Applying what I learn

To say that I am lately obsessed with sock knitting would be an understatement.  I knew knitting was addictive.  I knew that I get "stuck" on knitting certain things for a while.  I will not tell you just how many scarves I've knit since 2005.  It is really embarrassing.

Usually, I will get comfortable, it is NOT a rut, and knit the same thing more than once.  Sometimes the second attempt on a pattern or project is just so I can master it.  Sometimes it is so I can make it better the second time around.  Even when it is the latter, research is not usually what leads to the subsequent attempt.

With this sock knitting thing though...I am not just interested in sock knitting, but in sock construction, sock techniques, toe up, top down, fingering weight, worsted weight.  All the sock yarns are so pretty.  The patterns are inspiring, challenging, fun, simple, difficult.  There is just something for every day, for every mood.

I know the blogs have been centered around knitting for some time now, and that IS mostly because I have really not been reading.  I have read a decent amount of blog posts.  I have read articles.  I have been reading about socks.  So, it is really frustrating that I haven't finished the first book toward my goal of 13 books in 2013, because if all the reading I have done was in the place of a novel at least a few would be finished and the goal wouldn't just be looming over me as I knit row after round on these various socks.

Let me show you a couple of the actual books I have been reading, but still somehow do not count toward my reading goal.

Most of my progress as interest so far has been on the first book pictured.  I can say, that from perusing the second I am getting really antsy about starting a top down sock.  The various patterns i have read lately, and the time spent reading these books has paid off already in my knitting.

This sock toe, I knit by working the increases in the first and last stitch on each needle, every other row.

This sock toe, I worked a little differently after taking some tips from my reading.  I worked the toe increases in the next to the last stitch at the beginning and end of each needle.  It provides a much neater edge.

Here you can look at the difference side by side.  In the left sock, it is the way I was knitting the toe before.  In the right you can see the much neater edge.