Neighbourhood Tunnels........................

I have just realised that although I have blogged about these on the Sock(topus)Club board I haven't updated on my own.

So to recap at the start of March I received this from Alice


Containing this

Which turned out like this





But to make them I had to learn to do this


That's right - I had to learn toe up. A big thankyou to Quelle Erqsome without her help I would never have managed it.

So along the way at various stages they looked like this



I took my time to get started on these. The lacey pattern itself is really quite easy and logical but it was the whole toe up thing that made me put off starting and then once I had started the anticipation of having to do the heel.
I put that off for a little while too and then I thought time was running out to get them finished to be in with a chance of the prize draw and also I want to get my badge for completing them. So I had to go it alone and on the Sunday afternoon I had a go and actually it was much easier than I thought although I still think my technique has some polishing to be done. They have achieved the right effect but not as the designer quite wrote the pattern I fear. Emma please forgive me on this one I did my best?

Anyway once I had managed it off I went, plain sailing up the cuff. Now all I had to do was repeat it all again for the second sock. I managed it but I am still not sure I did exactly the same thing on both heels but I do think I understand short rows a little better now.

I am now looking forward to the arrival of parcel three sometime this weekend. I wonder what new technique I am going to have to learn next.

I also have to comment on the most beautiful sock blockers that came with this months parcel (well shortly afterwards). They really are lovely. I desperately want some in other sizes now too. A D&T project for one of the children I think.

Sock(topus)Club Part Two - Neighbourhood tunnels..........

Ok so I am a little late in posting the arrival of the most recent Sock(topus)Club parcel which arrived on Monday last week. This has been eagerly awaited since finish the Karenina socks back in February. Unfortunately I am one of those that is going to have to wait a little longer for my sock blockers - but hey as long as they arrive in time to block these what does it matter?
So the yarn - Sheldridge Farm Ultra in shade Arcade Fire, especially dyed for the socktopus sock club and the colours chosen by our designer Emma Haigh, better known to us all as Quelle Erquesome leader of the Moustachio liberation front.





I have to say I was initially a little wary of this colour having had experience of the same brand of yarn in another colourway pooling a lot with a pair of lace socks that I knitted and not being as pleased with the yarn knitted as I was with it on the skein. However, this has now grown on me and I am feeling far more confident about it. The blue isn't turning out to be as dominant as first thought it would. I have to say I do love the red and orange colours in the yarn and actually the end of the skeins here shows it well.



I still think though I would have loved them to be this colour all over, although I can always buy more yarn and knit another pair. The sock club is all about challenges for me and taking me out of my comfort zone and it isn't only the colour way that has done that!

Toe up! What's that all about? Having battled with loading the CD, still not solved at this point I went on to look in more detail at the pattern keen to cast on. But hello, what is this? A crochet hook and make a chain! Ahhhhhhh.

OK lucky for me Emma is not too far away and kindly agreed to meet up to teach me this new technique. I am sure I could have managed but it is great to have the reasurance of the designer on hand with coffee in a cafe in comfy leather sofas. The key here I think was reading the pattern carefully for each step and not just guessing.

So after much hilarity here is my first efforts at a toe up sock....







Thank you Emma for taking these pics for me as although I brought my camera I had forgotten to put the battery in it. Forgetfulness has been something of a theme this week but that is for another day.

And the following is a little further progress once I carried on at home..


I am really quite happy with the way the colour in the yarn is knitting up now.
I did try to attempt the next patterned part of the sock but alas I made a mess of that and need to find a block of time when I can shut myself away and concentrate. Although at the moment I am thinking another coffee session and tutorial with Emma maybe needed later in the week.