Knit Like a Man

Sock Star: Supernova

August 30th, 2006

The sock is done. Huzzah!

I watch too much television, and don’t listen to enough music. It wasn’t always this way–maybe it’s (yet another) sign of encroaching old age. However, there are very few television programs one can watch while knitting, and many more sources of music to which one can listen.

In Canada, we have a continuous music service that I’ve mentioned in the past called Galaxie, and it is a great source of comfort when I’m at home toiling on one project or another. Galaxie’s Ambient channel was very soothing as I made my several attempts at the toe, and was even more calming when I was dizzy from turning and unturning the heel over and over again.

Once I was making my way up the leg, I felt confident enough to turn on the TV and watch some of the things that I’d recently PVR’d. I made the grave error of trying to knit my relatively simple ‘knit-two-purl-two-on-the-odd-rows, straight-knitting-on-the-even-rows’ ribbing while watching Spike Lee’s wonderful post-Katrina documentary “When the Levees Broke”. I implore you: do not knit while watching this film. Put the knitting aside. First, you will soak whatever you’re making with your uncontrollable tears; second, you will lose track of even the simplest sequence of stitches. I made such a mess that I had to frog eight rows, pick up all my nasty tweedy hairy little stitches and make my way back up again.

Tonight, however, I watched this week’s elimination episode of Rock Star: Supernova. I am hopelessly addicted to this show, and it is the perfect program to accompany my knitting efforts: heavy on the listening, light on the watching. Vastly entertaining without being unduly demanding. And this photo is the proof–sock number one is complete. Complete!

A question about stretchy cast-offs was raised in the comments, and in searching out some options I came across Elizabeth Zimmerman’s sewn cast-off. I gave it a try tonight and it is my new favourite. It is easy-peasey, and it can be used across any combination of stitches. If you haven’t tried it, you should–it’s terrific.

And so to bed. I’ll cast on the second sock–the Film Festival Sock–tomorrow. A bientot.

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