The Final Four

Well Round 5 of Sock Madness is in the books.

Pattern: Mad to Dance

Needles: US 1 dpns (for my sister lol...dpns = double points) :-D

Gauge: 7 to 8 stitches to the inch

Yarn: Schaeffer's Anne Sock Yarn, in a green, tan and blue-grey colorway (they don't have names for their colors)

(Note to my sister: Yes I will happily make you socks...you have send me your foot measurements...remember? LOL)

Wowie zowie...it was fun but a lot of work for sure. Recieved the pattern about Noon on Friday...and was stumped almost immediately. The pattern called for a Norweigan Cast-on...hadn't even heard of it...but it turns out to be a variation on the long-tail cast-on, which is my preferred method. Now, the pattern had some instructions that were not typed out correctly and some other instructions that could be interpretted in different ways....so I got lost..........

In all I ended up having to rip out the first sock 5 times before I was able to correctly understand the pattern, I had to do the heel flap twice before I finally realized that I was not going to get exactly the same number that the designer had suggested. I say suggested because much of the pattern was left open to allow for flexibility and to make the sock customizable...which is cool but makes it a bit difficult to follow, especially when speed was of the essence, LOL.

I have to say right here that I would not have been able to figure this pattern on my own...I got a lot of help from the other players...and I do mean A LOT...you can go over and check out the posts at the flickr group and judge for yourself...lol... I want to make a special point of saying that my partner in the game, Siri, helped me the most...yes my partner! She stopped her own knitting to help decipher the pattern for me...this is the honest truth...I wish there could have been a way for both of us to go on to the next round! She deserves a prize for her "knitterly" sportsmanship! (Maybe there is one already picked out for and being made ready to be mailed out to her...not saying there is...just saying MAYBE...lol...wink). Anyway stop by her blog and let her know that she is way cool for playing the game the way she did ok?

In the end the pattern was not really difficult. It was a combination of lace and 2 by 2 cables. The heel flap was called a "clog" heel because the flap was 6 vertical rows of cables...very pretty effect. The designer does not seem to have a link for a blog...at least I haven't been able to find one. This was a complicated pattern so all in all I say she did a good job...not easy to keep all those yarn-overs and cables organized. The pattern, like some of the others, gave me ideas for my own designs.

Oh and before I forget...yesterday about 2:00 to 2:30 pm the power went out in my complex and didn't come back on until 12:45 am...grrr....so I did a lot of knitting in the dark...well by camping light anyway lol.

So, I made it to the Final Four. Unbelievable, I haven't been knitting a year yet and I have gotten really far playing a game with some people who have been knitting all their lives. I am humbled and ...well sorry if this sounds like bragging but I will be honest...I am proud of myself!

Well check out the pictures and let me know what you think...

BY THE WAY: I really do think I have a problem...LOL...I have been dreaming about spinning! Its all that DARN DAVE's fault! sigh....and of course I don't have any of the tools I need to get started or to even try it LOL....doesn't always work that way? sheesh!