Tag Archives: Socks

So named because I knitted these as we drove up to Karajini for a camping holiday with our friends the A’s.  I knitted one sock on the way up, and the other sock on the trip home.  It is my second pair of socks, and the ones that I determined how many hours it takes to knit a pair of socks; it is two and half days drive up to Karajini; taking into account that my husband and I shared the driving equally; and that we camped overnight; means it works out to roughly about ten hours per sock, given that I didn’t knit continuously…
Again using the pattern for Ladies Sockettes from Patons Knitting Book No. C11, except that I only did 8 rows of rib at the top, then the rest of the “leg” part in stocking stitch; so much easier and quicker this way.  Knitting in the round means that you are just knitting “knit” stitches all the time and none of that time-consuming yarn forward, yarn back that comes with knitting rib…
Whenever I wear these socks I think about our camping trip in the outback.  It was great fun! even if the drive is a killer…
(if you wish to look it up; Karajini is up in the Hamersley Ranges of Western Australia, about half a day’s drive north from Newman)

Socks!
When my very talented mother starting knitting socks I must admit to a sneaking moment of thinking “What on Earth…?” but she proved herself to be ahead of the zeitgeist and it was no time at all before I became just as hooked on knitting my own socks, too…  Except that Mum knits socks for all the family whilst I am still selfishly knitting only for myself, except for a couple of my old pairs that have shrunk in the wash which have only then been passed grudgingly along to my daughter with the proviso that she never ever throw them out…!  See how mean I can be?
More than a few friends have given me the sideways stare when it becomes known I am knitting my own socks.  After all when shop bought socks are so cheap, and after you’ve bought your wool, and spent hours and hours knitting, its obviously not a cost or time saving exercise here.  But I will say this in defence of sock-knitting; it is enormously rewarding, and no other single handcrafting exercise has ever been the equal in teaching me the importance of keeping alive old traditions.  
It’s a Zen appreciation of time and energy spent on a small task.
This pair of socks I’m modelling here today was my first pair of socks, called the Santorini socks, because they were partially knitted whilst I was there.  They have developed one hole in 3-4 years of use, which I darned.  When you have spent 20 or so hours making something, you do not toss out lightly, but mend if at all possible.  Which goes back to what I was saying before. 
These were made using a pattern from my mother’s old booklet; the Patons Knitting Book No. C.11, subtitled Gloves and Socks for Toddlers, Boys, Girls, Men and Ladies.  I like how back then ladies were ranked last in the list, even in a pattern book aimed at this market…  This pair of socks is the only time I have made the socks exactly to pattern, all subsequent pairs have some small variation or two…
The booklet cost my mother 1’6, which is one shilling and sixpence.  Yes,  such was the currency in use in Australia prior to 14th February 1966, when we changed over to Australian dollars with 100 cents in them.  A little history lesson, there.  See how instructive this blog can be?!

Details:
Socks; Ladies Sockettes from Patons Knitting book No. C11