10 Commandments for the Second Sock
First sock…not a problem.
Second sock…well, that’s another story.
1. Thou shalt not rush getting yarn out for cast on before walking out the door to dinner. The result will inevitably be a tangled mess laying at your feet.
2. Thou shalt not get smug about simple stockinette and begin knitting while chatting with friends, as this will require a rip-back at home.
3. Thou shalt read all steps of directions carefully, even though you’ve done them once before. Overlooking a line will lead to the wrong amount of stitches at the heel turn, placing the heel approximately where the ankle resides.
4. Thou shalt not try to mediate children’s argument while knitting the second sock, for the accompanying stress will lead to dropped stitches on very tiny needles requiring high intensity sunlight and super-powered magnification to replace, and even then the yarn will split.
5. Thou shalt not become absorbed in the Sunday BBC Radio 4 afternoon play and forget the k2tog on the other side of heel gusset.
6. Thou shalt not attempt to salvage forgotten k2tog by linking them up with a rug hook, for this will lead to a loose and shabby line of stitches.
7. Thou shalt pay attention to what strand of yarn you are wrapping with as choosing a loose end will bring you to its end at some point, sooner rather than later.
8. Thou shalt take the time to rip back the ‘wrapping with the wrong strand of yarn’ shambles, for by not doing so puts a quirky stripe where it has no business being.
9. Thou shalt take the time to try on the second sock for toe shaping as it just might be possible that both feet aren’t exactly the same size, risking toe strangulation.
10. Thou shalt be thankful this sock is not a gift, but for personal use and hidden in your shoes.
Must remember all that when I get to my second sock in the Lombard Street pattern, will have to get the first one finished first though. Is it possible to have firstsockitis?
21 Mar 2007 at 8:21 am
Guess you had a tough day with the second sock, hunh?! Time to start a new first sock!!
21 Mar 2007 at 6:41 pm
I mucked up on #3 just this week. Made my heel flaps 27 stitches instead of 21. Then though that there was a mistake in the pattern when I went to turn the heel and had a bunch of stitches left on one needle. Did it twice before I went back and CHECKED the pattern. and realized MY mistake. I’m fudging it now and hope that I can compensate for the rest of the sock. But like you said, It will eventually be hidden in my shoe.
22 Mar 2007 at 10:41 am
What about Thou Shalt Not forget to measure your knitting as you chat with friends and be filmed, as my leg is longer now than the first sock!!
Im going to leave it though, its probably about half an inch longer, maybe a little less
22 Mar 2007 at 10:56 am