Tubular Sock
Socks are really the ultimate in comfort knitting for me, especially when I am working with self-patterning sock yarn and all I have to do is knit in the round without worrying too much about anything complicated. Emma sent me this lovely sock yarn and it's bright happy colors have been calling my name since they arrived on my doorstep(it's Opal Rodeo 1153, you can see the other Rodeo colors here, if you're interested). I know I already have a couple of other sock projects started, but those socks are either not for me or have some pattern that I have to pay attention to. So I decided to go back to my old favorite top-down sock orientation.
Where I got a little "wild and crazy" was to not only do these top down socks on double pointed needles (a first chez Keyboard Biologist), but also to try a new cast-on: a tubular cast-on followed by K1P1 ribbing.
I have to say, that I like this cast on quite a lot. It's a lovely stretchy edge and quite neat and polished looking. As with so many my diversions from my standard sock, I got a lot of help doing this from Lucy Neatby's Cool Socks Warm Feet
This little sock project is going to be getting onto the airplane with me when I take a vacation to San Diego next week. I'm thinking a lace scarf project might also need to come along. Anybody got any recommendations for good places for a knitter to go in the San Diego area? I've heard good things about Knitting La Jolla...
Needle Craft Cottage in Pacific Beach is pretty good too. Not a huge selection, but what they have is nice and usually for a good price. I like Knitting in La Jolla - it's my default yarn shop. here is a list of yarn shops in SD County. Common Threads has nice yarn, but it's organized by color. Another perk to the Encinitas shops is they're down the street from my favorite Thai place, Siamese Basil. The only other one on the list I've been to is Helga's in La Jolla. It's pretty skipable. Markup is huge and small quantities of most things.
This is a list of our meetups in case you get the itch to knit in public. Have a good visit, the weather has been really nice lately.
Oooo. San Diego! Sun!
I want to try the tubular. I found a site online but I didn't get it at all. I'll have to look for that sock book. I own another sock book, but it isn't that helpful really. It shows one way to do heels and toes and then just has different patterns in the same basic sock. Nice to start, but I'm ready for something else. You deserve a fun vacation :)
Oh, I just bought "Cool Socks Warm Feet" as I have had a hankering to knit socks. I took a class on sock knitting with Lucy Neatby once, loved it, and made a nice pair of socks which I gave a way. Sometimes it takes me a while.
That's more like Carnival yarn than Rodeo, but cute nonetheless. I also guess that those are the only socks you'll need in San Diego. Have fun.
I love knitting socks as well, provided they are like the ones you're doing now. Someday I plant to have enough of them that I no longer have to wear store bought socks. I am not, however, comforted by the stupid argyle sock I have to knit for the TKGA level II test. It's driving me crazy. How I wish we had to simply knit a sock of our choice! I'll definitely have to try out the tubular cast-on sometime, though I normally knit from the toes up. The best thing about sock knitting is its portability. I knit up a little lined bag to put my sock project in and it can go anywhere with me. I'm often seen at the yarn store with the bag hanging from my wrist, knitting away on a sock as I browse the store.
hola!! just wanted to say i read your blog frequently and enjoy it :) san diego is a great city, but i'm biased, i get to live here year round!
we have many many many knitting shops:
knitting in la jolla (a must see with her new bigger shop)
the black sheep (encinitas)
common threads (just a bit north of the black sheep, also encinitas)
the grove - a bookstore/yarn/accessory shop (30th and juniper, near the whistlestopbar where we knit n' sip on the 1st and 3rd sunday afternoons)
a new place downtown called The Nest (i haven't been yet, can't comment). feel free to email me for more info if ya like
inky
Off topic--Will you attend ISMB? Would you mind using your blog to see if there are enough of us for a knitting get-together there?
lisa
After reading this post I went right out and bought Cool Socks Warm Feet. I had been reading about it all over the place and then reading about it here reminded me that there was an autographed copy just waiting for me to buy it at my new LYS. I can't wait to start on some socks.
Wish I'd read all the info about Knitting shops in San Diego while I was there! I am now back in England and missing the fantastic 'Knitting in La Jolla'. We have nothing like this in Devon where I live. Still my son is in CA and bringing me home some yarn in August when he returns from a great year at UCSD. Kniiting isn't quite as fashionable in England as the USA, but we're getting there!