Knitting Magic

My first pair of socks were not magical - they were a challenge. They were frustrating. They looked goofy and they didn't fit. They were top down with some sort of wrapped (or warped?) short row heel and I thought that was the end of my sock knitting career. However, sock yarn is so beautiful that I knew I couldn't give up on socks. So I took a class on toe up socks, on 2 circulars - ahhhh, much better experience. We learned a great Turkish cast on and an afterthought heel. These socks turned out better, but still had many "design features" that might have been lace if they were consistently placed.... I wasn't going to give up, so I started researching patterns. I stumbled on a magical book in my local library: Queen Kahuna's Crazy Toes and Heels This book has pictures for those of us that have to see exactly which stitch goes where (and how) in a Make 1. Exactly where the stitches and yarn are supposed to be for the heel turn - each step of the way - the book has so many colored pictures of each step, so there is no guess work - no getting lost - no getting confused. I have used the Queen's method for all my socks (no wrap & turns either!) and then use a fun pattern for the cuff. I bought the book and still use it, step by step, for the toe increases and the heel turns. If you have any frustration with knitting socks, I recommend you check out this book!

The first pair had a wonderful fit as soon as I turned the heel - and no "design feature" holes in the Make 1 increases after the toe cast on. They were fun to knit and no frustration - all was predictible, just like the pictures.

The pattern I chose for the cuff had to be magical as well, and they turned out to be a favorite pair of socks, as they opened the door to continued magical sock knitting! (have you tried this one - Harry Potter Horcrux socks http://knittingasfastasican.com/2007/horcrux-redux/#comments can you see the zig-zag scar in the lace pattern?) These are knit out of Fiesta yarn -great fun!