Sunday 7th May

This is our shot of the truely spectacular thunder storm on Thursday evening - enough to drive me from my sock knitting on the sofa to watch Mother Nature wreak her emotions down upon Glasgow for over 2 hours. Amazing!

Not the usual couple of lightnings, rumble of thunder followed by rain - no - this was positively tropical. Lightening flashing from every direction, thunder rumbling and cracking, torrential rain - all at the same time and all for 2 hours!

I grew up in Cyprus - my parents in anticipation of childhood fears positively encouraged me and my sister to enjoy the Mediterranean storms as adventurous and fun - but I don't recall ever seeing anything so wild in Cyprus.

...back to knitting ...

So I finished the left hand sock last night [pictures to follow] - left hand? I hear you ask. Surely socks are uni-feet? Yes - but due to my reading the toe bit of the Opal sock pattern whilst watching TV I missed the bit that said 'Rnd 2 - Knit' after the decrease row.

Since my first attempt at socks [using Lana Grossa pattern] had a decrease every row [on alternate sides] I didn't think anything of it.

So I kept trying the sock on until I was [what I had calculated to be] ready for the toe. I did maths and everything!!

60 stitches - the 24 stitches the pattern says I have to knit to = 36 stitches.
3 stitches decreased every row = 12 rows.

Measuring tape - 12 rows = an inch.

So I knit til I had a inch left to go - then I put the pattern in front of me in readiness for the toe ... and spotting the miniscule 'Rnd 2 - knit'

*sigh*

*bigger sigh*

screw this I'm NOT frogging this again - it's only 12 rows - lets just knit it ignoring the knit round and see what happens.

And for once, the knitting Gods were smiling down upon me - for what I got [from pattern instructions 'knit to 3 stitch before stitch marker, k2tog, k1 slip marker, knit to 3 stitches before 2nd marker, k2tog, K1, slip marker, K1, ssk'] was a toe end with a distinct 'left foot shape'

Maybe this has been discovered before - but in my eyes - wow! look what I did! am sailing on a triumphant sea of luck and joy!

Just have to remember to reverse the decreases for the 2nd sock - which I cast on immediately to avoid SSS - and my feet will be laughing :)

And I'm off!

.... 5 minutes later ...

and back again ... surely even if I had added the alternate knit row a pattern with 1 decrease and one side and 2 decreases at the other would have ended up 'foot shaped' anyway? Just less pronounced.

But it doesnt say repeat as before except reverse shapings though.

...or maybe it does - my attention span when it comes to reading the pattern thoroughly is fairly short as can be evidenced throughout my blogs - a veritable catalogue of 'if only i had read properly, if only i had gauged ...'

Well - it matters not [where did that phrase come from - blogging sometimes brings out the 'English Country Garden' in me] - my sock looks good - it worked - I am happy!