Making something out of nothing

The art of creating something from nothing: otherwise known as Judy’s magic cast on

No matter how many pairs of socks I make I never fail to be amazed by the sheer ingenuity, the brilliance and the downright magic of Judy’s magic cast on.

First popularised in the now-famous Knitty article the simple series of steps has revolutionised the world of the toe-up knitter and brought joy to the heart of all those knitters who secretly wish that Lord Kitchener had never dreamt up the eponymous stitch for closing a toe.

The beauty of the JMCO is that it magically creates two rows of live stitches from nothing with no need for a provisional cast on or other fibre faffing.

Hold the two yarn ends with finger and thumb, wrap the yarn around the needles just so, knit 2 tiny rows and there you have it - a perfect, seamless, baby sock toe. 5 minutes ago it didn’t exist and now it does. Sheer magic which never fails to amaze me as I stop to admire the stitches that have appeared between my needles.

It’s true that it does take a little while to get to grips with the wrapping, and the first 2 rows can be a little fiddly but once you have those mastered it you can cast on a pair of socks in less time than it takes to boil the kettle. And in the time it takes for your coffee to reach an acceptable drinking temperature you can have a fully fledged sock toe, ready to shove in your handbag and keep you company on your daily travels.

The original article is well worth reading on this subject - it explains everything brilliantly and far better than I can. If you want to see a demo in action I can highly recommend Clare Devine of Knit Share Love who has a fantastic video. Alternatively, check out this link for an video tutorial.

Like anything worthwhile it can take a few goes before you have the technique down pat, but once you do you can whip out your needles and a cake of yarn and before you know it - you’ll be knitting a sock.

A celebration requires cake

Unbelievably I had no cake on hand yesterday and when I noticed that membership of the Everyday Knitter Facebook group had crept past the 2000 mark I felt as though a small celebration was called for. 

Still, a yarn cake was almost the same thing and I promise that no yarn was harmed in the making of this photo.

I am really thrilled and genuinely delighted that so many like minded people have joined in the online community that we have created. Focussing on inspiration, education and fun it's the group I go to first thing every morning and it has undoubtedly made my Facebook feed a lot more fun.

Thank you to all who have helped to make the group what it is, and if you haven't joined yet why not pop over there and give us a try.

All are welcome...just bring cake 

Hurry up...

If force of will alone were sufficient this shawl would have been finished days ago. It has reached the point where I am willing it to be finished. Willing those last 20 to 30g of yarn to form themselves into neat little garter stitches just so that I can whip the thing off my needles and wrap it around my neck.

As the end of a project approaches there are usually a variety of emotions which include, but are not limited to relief, frustration, joy or pride.  With some projects you are having so much fun knitting them that the end almost creeps up on you and catches you unawares. Some you finish with a sense of relief, a sense of duty done and you can finally set it aside and work on something more joyful. But never, I don't think have I wanted to cast off a project so badly.

Not because I'm not enjoying it - it is fabulous easy and soothing knitting. Not because I don't like the yarn or the project - both are lovely and a delight to work on. 

It's just that this shawl sums up everything about this fleeting season that I love. Bright sunny days (sometimes), beautiful cherry blossom, fresh vibrant green buds and slightly grey, misty mornings. All summed up in garter stitch goodness just waiting to be wrapped around my neck.

So, armed with strong coffee and a packet of chocolate digestive I've set myself the task of getting to the picot bind off by bedtime tonight. Wish me luck...

Strong coffee and strong stripes

After a few weeks of being missing in action I am pleased to report that my sock knitting mojo has returned. It seems like a different lifetime ago that I cast on these socks in a coffee shop in London whilst DH waited for his knee surgery. For the past few weeks I just haven't felt like knitting on socks at all but at the weekend I picked these up and with renewed joy sat down to watch the magic of these simple stripes unfolding.

I only intended to work a few rounds but before I knew it the leg of the sock whizzed by and I found myself at the cuff. This yarn comes in 2 perfectly matching 50g skeins so I know need to wind the other one before I jump in the car this morning. The yarn is one of the Star Wars series by the US dyer Must Stash Yarns and this is the Hans Solo colourway. 

It's a sure sign that my sock mojo has returned - the thought of leaving the house without a sock WIP is enough to cause consternation and distress. What if I'm stuck in traffic? So the sock WIP returns to my passenger seat and all is right with the world.

Something approaching normal

A new month is just around the corner and for me that means a new notebook and some new design projects. I've been rather taken aback over recent weeks in how much my creativity has taken a nose dive. Looking after DH after his operation, keeping the house going, being the sole parent and taxi service has really taken it out of me. Both of us have been surprised at the impact his recovery has had on us as a family. 

In the run up we were solely focussed on the operation and the logistics of it, barely giving a thought to what would happen afterwards. And the resulting adjustments meant I barely had time for anything else - and my design work was very firmly relegated to the back burner. For me, creativity requires that I am calm and peaceful and have space to myself. Chaos, stress and having other people constantly around is the kiss of death and generally means that all I'm capable of doing is knitting garter stitch  (or crocheting, it seems).

But now as we have turned a corner and DH is becoming much more mobile I feel as though for the first time in weeks I can turn my mind to sock knitting and design work. It's a good feeling and I'm excited to get back to it.

Just 1 more cup of coffee though first.

An exciting prospect

Is there anything more exciting than the feeling when you are getting ready to add a pop of new colour to a project. Or in my case, to add some calm and soothing grey to this wonderful vibrant spring green.

I have a busy day of teaching lined up but I have my evening  (and as much of tomorrow as I can manage) planned out. I have Netflix and a hot date with this shawl to look forward to. I am determined to be able to wear it whilst it is still spring.

And to give me some ideas on how to wear it I'm  going to be using a fun Instagram hashtag starting next week. Use the hashtag #springshawlstyle and let's share some inspiration for how we wear our shawls. 

More details to follow but why not use this weekend to sort through your shawls and pick a few of your favourites to show off this spring.