Yesterday I finished Lopi sock number one. The heel business worked out on the first try, but with the toe I had to frog several times to get it right and try different ways of finishing. After threading trough the remaining stitches and finding the toe too pointy, grafting the remaining stitches and finding the toe too square, I ended up doing a three needle castoff and being reasonably happy about it. Here’s a picture
and another one
They feel so nice and warm. I’m really looking forward to having the second sock. I am in fact so fascinated by the lopi socks that I am planning a second pair in my mind, which will be a bit different.
Isn’t it a bit annoying that we have pairs of all limbs?
Today I’m staying home. I finished making an exam for my poor students, and now I’m studying Finnish – which is a nice and fun change from what I usually do. I like learning languages, especially Finnish. It’s so different from everything else that it never becomes dull. I’m twisted enough to love studying grammar, and Finnish has a whole lot of complex grammar. I think it helps immensely that Icelandic grammar is also complex, so in most cases there are equivalent grammatical constructs in Icelandic. It is very difficult to learn grammar which doesn’t exist in your own language, because then it doesn’t really make any sense to you and you don’t have a feeling for when to use it.
I’m going to Germany on Sunday for two weeks. I’m attending a spring school at the Jülich research center, and will be staying in Aachen during the school. Am I lucky enough to have a reader who knows a good yarn shop in Aachen? It seems rather unlikely! Düsseldorf will also do, as I might check it out during the weekend.
Now, what knitting to take?
Oh, it looks great! What size shoe do you wear and how many sts did you cast on, etc? I’ve seen that variegated Lopi in reds, and I umm…. might buy it today. Two skeins is enough for a pair?
How many languages do you speak anyway? Not that I’m jealous. ;-)
Comment by Cassie — Thursday, March 2, 2006 @ 4:39 pm
Your socks look so warm and toasty! How lucky that you get to travel so much. My mother’s family is from Dusseldorf and once owned the Mueldorfer featherbed factory there. I’ve never visited but I do love my down blanket! Good luck finding a yarn shop.
Comment by Janet — Thursday, March 2, 2006 @ 5:02 pm
Thanks :-). I wear shoe size 38, oh, of course you have different shoe measurements on the other side of the Atlantic… ok I checked, it seems to be women’s 7.5 (do you really have different scales for men and women?).
I used one skein for this one and there’s very little left of it. I cast on 36 sts but after the rib decreased to 34. They’re knitted really tightly on 5mm (US8)needles so the fabric is really dense. My gauge was about 16.5 sts and 26 rows on 10cm (4”).
Go buy lopi… do it do it do it ;-)
I can really only say I *speak* 3 languages (Icelandic, Danish and English), since I can just barely get by in Finnish, and I’ve forgotten most of the Spanish I learned in high school!
Comment by siggasif — Thursday, March 2, 2006 @ 5:03 pm
The Lopi sock is beautiful! This is very tempting. I just finished a pair of socks on US 4 needles, and found that it was such a treat from my normal tiny sock needles. US 8 is very tempting indeed. :)
And I read your earlier post about an upcoming trip to Seattle. This is where I live, so let me know if you need the lowdown on the local yarn shops!
Comment by Amy M. — Thursday, March 2, 2006 @ 11:01 pm
Ooooo yay, now you got me really excited! I definitely would like to know about some good yarn shops in Seattle, if you want to tell :-)
I definitely recommend US8 socks, it’s very satisfying to knit a few rounds and whooosh there you have 2 inches! I think I was permanently brain damaged when I tried to knit a normal sock using 2mm (US 0) needles. Jeez that was frustrating, my needles are all bent and wonky from that project. Needless (ahahaha) to say, it never got finished.
Comment by siggasif — Thursday, March 2, 2006 @ 11:54 pm
I used the red varigated yarn for a sweater and the leftover yarn for mittens. I am a bit ambiguous about using lopi for sock though because they are notorious for wearing down easily.
The Lopi varigated colors are unbelieveble though. A friend of mine described them as colors of the nature (the Icelandic nature that is).
You can find stores (incl. knitting stores) with google maps.
Comment by Sonja — Friday, March 3, 2006 @ 4:11 am
I love your socks! I can’t even wrap my head around socks knit on a size 8 needle, but i’m sure they’re super-warm. they look fantastic.
Comment by regina — Monday, March 6, 2006 @ 10:17 pm
Warm socks for sure!
Lett-Lopi if going to be on my needles shortly too! I love the different shades and the feel of wool.
The Nordic Knitting Symposium is held once a year, it is the week right after Midsummer. So far it has been in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, then Vaasa Finland, again in Denmark, last summer we were in Estonia and now it is in Iceland! Jippii!!!
It is a fairly small symposium. I think the participants are kept well under 200 hundred. The week consists of different workshops, lectures and visits in the surroundings. The excact program for Iceland is not yet released. I fly to Reykjavik a day earlier, is there something I should absolutely see on the Monday I’m on my own there? The Symposium is held in Hella.
Enjoy your stay in Germany!
Comment by Lene — Tuesday, March 7, 2006 @ 8:14 am
I love studying languages, too. I took a course in Old English once, and it was difficult but very satisfying. We read passages from Beowulf and translated them into modern English. I’ve thought about attempting Icelandic, since I know the “extra” characters like eth and thorn from Old English, and I’ve heard that Icelandic is very similar to Old Norse, which is a cousin of Old English.
Plus it would really help me with my knitting. I have the famous shawl book but am a little afriad of it. ;-)
Your sock is beautiful. I imagine it’s incredibly warm! You’ve made me think about knitting bed socks with some of my Lopi leftovers. I’d never have cold toes again!
Comment by Beth S. — Wednesday, March 15, 2006 @ 5:37 pm
Nice work! It looks just fine and warm too !
Comment by Qwerty Maniac — Thursday, March 16, 2006 @ 8:04 am
Adrian
Burn not your house to rid it of the mouse…
Trackback by Gentile — Monday, October 30, 2006 @ 5:02 pm
Hi, girls, here at the bottom of Africa we dont have “real” winters, but it does get cold as the houses are so drafty!Bed sock patterns DONT exist never mind the choice of wools.I am looking for a really vamp ladies bed sock,neat and elegant that draws at the ankle, suitable tomy climate.Any pointers where I can searcg.Thanks for the crazy website,Gill
Comment by Gill Celliers — Friday, February 15, 2008 @ 3:02 pm