Saturday, March 10, 2007

Backwards and in high heels

My boss asked me to clarify a knitting point that cropped up in the book she's listening to. Three times in a character's life she has made the mistake of turning a heel twice, and each time it portended some life-changing event. Boss wanted to know what "turning a heel twice" meant. I explained, we discussed what a twice-turned heel might look like, and she asked further questions about sock construction.

I told her that while socks usually are knit cuff-to-toe, I prefer knitting them the other way, toe-up. In fact, I said, I tend to be drawn to odd construction techniques, to knitting things the opposite way. Toe-up socks, top-down hats. I convert sweater patterns to the round so I don't have to sew. "I like to do things backwards and in the round," I said. "I am the Ginger Rogers of knitting."

I completed the Lillehammer hat with no fancy adaptations. Just in time for spring to finally begin breaking through. I think of this as my "Robin Hood" hat, since I was watching the new series when I started working on it. The ribbing flares out a bit at the bottom, which makes this particular hat a bit too flapper-ish.

My hopes are still high for Tallguy's toe-up gusset and heel flap breakthrough, but meanwhile I might just make Widdershins socks for Nancy. Based on a comment on Tallguy's blog, I bought the Queen Kahuna Crazy Toes & Heels Sock Book. Good if you like verbose, detailed, step-by-step instructions, but I should've known it wasn't for me.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Verbose"?

yarmando said...

Yeah, I know, I can get a little chatty here. But if I'm putting a pattern out there that I really expect people will use, I try do some editing. Take a look at this snapshot of a typical page in the Queen Kahuna book.

I think there's really good advice in this book, but I expect that locating it will be a struggle.

Tallguy said...

Hehehe --- I didn't make you buy that book, you know!

But I have learned that you have changed your mind, and you now find it quite useful. I'm still working on writing out my pattern on paper, but I've lost interest in it now. It's just not that important so much anymore.