Socks, socks, socks

Actually, it's more like sock, sock, sock. Ages ago I made a blue stripey sock for 'im indoors. Even though I used the same pattern that I have used before, the sock didn't fit him very well. It lay around in my knitting basket feeling sorry for itself for quite a while. Eventually, I decided to bite the bullet and rip the sock out.

So, I started again. This time I used Wendy's generic toe-up sock pattern. I like the toe of this sock - you don't have to try and wrestle with a few stitches on four dpns. However, if you look at the pattern carefully, you will see that she uses a short row heel (which is just like the toe) without a gusset. Easy to do, nicely explained and once it was done I got him to try it on and that's when we realised he couldn't actually get it on his foot. 'Im indoors is a man who needs a gusset.

I ripped the heel out, I ripped part of the foot out. I ripped a bit of my own hair out too, for good measure. I made a gusset, using the original pattern. I then used this heel, which I have never done before. It's very like the one on Wendy's sock. Finally, we have a sock that fits.



So this is the third sock (but, paradoxically, it's only the first sock).

Here's a close-up of the gusset and heel:



The Hungarian Grand Prix (Go Jensen!) has meant that progress on the fourth second sock has been good:



I believe some people make two socks at the same time on two circular needles - good job I wasn't doing that. Imagine how many socks I'd be up to by now.

What's that? Oh, you tuned in here to see progress on the Wedding Ring Shawl? Here you go:



That is two pattern repeats plus five rows of the third repeat. She is coming on.

Added later: I have just had a massive, three-hour-long fight with Blogger, trying to get the pictures to appear. I think I have cracked it but if not, please let me know.