True story: When I was still a classroom teacher, now probably 10 years ago (and probably 20 pounds heavier ago), I was up at the overhead projector, teaching English class. Donte was to my right, in the front row. He was always an incredibly bouncy boy (hence sitting in the front row to keep his attention), a "young" seventh grader, but very sweet and genuinely funny and charming. As I stepped away from the overhead to write something on the board, he interrupted me to declare, in the middle of class, "Dang, Miss Atkins, you got yourself some big legs!" Dumbfounded, but laughing I told him that that generally wasn't a compliment, and the rest of the class proceeded to evaluate the size of my legs, calves, ankles. Donte did mean it as a compliment, I know, but the truth is, I did have some big legs, and still do, especially for being petite.
So this is why I am concerned. I got my legs from my mom, and everything else too (including brains, sense of humor, quick wit and taste in men). These socks (Koigu, US1s, yarnover cable pattern) are supposed to be for my Mom for Mother's Day. I have been knitting furiously, monogamously, on them, and finished sock #1 up the to the ribbing last night at Rosebud's swim lesson. Then I tried them on. I wear a size 7, my mom wears 8 1/2. They're a little, um, snug around my ankle. The calves are fine, as I switched to US2s when I got to the calf area.
My mom has never asked me to knit anything for her; she doesn't wear scarves or hats, and has never expressed interest in a sweater. I did make her an aran afghan one year for Christmas, and she does love it and gushes appropriately over it still. But once she did say that she might like some knitted socks. So, now, I am knitting Mom some socks. For Sunday. Which probably won't fit.
So I have begun sock #2 on US2s. Please say a prayer to the knitting gods that I can finish this pair of socks for the most deserving Mom in the world!
I've really been enjoying everyone's posts on MDSW. This is why I will not be going in the foreseeable future:
My baby, the happiest boy in the world, turned 3 on Monday. Dinosaur hunts and chocolate cake in the backyard beat even the best fiber fest any day.
5 comments:
Good luck with the socks! I am sending you vibes for quick and sure stitches ...
Fill the beginner in here, surely you are not using a cable needle for socks knit on 1s? Isn't that really difficult? Is a yo cable something different? Am I asking silly questions?
BB and I very much enjoyed your Velveteen Rabbit homage.
When the kids are older and your happy boy is in love with fiber, we'll all go for his birthday ...
Sending quick-knitting vibes! When I was just barely pregnant with Male child I had to stay home for almost a month. When I returned to work, and just before I was about to tell the students that I was pregnant, one student commented "Miss ... did you gain weight?" Talk about tack!
What a lucky mom!
Such a face!
Good luck with your mom's socks. And Happy Mother's Day to you.
I'm wishing you speedy sock knitting. I love the Sensational Knitted Socks book, (and that cable pattern is lovely). I obsess, though, over how many stitches to use for each person. The charts in the book make it look so easy, but each pattern will pull in a different amount (or stretch, for ribbings). It seems that her system of making a direct gauge-to-stitches calculation would produce a pretty baggy sock. I'm finding that negative ease is important, at least in the socks for myself. What do you think?
Amy
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