The Sally Sock

No sewing today - it's all about the socks. Specifically 'The Sally Sock' named after my lovely sewing friend who kindly showed me how to knit these. 

A pretty major goal of mine was to knit a sock. I've toyed with the idea for several years but it just looked...too hard. I tried to sign up to a local course but each time it immediately sold out.

Enter....Sally! Currently on her 5000th pair (or thereabouts ;-) pair, she very kindly imparted her wisdom over the course of several weeks to show me how to go about conjuring a sock into reality. And it really does feel like magic. 

Talking of magic - these are made with the Magic Loop method - which I shall be using for everything ever from now on. Circular needles win.

I was going to start off with the I'm So Basic Sock pattern from Summer Lee just to watch some of the videos however there was no substitute for having someone show you in real life and I am sincerely grateful for that. It helped we have the same size feet.

First we cast on and learnt how to go the magic loop rounds, creating some cuff ribbing. So many helpful hints along the way about not twisting the knit etc that I never would have known from a pattern. Then it got addictive. Ticking off the rows, going round and around, so meditative!

It then came to do a heel and I flipped out a bit as I had heard it was almost impossible if you weren't super pro however there was some amazing method for doing a short row heel which was found here at Purl Hunter. Encouraged by Sally even over WhatsApp I cracked on and 3 hours later found myself with a functioning heel!!

 Far far from perfect but I did not expect for it to work at all, and for a first sock perfection was never a goal. Nor will it ever be. There are holes, but holes can be sewn up.

To the foot again and this was just a case of 'doing the rounds' for a while until it touched my toes. I couldn't resist popping it on every now and again to see the progress.

At the toes came the decreases and the Sally Sock method continued with it's presentation of joy as a little sock formed!

And of course, being a two legged person there was a second sock to be done. A month later - toasty warm feet and a massive sense of satisfaction.

I'd say these socks were made with a wine next to me 90% of the time and almost 100% whilst watching Squid Game. 

Full disclosure - after this picture I did block the socks and for some reason they went massive despite being quite careful about squeezing and putting them on a sock blocker (::snigger::). Still wearable as 'sofa socks' in the cold though!

No joke, I felt that being taught by word of mouth and without a pattern as such, was kind of ethereal - like I was learning the secrets of our Nordic ancestors that had been passed down. It was quite the honour.  

And maybe one day in distant future when I've made enough socks to know how to do them properly, I could return the favour to Sally and everyone beforehand by teaching someone new myself...

So thank you Sally - and the many other 'Sally's' of the world who have taken their time to share knowledge to others and pass down skills, you're work will go on forever.