February 2, 2006
Sock Challenge
Before I went to the ER over the holidays I put on a pair of my handknit socks. It was actually the pair that I made out of the Opal Rodeo that I had received from Emma as part of one of our yarn trades. It wasn't really one of those moments when I should have been concerned about what socks I was wearing, but still, something compelled me to fish them out of my suitcase and put them on. Clearly, they were just socks, and they couldn't fix the problem I was experiencing, but they made me feel a little bit better. Even with a whole lot of other unfamiliar things around me I still had something of my own with me. And my feet stayed warm. Which was a good thing given that it was December and hospitals aren't overheated places.
Surprisingly, the socks also got noticed by one of the doctors who did help make my condition better. She stopped and asked me about them, loved the bright colors. Thought it was wonderful that I had made them. And then, to make sure that they didn't get messed up while she did her job, she helped me get them off and put them in a safe place (she gave me a pair of warm, but not as attractive, hospital socks). I would have liked to keep them on, but by that time, they had served their most important purpose -- they had helped to create a bond between me and the doctor who was helping me. So not only had they kept me warm, but the had helped me become more comfortable in an equally important way as well.
I was in the ER for quite some time that night... from about 8 at night until about 4 in the morning. And my family, (John, my parents and my brother and his wife) was there the whole time as well. When you have that much time in the hostpital and you're not sedated and not in extreme discomfort, you have a lot of time to think about things. You can focus on the event at hand, or you can try to divert yourself onto things that make you happier. Fortunately for me, my brain decided to focus on socks. More specifically, how my socks had made my medical adventure a little bit better and how wouldn't people in need of medical assistance be much happier if they all had a pair of handknit socks to keep them company.
Now, I know myself well enough to know that I cannot knit enough socks to make everyone with a medical emergency feel better. But it did seem reasonable that I could make socks for everyone who had come with me to try to help me feel better during my medical emergency. I don't wish a trip to the ER on anyone in my family, but should they have to go, I'd like them to know that someone loved them enough to knit them a pair of socks (if you haven't read the short essay on knitting socks in the Yarn Harlot: the Secret Life of a Knitter
Up until this point, I've mostly stayed on the sidelines through all the sock-a-longs that have been booming through the knitting internet. But I am going to start my own personal little sock knitting challenge. You can feel free to participate, or not, as you wish. This year, I am going to knit a pair of socks for everyone in my immediate family: John, my mom, my dad, my brother, my sister-in-law and my aunt. Six pairs of new socks are going to enter the world and do their best to fulfill the most important thing a handknit sock can possibly do: make someone feel warm and happy and loved.
But it wouldn't be a challenge if there weren't a few rules, would it? So here are the rules that I've decided that it's reasonable to live with.
1) I have to finish all 6 pairs between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006
2) I am not allowed to start any new socks for myself until the family socks are complete. However, I am allowed to finish any unfinished pairs that are in my current project list (this would be the Mermaid Socks and the Broadripple socks).
3) John's recently finished Trekking socks count as his pair, but I can start another pair for him any time I feel like it. Because if one pair of socks is good, then two more more pairs of socks must be just that much better. And he's definitely family.
4) I am allowed to buy more sock yarn for family member socks, but I have to knit with it, I can't just keep stashing it...unless I plan to make more socks for that family member.
5) MS&W is an exception to the buying more sock yarn rule.
Should you wish to participate in my challenge, you don't have to abide by all of my rules. These are rules that I'm setting up to help me meet my goals. Your goals may be different, thus you may need different rules or none at all.
Now that I've finished John's socks, the next pair in my family sock challenge is going to be for my wonderful sister-in-law, Libby (who, if you saw her, you might think was my actual sister). She's going off to LA in April (and will be there until June) to do some pretty intense teacher training so that she can become a certified Bikram Yoga instructor. I want to put together a "good luck package" for her that includes the socks.
Because she's in Houston and will be doing her training in LA (i.e. warm places) I've picked up some Blue Moon Fiber Arts "Sock Candy" yarn in the Cherries Jubilee colorway. This yarn is 96% cotton, 4% elite and has some reasonable stretch to it -- it reminds me a little bit of a sock weight Calmer -- I'm hoping that the sock will thus be warm weather compatible and will keep it's shape. While I'm waiting for my bro to come up with her shoe size, I'm looking around to try to find a good pattern. I know, in my knitting heart, that I really should rib these socks all the way down, but I also know that I really hate ribbing socks, and that too much ribbing could stall this project before it gets off the ground. Depending on her shoe size, I'm actually considering taking on another pair of Jaywalkers. As I think the colors would be lovely, and those Jaywalkers seem to resist slouchy-ness.
In order to help me keep track of what's done, I'm adding a new "Family Sock Challenge" to my side bar so that my results will be visible. If you decide you want to play along, let me know. If enough folks do, I'll set up a little something to help keep track of whose participating.
Well said. Socks make you feel loved if you're wearing them or receiving them.
Good for you for challenging yourself to do this. I've set myself a goal of at least 12 pairs of socks this year. Doesn't matter who they are for but I want to knit a pair a month. I'm on pair #3 right now so I'm on track.
Hand-knit socks definitely do more than keep your feet warm. Every year I make a new pair for my niece and 5 nephews as part of their Christmas gift. They range in age from 3 to 13, and it's fun to see how they all react to their socks. The 13-year old seems to appreciate them the most. He puts them right on, right away, with a big grin on his face. Makes the whole months and months of knitting so worth it! Good luck with your challenge.
What a lovely project, I made my boyfriend some socks last month and he's wearing them for a job interview today. Let's hope the handknit socks give him luck! ;)
Jaywalkers might work, only because the leg turns out very tight and the fabric might be dense enough to not slouch. Give that a try and report back.
My doc always comments on my socks.
You may want to make yoga socks for your sister-in-law. The pattern I used is from Mac & Me purchased at Kpixie.
I think the Challenge is a wonderful one. Last month my mother was diagnosed with cancer. As all hell broke loose and I was 800 miles away for a great deal of the crisis, the ONLY tangible thing I could do to make my mom feel better was knit her socks. It worked and it made me feel as though I could actually do something to positively affect the situation. Until those socks were done I felt pretty damn helpless and useless. There are really theraputic benefits to hand-knit socks that can reach the knitter and the reciever in a crisis. (Mom's doing fine now, the prognosis is extremely optomistic.)
Two other things:
1. I recently made a pair of felted socks to wear as slippers. I LOVE them. They are so snug and actually don't look stupid and they help me keep the thermastat low. Need to make a pair for hubby next.
2. My goal over the next few years is to actually replace all of my manufactured socks with hand-knit ones. My thought is to start a new pair when an old store-bought pair dies. After that I think I might tackle hubby's sock drawer. I also just found a great book on how to properly darn, which makes this goal practical.
In the fall I ended up at the hospital due to a misscarriage.. my knitting went with me.. and it sure does help keep your mind off the things at hand.. And I had a equally good experience of the nurse there making sure to take extra care of my knitting for me.. It was a good feeling.
Denise
purlsofhope.com
I think your goal is a wonderful one and I will enjoy seeing all that love worked up into fabric. One of these days I'll knit socks for my family members... I just have fear of fit... (That they won't actually...)
Hi Theresa! Well said. I am getting ready to step back into the nursing arena after being a SAHM for 12 years. I hope I can make my patients feel comfortable at a very difficult time. My Dad had a cancerous Kidney removed 1 year ago and I was not all that thrilled with the care ( St. John's Hospital in Detroit) he received. I hope everything is going well with your recovery.
I will knit along on your sock challenge. Great idea. I need to figure how many I need to knit this year. First will be for my 10y/0 ( B-Day on Feb 6)---for his cub scout Camping trip at the end of Feb( yes---camping in Feb). Then, my Dad has his 76th B-day in March.
Happy Knitting!
Traci
I know what you mean about ribbed socks- they fit well, hug your feet, and are boring as heck to knit. I have a suggestion though. I am midway through a pair of twisted rib socks that is keeping my attention and distracting me from the fact that I'm basically knitting a 2 x 2 rib sock. They have all the good qualities of a regular ribbed sock, but a lot more visual interest. The twisted rib pattern is the one used for the "ultimate re-footable sock" in the "Socks, Socks, Socks" book. I'm not doing the re-footable parts of the patttern, but I really like the rib. Basically you do 3 rows of 2 x 2 rib and then the fourth row you do a twisted knit stitch where you knit into the second knit stitch on the left needle, then into the first knit stitch, and then slip them both off at the same time. The second knit stitch winds up twisted to lie in front of the first knit stitch. The pattern winds up looking like tiny cables. I love it.
Thank you so much for your blog, by the way. Claudia's blog got me hooked on socks, and yours got me started on spinning. Both serious addictions now!
Maybe if you alternate baby cables with the ribs it will keep your interest. I'm pretty sure I saw some baby cable rib socks somewhere recently. I have 7 kids, a DIL, and the husband and I each have multiple sibs (and in-laws and nieces and nephews...) so my "family sock-a-long" may take a few years to complete. Luckily, several of my family members are fans of thick, woolly (or cottony for my wool allergic big bro)boot socks so those should go faster. For now, I have one pr done for daughter #3, 1" left on legwarmers for d#2 (her request), and bought the yarn for husband, d#1, and d#4. The sons have not shown any sock interest so far (they wear cotton athletic socks). Sock On!
I'm in for 6 pairs of socks this year. The thought of my children and husband in a pair of hand made socks puts a smile on my face. Thank you for the idea and happy knitting.
I am all for wearing handknit socks to the hospital. I have worn handknit socks my last three hospitalizations and I swear it made things much better!
being that i am currently sitting in a hospital room, knitting a hat to keep my baby warm and pondering finishing her sock while she sleeps adorned in her "future knitter" t shirt.... i really want to do this "family sock along".
6 kids will make it a challenge! you are right,
the knitted items have created a way to talk to these wonderful people caring for her. little bonds to knit them to her.
What an incredibly thoughtful challenge! Good luck to you!
Knitting socks is a balm for me--and knitting them for the family you love makes the knitting that much more calming after or before a rough day. I actually have the same goal, but since there are only three in my immediate family (DH and the two kids), I'm making them each two pair this year. And I'm not waiting for special occasions to gift them...so far young Luke (4) has been the most appreciative, refusing to take off his "Mommy Socks" for three days at a time. He might get more than two pair...
I was going to suggest a spiral rib too. Seems appropriate for a yoga instructor.
Ooooh, that sock challenge serves several purposes! It a. uses up you sock-yarn stash, b.allows you to shop for sock yarn (guilt-free), c. you get some gifts done for next Holiday season and d. you keep those you love warm ;o)
Count me IN!
This is a great idea! I'm very new to sock knitting, but the one pair I've done really excited me - so much so that I'm knitting a pair for the Knitting Olympics. After I finish that pair, I think I'll just keep going and at least knit a pair for my female family members.... My mom has spent some time in the hospital recently, and I really like the idea of her having handknit socks, if she should end up there again.
Hi,
my so far only pair of cotton handknit socks are broadripple and they are great. You might also check Boogja's free sock pattern collection to find something nice.
Karin
I can't join your challenge because I'm not knitting socks (yet). But I think it's a wonderful idea.
Just wondering if you'd seen the "no slip yoga socks"?
What a great idea!! That's such a lovely thought....I have never knitted a sock before, but this has inspired me to try! I'll join in!
Theresa,
I have already completed my first pair for the sock challenge! Opal Dreamcatchers for my Mother! Now onto a pair of Jaywalkers for my Sis!
I love the idea you have on knitting socks for your family. I am finishing up Knitty's Namaste yoga bag for a girlfriend who is in the middle of getting certified as an instructor. You have inspired me to make some yoga socks for her too!
=:8
Isn't it cool how knitting helps people to connect? I am rooting for you to meet your challenge and I just read the Harlot's book and I agree very much with her position on socks. One of my knitting peeps and I have had a long-standing position on what makes someone "sock-worthy". Your doctor certainly counts.