!








Back in the Fall I was lucky enough to take a class from Cat Bordhi at Knitch in Atlanta, Ga.  In this class, Cat taught her new method of knitting socks from the Toe Up.  Her book is the Personal Footprints for the  Insouciant Sock Knitter.  This has to be the greatest method for knitting a sock that is custom fitted and had no seam at the toe and better yet no heel flap!




The first night was spent getting the toe started.  I used a 2.25 mm needle so I had to figure out many stitches would cover my toes.  On a 2 mm needle it was 66 stitches but on the 2.25 mm needle I only needed 60 stitches.  This means less knitting!  I just wonder how the thickness will compare between socks knitted with a .25 mm size difference.




After one day of knitting, I have made the first increase at I start the rise of the sock towards the ankle.  I can keep up this pace, I'll have them finished by the closing ceremonies.