Each day I must knit a sock.
It bores me to tears.
This small one is a cheat.
(My basic sock recipe reduced by 1/3 and worked in garter stitch. Yarn, Claudia hand paints fingering merino “Stormy Day” colourway, bought from the Loopy Ewe. 2.25mm needles.)
Have strength, Steph! Just look at how much you have done.
The booty is adorable even if it is a cheat.
But you have fleece artist, Steph! It is luverly! It is rare as hen’s teeth over here. You could be knitting a sock with black or grey sock yarn if you lived here (ok we have other colours but plain colours are usually easier to come by)
(this is a poor attempt to guilt you into loving the process cos of the yarn again)
Wow that’s a lot of green socks! What a trouper…hang in there!
PS I’d knit one for you if I could…
Green’s my favourite colour, and socks are among my favourite thing to knit, but I don’t think I could do what you’ve done. The small one is cute, though.
Just think how fast you will be able to work those partial socks up into pairs after Knitty Gritty.
Did you get your router problem solved?
you could replace apple with sock just don’t eat the sock for dern sakes…hmmm you could dip it in caramel.
I knit a lot of socks, but I’ve only ever used yarns that have some nylon or polyester or whatever in them. They seem to last a long time, and I have been wondering if the Fleece Artist holds up well…I’d love to try it but I’m afraid that I’d walk holes in my lovely hand-dyed socks in a week or two…
Impressive!
The small one may be a cheat, but it’s an awfully cute cheat. That’s a lot of socks.
SO CLOSE!!! Cute bootie. Think how cute your whole family will be wearing matching socks to your mom’s Christmas party. Especially if the socks don’t match anything else they’re wearing.
“Stormy day” here means
gray skies–so does “normal”–count
your fuzzy blessings.
Out of curiosity, what happens to all the partially-knit green socks when the show is over? Do you have enough yarn to finish all of the partial socks, or will some of them have to be frogged to supply yarn for the rest?
Or is the sane answer that you’ll shove them to the back of a drawer and never speak their name again.
My oh my, that’s a lot of socks! You’re coming along nicely though, even with cheater socks!
Wow! I decided to try to see if I can knit a sock-a-day (I can) and found out that you’re right. It’s boring!
YAY!!! more socks!
I just want you to know I admire your achievement. It took me 6 months to knit the ankle socks pictured on my blog.
thats because i had to rip them out and start over. but a sock a day? good job! BRAVO!
Keep on! We cheer you on…can you make more little ones? 🙂
HUGS!!!
The green sock progress is wonderful, reminds me of a flipbook of progressive drawings. Very nicely done Stephanie.
Were one inclined to poesy, one might say the lovely green socks and the cobalt ones are as a sea of socks, with a pink– (jumbo shrimp? boiled lobster? red snapper? something like that) dancing through the waves, along with a small school of…er, fish. Of some sort. Kinda. (I don’t think I’m cut out for extempore poetry.)
But that’s a lovely whack of socks! Although I bet by now you’re wanting to refer to ’em as a murder of socks, and wondering if you’ll make it off the set of Knitty Gritty without using your dpns in a Goldie Hawn way. Good luck on that. 😉
What you mean the satifaction of proving all the nay-sayers wrong is starting to wear off?!
Heh, heh, sorry. The booty is cute though.
Ok, if all the green socks are for one person, then that person would never have to worry about losing a sock in the dryer. If you throw about six green socks in the dryer, then the odds are pretty good you’ll get two out.
I used to weave shawls and scarves for craft shows—you are learning what most crafters who do production work know–once you design something, producing it over and over is realy b-o-r-i-n-g. After a while, I solved the weaving production thing by having an “apprentice” who I had do the boring parts (like warping the loom). Notice I said “I used to”…I have discovered over the years that I enjoy knitting, beading, crochet, embroidery and so on when I am exploring new designs or a new technique–hence I avoid production work now. Too bad you can’t have a knitting party or two and have some knitting friends help you knit up those socks! (I would come…)
Keep up your spirits, Stephanie! The worst is over. The rest of the socks are really more like half socks, so you can get them done much faster. Rememer 5 times one half is only 2.5. So you only have 2.5 green socks left to knit. Just resist the urge to throw the green socks at the host when you get to the show and she asks you to knit on them. Throwing half knit socks with pointy needles in them just might count as assult and battery with a lethal object.
I love your variations on a theme socks, and I think the baby sock is a wonderful addition to the mix. Plus, knitting something other than green is a good break for your eyes, so that you don’t look away or close your eyes and see shadowy red socks following you everywhere.
Good luck!
One color knit socks
Makes me want to drink whiskey
I’m off to the bar.
Yawn. . .
Lovely colors though.
How many more to make?
Courage Stephanie! yours socks look fantastic and nly little bits of socks are lef to make, think of your shawl how each subsequent row was longer than before, now you must have only around 15% of socks to do.
On the other hand, I don’t understand why knitting a garter stitch bootie is any help. garter stitch circularly is SO annoying to me.
Poor you. Hang in there!
Socks knit with Haiku?
With all those socks, what to do?
Ebay, tricoteuse!
Second sock, says I?
Three or four, says Harlot, more?
But I stop, half way.
Knit on, Harlot… knit on…. what will you do with them after the show? Will you ever finish them? Or shall you put them up on ebay for Knitters without Borders?
Do you not do toe up socks?
That would give you a little variation for a while…. n’est pas?
Don’t lose faith.
If you have managed to read this far through your comments, scoot quickly over to my blog.
(it’s ok, do it between needles. i won’t tell the knitting gods.)
You’ll see my latest post is courtesy of your inspiration 🙂
We are all going to be so proud of you when you are on Knitty Gritty it’s going to be worth all you are going through…
When does the Christmas knitting commence?
; )
Does the hotline still work?
I started Eris back in the spring, when I needed it. I have many, many lengths to go to finish it up–a sleeve and a half of the biggest size…and I sit there and knit my endless stockinette and envy you your heels and toes. Maybe I’ll be done by the time you’re on TV! Squee! It’s more exciting than your Harlot help line of yore!
I think that you have done a FANTASTIC job!!!
And, just think, the little one is not a cheat… it is an inspiration to a beggining knitter, who knows knit, but not yet purl!
It is not as intimidating as the fancier ones, and is small enough to be encouraging! (and CUTE!!).
Hang in there… you can do it!
Poor Stephanie. I sympathize. Really. I’m doing scarves. A half-scarf a day . . . keeps my sanity away. I’ll make you a deal — you hang in there, and make me laugh via the blog — and I’ll try not to throw another needle at the TV like I did last night (it broke).
A while back I suggested that the blue traveling socks be auctioned on eBay to raise money for MSF. I think the green socks from Knitty Gritty would sell equally well!
So I’m curious, when you’re done with this show, are you going to finish your step outs? Or burn then and never speak of them again?
You have a lot more stamina than I do. I’d have gone nuts within the first few days. o.0
How are you staying sane? Coffee? Chocolate? Do you even sleep anymore? o.0
Knit a sock each day
Mind numbing monotony
Will Steph survive it?
You can do it! Keep the faith.
I’m making up sweaters– they’re all knit, now comes the boring part– weaving in of ends…
Good luck on the socks.
Good gravy Marie!
How many socks can they want?
Lovely colors, though.
at least you’ve got the bigger parts over first!
love the little bootie.
hope no one asked you for socks for Christmas!
I’ll happily trade!
Knit you a sock a day for
Windows Vista project?
(Crap. Not quite a haiku, but close. Alas, I can’t futz with it anymore as I have to get back to work. The socks are amazing!)
You’ve got such strength of purpose. I could never keep knittting that many, will you ever finish them? or will they forever be without toes once the show is over? Will you knit anymore socks this year?
socks overflowing
reaching up to the ceiling
Joe has disappeared.
I’m cheering you on Steph!
I’m also impressed.
What size needles are you using?
Size 2’s I can do a sock a day if I push, size 1 or 0 no way.
I’d have knit a sock for you if you had asked woman.
Viki
I admire your persistence – you made a commitment (does that mean you are commitable? A nice rest when this is done may be welcome.) and even though you’re stretching the rules – did you make rules? – you’re not caving.
3 pairs of the same colour is probably what’s getting to you – go crazy with the colours.
Well I say knitting without needles isn’t cheating.. so knitting a smaller version isn’t cheating either in my book! You’re good
Not sure if anyone else has suggested it, but… is it possible to raid your own (or your kids’) sock drawer for your inspiration pieces? That way you’d only have to do the step-outs and then it’s off to the races on the sweaters, lace, etc. that have been taunting you.
And we’re heading into December this week… will there be gift knitting? (Please don’t throw things at me for even mentioning it).
Leone was right about the flip book. Take pictures of them at different stages, and put them on separate pages, in order from shortest to longest, at the end of your next book, and we can flip them and see a sock magically appear! Or perhaps it would be better for you to put them in order from longest to shortest, then you could flip them and make a green sock disappear.
Go Harlot!! Knit those socks.
Do you need to leave them with the TV people? Or can you bring them home and give them as Christmas gifts?
Or, maybe auction them on eBay to raise money for Knitters without Borders?
Um… maybe this is a stupid question, but you’ve knit a lot of socks already right?? You even had some put away for Christmas presents? Couldn’t you just use some of them?
You’re almost there. Just over the next hill…
The last sock was not a cheat. Instead, it was a timely answer to this knitter’s question about baby sock sizes. (I’ve been too skittish to look it up until trimester 1 is over in 5 days.) So, thanks.
How charitable
of you to knit such nice socks
for uneven amputees!
Wow! That’s all I can say. In sheer boredoom (and also because I just bought an awesome skein of Lorna’s Laces) I knit an entire sock yesterday, ladies size 8. At about 8:30 last night my fingers were weeping and I wanted to burn my itty bitty teeny weeny needles.
I imagine you, in a moment of sock exhaustion holding you needles very close to something of vital importance like an eyeball and saying, NO, I can’t do it”
You can do, we all have faith in you.
Hang in there, if anyone can do it you can! Can’t wait to see Knitty Gritty!
It sounds like it was a wise choice to start with the biggest and work towards the partial socks. Good luck!
Stephanie Mc Phee had a sock farm ei ei oh
And on this farm she had some socks ei ei oh,
With a sock sock here and a sock sock there
here a sock there a sock EVERYWHERE a sock sock
All hand made a ready to go
Ei Ei ohhhhhhhh ohhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhh!
Good job Stephanie
Almost said and done.
The taping will happen soon.
Appreciate Lace.
(haiku you!)
“This small one is a cheat”
No it isn’t! You’re going to be demonstrating how to knit socks and how one can easily tweak them for any and every occasion. And size. Is there a rule that says they must all be the same size, even if they’re not the same yarn? I suspect not. As a knitting rock star once told me, “Knit on!” You’re almost there.
Cheers
the Harlot’s children
will get green socks for Christmas
they WILL be grateful
SO.MANY.SOCKS.
MUST. WATCH. KNITTY GRITTY.
You can do it! I’m amazed that you’ve stuck with it so far, I would have given up and paid someone (namely you) by now. 🙂
And you should send me your address, so I can send you some nice lovely holiday yarn…which you can use to knit mittens, it’ll help break the monotony. 😉
You need to preserve these specimens, in case you ever do another TV show.
I can’t help it, those green socks literally scream Christmas at me.
You also can’t stop me from being impressed with your progress, no matter what you say.
Socks fall into steps…
IN steps of completion
you can do it.
They’re looking great! You can do it!
I know! use the step outs as decorations for your Christmas tree and voila…you will be done with that decorating project. sorry I am not good at Haikus. Several of you have careers in poetry ahead of you!
Life is full of boring, repetitive crud, isn’t it? I just got hit with a project that is nothing but boring, repetitious crud. The only good thing about it is, ’tis only once a year.
Which is a piss-poor good thing and I’m contemplating VERY early retirement (or perhaps faking my own death) to get out of it…
Hang in there! And the small one is not a cheat, it’s an *adorable* sample!!
It looks like you’ve inspired many poets in sheeps clothing today.
They’re looking great, Steph! All this talk of socks reminded me of the socks that Ann of Mason-Dixon Knitting found at an antiques show a while back. You can see them here: http://www.masondixonknitting.com/archives/2006_10.html#001702
It’s a 2 minute read . . . so go check it out, and be thankful that you don’t have to knit these socks at 13 stitches to the inch. . . (5.2 stitches/cm).
Oh, another fun little sock pattern (the first sock I ever knit), is here: http://www.geocities.com/blossomknitwear/superquickbabysocks
I’m going to try your sock recipe next, now that I have the basic concepts of sock knitting firmly in my mind.
So, are you going to raffle off the finished green socks? With the proceeds you could buy some especially scrumptious fiber to knit all kinds of fantastic things that aren’t socks . . .
I bet I still have more stitches left in my log cabin blanket than you have in the socks you need to make. Keep that thought with you, my friend. It’ll help.
You need beer. Sending beer your way. I couldn’t handle all the green socks. Sheri from Loopy Ewe is the best, I have been ordering from her.
Could you send some of that sock karma my way?…I’m still struggling with the pirate socks (I will get them done!)
Cheat? How is being creative cheating? It’s still a sock.
Ditto to Betsy’s comment… I love me some adorable baby socks! I know you must be pulling your hair out, but if it’s any consolation, they all look fantastic. Keep the faith!
So many knit socks!
When will pattern get published
for the red one there?
Awe. I’m in total awe.
All this, and you’re a poet?
Don’t burn your self out…can you imagine if you got so that you hated knitting socks? Perish the thought.
Wow! That’s alot of…needles…! Almost like a porcupine sitting there. Hm. Guess it pays off to have impulse needle buying frenzies while traveling and you just don’t have the right size for that yarn you just picked up and while you enjoy the casting on and flow of yarn through the fingers whilst traveling, find you will probably rip it out after you get home anyway. And there you are with another set of needles. For when you need to knit 6 independent socks. Glorious!
*ahem* mi-mi-mi. . . . .
(hum along, it’s “oh christmas tree”)
Oh Stephanie, dear Stephanie,
Your knitting skills delight us.
Oh Stephanie, poor Stephanie,
Please don’t lie down under a bus.
The peace you seek
Is coming soon
This knitting zone
makes you a loon
Oh Stephanie, our Stephanie,
Your socks and wit delight us!
Just remember the old days (of course, you’re not old enough to remember the old days) of nothing but Wintuk in neon acrylic.
You are a better woman than I am, luv.
You have my condolences.
YOU CAN DO IT! Be strong Steph, you are sooo close to the end, look how far you have come!
I am sending every spare ounce of energy I have out in to the universe, hoping it reaches you.
As Dory said to Marlin,’Just keep swimming, just keep swimming’……………
I think next time I would insist on ‘toe-up’ for the sequential demo….You are a better person than I.
Well it looks like you are done with picking up heel gussets anyway….pretty soon just a cuff and your done…should go quickly now!
That’s a lot of socks! The little one is very cute.
I just wanted to encourage you in your sock making. I started knitting seriously about a year ago, and I learned a lot of stuff from watching Knitty Gritty. I don’t always like the projects they do or the people they have had on it (Having you on will ROCK!), but I have learned TONS from watching. It’s an awesome endeavor–and think of all the young knitters who will learn to make socks thanks to you!
Love
Nanette
Small socks are a cheat
But I have ten pairs to knit
With wee matching hats.
And by the way? The colors are SMASHING–seriously… between my new monitor at work and your new set up, it made me want to buy yarn. (That could just be a biological imperative…you never know…)
Did I miss the air date of the show you will be on? I, ahem, do miss an episode now and again, but I must not miss YOU on the show!
Looks like your Christmas knitting is about done. Good for you! (Everyone is getting green socks, right?)
Love the wee bootie in Claudia….
(Sung to the tune of Love is Blue)
Green, Green, my sock is green. Green is my sock to keep me outta hock.
Sock cheater. Keep going! You can do it!
You are almost there…almost there.
Wow!! I’m a semi-compulsive sock knitter… whenever my hands are idle, I pick up a sock. I have lots of socks and lots of sock yarn, but this looks like aversion therapy to quit knitting socks. I’ll bet you’ll not be knitting socks for awile AFTER knitty gritty!
Impressive, yes. But can you do it in iambic pentameter?
Courage! If it’s any consolation, they all look great! Be careful that you don’t knit so many socks that you won’t want to knit any ever again!!!
Stephanie, You’re an inspiration — do you know if the network that shows Knitty Gritty ever makes available tapes of their episodes? After commiserating with you, I sure would like to see that show. I can see the end of my toque list in the near distance, and when they’re all done I’m rewarding myself by finishing a sock I have started out of Reggia. (It’ll be a Project for me, I’m new at socks and clumsy).
SORRY!! I clicked twice in error, mes apologies!
Come on, everyone join in:
“It’s not that easy being green
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow, or gold
Or something much more colorful like that
…
“But green’s the color of spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
And green can be big like a mountain
Or important like a river
Or tall like a tree”
Those socks will be *so* happy when you’re done, Stephanie, and so will you! 🙂
I guess the good news is that each progressive green sock is a little shorter than the last one… I’m a bum I would have been tempted to start with the smallest sock and knit each one longer. Which would have been totally stupid, I know.
I’m sending all my sock-knitting power vibes to you, which is probably why it’s taking me so long to knit my current pair!
Just think, soon your family will have a matching set of socks. You can take a nice picture at Sears and everything!
Go, Steph, Go!
I really admire what you’re doing. I bet after this you don’t make a sock for a very long time. I know I wouldn’t even want to look at a sock.
By the way, did you ever get to watch Firefly? It’s been a while since I watched so I pulled it out the other night. Got through most of a vest back in a couple hours.
Happy knitting!
Harlotty haikus
Your syllables aren’t right
It’s five-seven-five
But I like you anyway!
Those awesome green socks
Will look gorgeous on some toes,
Left foot? Right foot? Both?
I do not have green.
I do not have red, either.
Two for me, perhaps?
What I should have said
Is that Sam, I am knitting.
But my Seuss is done.
(okay, lame attempt at Seussified haiku)
There once was a knitter called the Yarn Harlot
Whose sock antics have made her a starlet
For Knitty Gritty she chose green
Now it makes her want to scream
Perhaps her new favorite color will be scarlet
The heel is turned, but
the toes remain bare. Is nail
polish meant to show?
Stephanie knits socks
Knitty Gritty is calling
Will she remain sane?
You are amazing. Hang in there.
A little bootie can brighten any day. eh?
Five-seven-five, eh?
(Singing)
I love a Harlot,
A knitty, witty Harlot
Haikus aren’t that hard.
KnitMary–depends on the bootie..(wink, grin)
Tell you what, Steph…get those finished and I’ll send you some gloriously gorgeous Angora to spin and relax with!! 🙂
PA
I don’t haiku because I find it a shameful light on my otherwise respectable writing talent. Course, I don’t knit a sock a day for a very similar reason. Still, I am (insanely, as it may seem) behind you, Steph. The chariots…the fire…the finish line….the celebratory beer(s). Sock it to ’em!
Well, I was going to write a little Haiku to you
But, alas, others had my great idea too
A sonnet? NO WAY!
But I had to just say
My hat is off to you!!!
By the way, the socks are awesome, can’t wait to see you on Knitty Gritty, please remind us if the date please!
Go Stephanie,
and to think I am balking at making ONE pair of heavy slipper socks for my grandson because his favorite color is bright green. Life is so relative. The baby sock is adorable and you needed the respite from the others anyway.
Namaste,
I thought of you as I knitted a dice pouch in Little Pony Puke Katia (why, yes, there were leftovers from the poncho and I didn’t burn them, amazingly enough). As I got to the end of the pouch to decrease for the little circular bottom I thought, damn, if I keep going, this could be a sock.
No. No, it could not. I’m sorry, I tried to be with you in sock solidarity, but there was not enough liquor in the house for me to make a Little Pony Puke sock. I hope you understand.
Need brownies?
I haven’t read through all the comments so this question may have been asked already, but couldn’t you just employ some of your fellow knitters to come up with a bunch of half-done socks in a relatively short period of time? Like, you could be done by now.
Knitting, Knitting, sock.
Each one a little bigger.
Soon you will hate green.
Knitting socks
I don’t do
Subsequently
I feel sorry for you
Brownies, Beer and socks
Things I usually like
When they stay balanced
Double pointed needles in the ‘Round!
Four color yarn
Three more socks
Two days left
And a router that just won’t talk to the phone!
I promise to feed you beer (mmmm. beer) and fabulous vegetarian fud when you come. Oh, and did I tell you there’s a nice yarn shop just down the street from where you’re shooting? Not within walking distance, though. Here in L.A. ‘just down the street’ often means a few miles.
Whew, this “stalking” thing is harder than it looks. I’m gonna go over to stalker Angie and see if she has any tips.
Yeah for cheating!!!!!
If you are forced to stick with one project, you have to find a way to cheat… it’s knitter’s nature!
(and it’s not just you Stephanie. does anyone else feel the Christmas Crunch yet?!?!? AAAH!)
cheat up a storm (as long as it is cute little booties and you get part of a full sized one done too!)
Holy cow. How many more do you have to do? And, can you give us a little more direction on that little sock? I’m afraid my math is nowhere near good enough to figure out 1/3 of the sock pattern. I’ve been looking for actual sock patterns for my granddaughter. All I find are crocheted booties.
Hang in there. This too shall pass.
Socks can be divine
Just remember their beauty
You will be sublime
You are doing great! Hang in there!
It never fails. Do something we love and we can’t get enough. The minute it’s an obligation, the same thing becomes drudgery. The good side of this is the pent-up creativity will burst out at the first opportunity. So when you are working on the obligation, keep ( clear ) notes of the wonderful ideas you are having. You can do those at your leisure.
My Dear Sock Knitting Harlot,
I wasn’t going to do this, but after today’s post I just had to. You see, you aren’t the only one in Sock Knitting Hell. I too, am victim to the fickleness of The Sock. I have been trying to knit a pair of socks for my mom for Christmas for over a month now, and I’m still not past the cuff! My mom visited a month or so ago and fell in love with a pair of socks my friend Kay made. They were Mountain Colors Fishtail Socks and she just fell in love with the lacey folded cuff. I was already planning to make her socks, so I said “Sure, no problem.” What an idiot I am! The socks will eventually be made from Cascade Fixation in a pastel variegated yarn, if I ever get the freaking things DONE! I have totally ripped out one sock 5 times! No lie! It might be 6 but I don’t want to exaggerate. That’s not counting the ripping back a row or two, just the total annihilation of the sock! You see, I’m the World’s Slowest Knitter. Years ago I had a brain injury and it had a big impact on my memory, math skills and other fun things. It makes knitting a challenge because I have such a hard time remembering where I am in a pattern and all. SIGH! But I’m Irish, and seriously stubborn and so I plod along. My learning curve is long because I have to learn to read the fabric of each new stitch and pattern. However, that only works if you get to a point where you can actually SEE the pattern! The cuff is only 24 rows of a 6 row repeat but for the life of me I can’t get past row 10 without screwing the whole thing up so badly that I have to rip it all out and start over. I know all the tricks of keeping my place in the pattern and everything, but no matter what I do, I seem to end up one stitch short, or one stitch over. The problem isn’t the pattern it’s me. I usually only use charted patterns because they are much easier for me to follow, but this one isn’t charted and it’s kicking my butt! I tried charting it but that didn’t work either. Sigh! Sunday night I called up my friend Kay to whine, (well really rant) about the fact that I had ripped out this stupid cuff again! In the middle of the tirade, I told her that I should write the Harlot and tell her that she’s not the only one in knitting Hell! If I hadn’t stupidly shown my mom the pattern, I would just do some other pattern with an even simpler lace pattern and cheat, but nooooooo, I had to go and show her like an idiot! I told Kay that if I was EVER such an idiot to do this again, that she should hit me. She uses her speaker phone all the time and I always forget, but her husband was just sitting next to her laughing his butt off at my tirade. I told him that he should be very happy that my Addi Turbos weren’t long enough to reach to his house! I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent on these stupid socks with absolutely nothing to show for it! I think if I knew, I would just cry. I have other Christmas knitting to do, but being stubborn as rocks, I am positively obsessing on these. I WILL conquer these stupid socks! So just think, it could be worse. You could be like me, and work for hours with nothing to show for it except frustration, and some really worn out yarn. Knit On Harlot! You are an inspiration to us poor, flustered, huddled over our knitting needles, knitting masses!
PS: Kay said that she would knit the cuff for me and I could knit the rest. Tempting as that is, that would be cheating and I couldn’t do it, but what a good friend!
Awesome! (I have only finished 1.5 socks of my Christmas socks yet). The Force be with you!
Oh, look! It’s a baby sock. And it’s NOT green! Neat!
If it is any consolation you have the title of your next book–“Around the World Knitting Ten Million Socks.”
Do something wild today. Knit a hot pink, lime green and deep purple one. Then put a button on the toe. Or a tassel.
I’m new to this blog. Why do you have to knit a sock a day?
So, does this mean we can not look forward to a Harlot special on knitting aran sweaters????
Oh… the step outs!… It would be like stepping off a cliff….
There once was a lady named Harlot
She had to knit a lot
A sock a day
was the price to pay
For a national TV spot
Your socks are magnificient and the colors are great. You hang in there; the “job” of it will soon be finished and then you create something wild and fun.
Poor You!
I love your Haiku.
I’m guessing the mind-numbing portion of this project set it a while back. But you must perservere! You’ll have so much fun going on TV. (Really, I think you will. . . It will be a fun adventure)
So, what happens to all of your Christmas knitting while the sock knitting is happening?
Kate, ducking the virtual rotten eggs or tomatoes that she knows are probably heading her way….
Love the wool you are using, the colour is wonderfull. they will be great when you are all done. Have been following you blog this last while and you have inspired me to start knitting socks again. Loved the feather and fan sock of awhile ago. So bought the book and have 1/2 a sock knit up yesterday, 1/2 sock is all I can manage in a day. Don’t know how you can do a whole one.
keep knitting, you can do it.
Lynn from Waubaushene
I found a t-shirt for you: http://www.threadless.com/product/623/Haikus_are_easy_but
Wow, I’m so impressed that you have stayed the course. Clearly, the thought of being on t.v. inspires great fortitude and feelings of monogamy. btw, you were totally right about the Muggles. Sorry I ever doubted you.
Socks, never ending.
The saga continues on.
Watch “As the Heel Turns.”
Not only does your knitting inspire us, but your poetry does too!
*bowing down* You are the sock knitting master! We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!
Here’s my try:
Please don’t drown in green
That’s a lot of socks to knit
You have my pity
I just wanted to say you have inspired me to try knitting socks! And I made my first one in just one evening, last night. (Confession – it was a baby sock, 7 stitches/inch in sport weight yarn.)
It looks kind of funny – the heel flap was a little too long – but it’s a sock. And a newborn won’t care what it looks like. I’m going to make the mate for it tonight after my tot is asleep.
I followed your sock recipe in Knitting Rules. I didn’t believe that the heel would really turn, but then it did. Woo hoo! And grafting the toe was easy. It’s fun to learn something new. 🙂
Um, is it just me, or is that haiku syllable count off?
Yes, I noticed you weren’t knitting any men’s socks. LOL Hang in there–you’re doing great!
I am in total awe. I am knitting my first sock. It is now five inches long and seems to be taking forever.
PLEASE tell me that you’re at least knitting an EVEN number of sock parts, and that you’ll finish them all after the show, and have a zillion pair of matching socks afterwards as a reward for all your efforts!
How about a poetry contest and the winner recieves a half-finished pair of socks?
I read the “recent entries” column on the right side of the blog, and I saw a poem in the titles. I added the punctuation, but I thought it was pretty good! 🙂 Congratulations – you’re a poet! The titles, in order:
Sock Haiku:
R is for Router,
And so on.
Wool pig –
It’s coming!
Some socks, some answers…
A sock a day?
Squeaky cheese and socks;
Yarn can’t walk.
Whistle Stop Wireless.
I hope you weren’t planning to wear those green socks. By the time you get done with them, I don’t think you’ll ever want to see a green sock again!!!
They remind me of the M*A*S*H episode when BJ is so tired of green, they die everything (including hair) red. The socks look great, though, and I really like the little (non-green) one.
Wow that looks like a ton of work. I just started another pair of socks over the weekend (using your basic sock pattern from your book) and I’m amazed at how fast you got them all done.
Little green sockies
Holding hands round my dps
Dance on forever.
M. Gail
I have fallen helplessly in love with your site. I am just beginning to knit and was looking for cool new patterns to try. And that’s how I wound up here!!! Thank you for the funny stories and great pictures of your projects. You have renewed my hopes of knitting a non-crooked scarf one day!
That’s a lot of green socks. YOu must like green.
Somehow I think we have only ourselves to blame. And it happens every year!
Let me guess everyone on your Christmas list is going to get socks. Keep up the good work.
Your haiku inspired me to look up “haiku” on dictionary.com and see exactly what a haiku is. Yours is a nice poem, but not a haiku. Haikus have three lines (unrhyming) with 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively. Very specific, these Japanese. I do appreciate, though, that since you are up to your ass in socks, you really don’t give a damn right now. Well, indeed.
This, too, shall pass.
knit a sock each day
no thought to the end result
Zen; there will be socks.
i adore the little wee sockette; tis not a cheat, tis a wonder.
p.s. harlot fans; remember that haiku involve content and intention as well as syllable count. remember the content and intention of Steph’s socks? teaching, ay?
teach us with a sock
knit in step out fashion; and
with inspritation
I’ve been lurking around here for a little bit, and I must say that you have inspired me to learn more about knitting! So far (I’ve only been knitting for a year), I’ve mastered scarves (really, really simple scarves). After I finish all the Christmas presents that I’ve foolishly promised, I will learn how to knit socks. Not green ones though, they seem to taking over the world! Good luck with the rest of your TV project!
Stephanie knits on a sock.
Its green twin can’t wait
For its time to dance.
So, is there some way to watch this Knitty Gritty thing online since I don’t have a tv? Or do they have episodes on dvd?
We read Harlot’s blog
for comic relief and in-
spiration galore.
Cheat! Should that read “for
comic relief galore and
inspiration, eh?”
Hard to tell. Her fans’
priorities vary. Most
knit. More laugh. All love.
Love what? The Harlot
of course. Else why spend time here
with all the wool pigs?
Stephanie, thank you
for sharing socks, adventures,
and love of knitting.
Not to mention a
chance to publish our iffy
haiku in your blog.
I love the little sock! I just can’t wait to see you on TV-the family is under strict orders not to go near the VCR when that day comes. (under penalty of the first attempted human frogging)
I love the little sock! I just can’t wait to see you on TV-the family is under strict orders not to go near the VCR when that day comes. (under penalty of the first attempted human frogging)
How about another charity fundraiser similar to the one you did for Doctors Without Borders? After all these would be famous TV star socks knit by the Harlot herself. Many would donate for a chance to win famous green socks. Just a thought, possibly a dumb one.
I just read your book “Yarn Harlot”. I loved it. I think I saw myself in there. I have a stash suggestion. Look up. I put those wire snap together crates in rows and hung them from the ceiling in my “craft” room. There is a lot of room up there.
Oh, such lovely socks you have. I’m a first-time commenter here and must tell you…I blame your books entirely for the fact that I feel lost if I don’t have at least one sock in the works (and that my living space is littered with sock yarn). You woke me up to how wonderful socks are to knit…though I suppose I’d feel the same if I had to knit a sock a day (which I’m not fast enough…yet). You’re doing great and your socks are BEAUTIFUL.
Stephanie…that booty is not a cheat. A sock a day…is a sock a day. And if it goes on feet it is not a cheat!!!!!
You are A M A Z I N G…..
The socks are gourgeous…the green is soooo yummy..but even beautiful yarn can become a chore with so much repetition…I suggest a good red wine and lots of chocolate…Or perhaps eggnog with rum! We are all pulling for ya Steph! *Inhale, exhale*, repeat from *’s,taking gulps of wine or eggnog as needed.
I think I just plain missed the boat on this whole sock thing…is there a reason for the ever-increasing wooly-footwear? I feel so out of the loop…
Sweet merino booties
To keep the knitter sane
And break up the monotony
Of green socks again and again
as wool and stripes fly by
You’re starting to get sick
Of socks and feet but remember
It could be worse (think acrylic…)
Much Love.
Soon you’ll have enough socks for a pictorial haiku of sock. You know, just lay them out:
Sock, sock, sock, sock, sock
Sock, sock, sock, sock, sock, sock, sock
Sock, sock, sock, sock, sock.
Stephanie, I know you’re busy with Christmas knitting (I am jealous of your sock knitting ability, I can only manage ankle socks and baby booties!), and you aren’t here to be my personal knitting guru, but I really need some help. I’m trying to design a pattern (my first!!!) and I’m stuck on doing mitered corners. I want to carry a cable down an edge, across the bottom, and up the other edge of said item, and I was told that mitered corners would work. I can’t find anywhere that explains them.
If this goes on much longer, I’m going to invent my own pattern involving lots of short rows and alcohol.
Can you please point me in the right direction?
May you DEFINITELY NOT have this Haiku after all that work:
It is blocking day.
Mr. Washie burps and gloats.
One green sock is gone.
Dez
On the bright side, you will never have second sock syndrome. After knitting so many green socks, knitting a second whatever-sock will be so much easier!
Or… you’ll never speak of socks again. It could go either way.
Out of curiosity – why do all the variations socks need to be knit (knitted?) now? I can imagine that there are lots of socks you’ve already made floating around your house – couldn’t you wash and block them and make them look reasonably new enough for tv? I can see making the ones in various stages, but as for the rest, I’d be digging in the sock drawer. And perhaps even putting out a call to sock-knitting friends.
Jasmine, I think short rows are the way to go. If you can get your hands on a copy of Viking Patterns for Knitting by E. Lavlold (that name may not be spelled correctly, I’ve only had two cups of coffee this am), there’s a pattern in there that shows how to do it (I think it was a pillow cover).
hth,
Kate
Megan, that poem would scan better if you spelled it acryl”ick”
The baby sock is not a cheat, but when you start knitting for the wee mice in your house that would be a cheat!! he he You do wonderful work and I really enjoy your humor.
True to my word, in solidarity I spent my whole day yesterday working on the garter stitch blanket. All. Day. Sitting in front of the (sure, not so necessary but adds nice touch)fire listening to music. 5 CDs in the changer. Went through all of ’em. Every now and then checking the computer to see if you’d posted something to entertain me. Ahem.
By the end of the day I was gripped with an irrational fear that a spark from the fire would leap out and immolate my project. And an irrational hope for the exact same thing.
Cece sings:
Have I told you, lately, that I love you……
Yesterday, I knit the last row of a ruffle edged shawl. I got to end of the last row (thousands of stitches later) and noticed that I didn’t have enough yarn to bind off. I swore a bit, drank some wine, and remembered your post about the crocheted cast off.
Love it. You saved me from either ripping out MOHAIR or buying a 3rd $25 ball of yarn just for the bind off.
The Yarn Harlot ROCKS.
Yes, but think of how FUN it will be to be on this tv show and show people how to KNIT SOCKS! Think of how awesome it will be to go to the next step and your next step out will be READY!
Keep on the sunny side! 🙂
I have never commented here before…in fact I only found the Yarn Harlot a couple of weeks back, after taking up knitting after many years off!.
Since I happened upon you while surfing for patterns, you have made me laugh out loud while at work (in return I get funny looks) and made me think it’s OK to knit socks on the train – when there is room in the sardine like conditions we Brits have to endure on public transport. You’ve made my my stash seem tiny in comparison – I can remedy that (!), and I now I know it is not odd to have (at least) 3 projects going at once.
Generally, you’re a thing to look forward to on workday Coffee Times when I am deprived of my pointed sticks.
Good luck with the sock marathon!
Fi
Socks!
Yo, Jasmine, google for Big Sky Knitting and ask Janet how to join the Aran Knits group. Mitered cable corners was just discussed there.
Dez
If you knew how many people have learned how to knit socks because of your inspiration, I wonder if you would believe the fact? I am on my third pair and have yarn for four more pairs because you told me in your books that there were no knitting police and I really could knit socks. Thank you for giving confidence and humor and a sense of all is right with the world somewhere.
Hi Steph… If you are still looking for some good movie rentals, I can highly recommend all four seasons of “Felicity”… great WB show from years back. Sure to get you through a few more days of agony.
This may be a stupid question but why do you have to knit all the socks yourself? A sock knit-in at Lettuce Knit would do them all. Or is this now a badge of honor?
The price of fame comes in many different colors – of socks that is – it could be worse – always.
You should check if your step-outs allowed to have different needle colours… I mean, you really want to conform, right?
Uh-0h. Two days and no post.
Has Stephanie strangled herself with a string of knotted-together socks?
I find myself wanting to channel Bill Haley and his Comets with “Rock around the Sock”…
Thank goodness a. Toronto is an awful long way to throw a sock b. even if it hit, they’re soft! Long as they’re not partially knit with DPNs still in ’em! ^_^!!
YOU GO!@ You inspire!
And…cute booty! 😉