Sock toe triumph

Some of you will know that I have for some time been wrestling with the idea of knitting socks - the idea is to spin self-striping yarn and make truly funky socks. I can do the spinning yarn bit, and I can knit, but knitting socks is something else altogether! After taking a lot of advice and reading a large number of recommended books, articles and patterns, I decided to go with the instructions in Socks from the toe up by Wendy Johnson. She gives a basic sock 'recipe' which can be easily adapted, which is what I need - once I have got the hang of it, I can change the elements to suit my own design, I just need to understand the basic construction.

And, dear reader, I am half way there! Today's triumph is the toe - I have produced my first toe, using Judy's Magic Cast-On which you can also see at www.persistentillusion.com/blogblog/techniques/magic-cast-onwww.persistentillusion.com/blogblog/techniques/magic-cast-on if you are so inclined. As with so many knitting patterns, it is ever so much easier to do than to describe.

I am now off to find some suitable wool (what I was using today was just some scrap handspun) and needles, and then I am going to attempt a WHOLE SOCK - including the next challenge, THE HEEL! Watch this space...

Those of you who knit socks in your sleep will no doubt be amused/dismissive about my little triumph, but the idea of knitting socks has always scared me - my mother once knitted me a pair of white lacy ankle socks when I was small, and it took months and much cursing, so I think my impression that this was A Really Hard Thing To Knit was instilled early...