Simpleton Socks

I'm using the book Simple Socks: Plain and Fancy by Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts to try to learn how to make socks from the toe up.

I keep getting depressed because I can't get past the first few rows on the beginning of the toe. I have started the sock over five times while dh has been driving.

I finally learned how to do yarn-overs, and I learned yesterday by reading the chapter prior to the instruction chapter that I'm supposed to be doing a specific type of yarn-over, which she describes. I'm pretty sure I am doing the yarn-overs that she specifies. But then I get to the part where she wants me to "correct the stitch direction" and "enter the back of the next three stitches from left to right and purl" and there are several more phrases which have me completely befuddled. Especially since putting the needle in from left to right isn't even how you purl? And then things like "...slip the first stitch of the yarn-over onto the right needle, and then over to the left needle. Now your yarn-over is divided leaving one stitch on the left needle." Right. You just told me to move one stitch over and then back again. How did it stay divided, what am I missing?! Maybe I should find another pattern and compare the terminology. Like this site here: Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock Pattern.

Anyway, so instead of depressing myself on the way to work this morning with what a simpleton I obviously am when it comes to knitting, I decided to take the test camisole along and rip out the seams and baste them. Some of the seams came out crooked, and my side seams aren't matching. That's what I get for sewing without pinning or basting satin material. At least, thank GOD I had the foresight to use the largest stitch so the ripping was fairly simple. I got all the seams ripped out and some of the basting done. I should be able to get all the basting done on the way home.

I talked with a lady today who made her daughter's first wedding gown and she said she was working on it every spare minute for MONTHS. She said she lived 5 minutes away from her job and would come home on her lunch hour and sew for 45 minutes. She said something about 15 buttons on the sleeve from the wrist to the elbow and a high neck with a lot of buttons. So I'm hoping it was much more elaborate than mine. Because I certainly don't have much time available. She even made a comment about how short the time was "and you're making a test dress?" I laughed and said I hoped I wasn't running around in a panic the day of the wedding screaming at dh to staple seams together.

I'm hoping to have the test dress done within the next four weeks. That leaves me eight weeks to do the real dress. I think it can be done, especially if I use some of our commute time basting.

I am learning with making the test dress. I think it's important to make the test dress. For example, I learned that I need to be more vigilant when ds1 is around and I'm working on the dress. Last weekend he put his water glass on the table, which left water on the table. Now the blue satin fabric has a stain on it. Looks like a grease mark though.

Today we leave work early. Dh has an appointment.

Until next time.