Technique Thursday: A Sock-A-Thon, Learning New Techniques

     I'm at the beginning of my sock making adventures for the "One Sock Knitalong" by Mason-Dixon Knitting  and already I've had to tackle the long-tail cast-on and for a brief moment I think I had it mastered.  For a few brief moments mind you.  I need to practice several times to really get it.

I'm just like the "Little Engine that Could" repeating- "I think I can, I think I can".

The socks I'm making are Susan B. Anderson- How I Make My Socks and here is her tutorial on How to do the Long-tail Cast on.  It was well done.  I just had to repeatedly stop and rewind for a while to get it!

Susan B. Anderson- How I Make My Socks 

     As was mentioned on a Ravelry thread for the "One Sock Knitalong" Ravelry Mason-Dixon Forum I should of knit an extra stitch and slid that onto the beginning needle from the last needle to form a circle of needles. And then when beginning my round you knit the first two stitches together tying the loop closed and making a smooth edge.  Whoops!  I forgot to do that and I do have a bit of a dip, so at the end I'll use the tail of the thread and weave it in and hide it (how to hide mistakes, yup, got that down). This is a helpful tutorial to set up for a mitten (wish I had watched it again yesterday!) Casting On with Double Pointed Needles.

Ablet Knitting Abacus with the beginning of my first sock

     More help on sock making- Tin Can Knits- Let’s Knit Socks .  They have fantastic patterns for beginner knitters linked to tutorials step by step in their The Simple Collection.  I did their Maize Mitts and they not only came out great but they helped prepare me to do a much more difficult pattern of fingerless gloves with a mitten flap this past winter- Christmas Knitted Up.

Pressing on, knitting on, getting there.

My daughter Elisabeth's graduation from Middlebury College swiftly approaches and the traditional canes they give at graduation (in honor of the founder) are all wrapped up and ready to be given out.  She's the third in the family to receive a cane.  May the tears begin!  I've already decided to bring my sock knitting to keep me calm in my pretty long-handled zip-up LL Bean bag Boat and Tote Bag, Zip-Top (pssssst get the one with long handles so it goes over your shoulder like a purse!).

Traditional Middlebury Canes all ready and set to be given to graduates.

Previous year's Grads with their canes.