One of Five

As I type, Aaron is on his way back to Stockholm, so some leftover wine and half a batch of persimmon pudding is all that stands between me and some serious grumpiness. That and knitting, anyway.

I've finished the wine, and expect the persimmon pudding will only last for a few days, but there's no danger of running out of knitting. The Sock Knitters' Pentathlon started on Saturday, and I'm looking forward to the beginning of Sock Madness on March 15, so it's possible that I'm planning to knit 13 pairs of socks over the next few months - not counting the ones for Sock Club or for Amanda's sockday.

This is the first Sock Pentathlon sock - "Jacobean," by Julie of Knitpickin'. It has some interesting bits, including the "magic" toe-up cast on and a short row heel, and makes a simple but pretty pattern. Julie recommends using magic loop, but that's not something I've learned to like, so I'm sticking with the DPNs. I cast on after work tonight, and knitted through "King of the Hill," "Iron Chef America," and "Ace of Cakes" - so I'm pretty happy with two hours' work.


There's just one tiny problem. (Why is it that thanks to the Capitol Steps, I can't use that phrase without hearing Bill Clinton saying "aw, honey, I wouldn't call it tiny?) Can you see the simple but pretty pattern?

Before the pattern came out, we were told we'd need a solid or semisolid yarn. I'm trying not to be a fiber snob, but I still wanted to avoid the nylon-blended Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, which is the most readily available semisolid. I don't get interested in knitting socks that aren't warm until I actually need socks that aren't warm - which probably isn't the best timing, but that seems to be how I roll. I'd been looking for an excuse to try some Jojoland Melody yarn, and I thought it looked semi-solid enough. But maybe it's not. I don't know if it's the yarn texture or the plied colors, but the pattern certainly doesn't seem to show up very well.

I think I'm going to keep going, and sing the praises of subtlety. Or else I'll offer up my pictures the next time the Yarn Harlot writes about knitterly denial.