I've been knitting on and off for quite a few years, untill around August of 2009 my talants had got me as far as basic scarves and some very simple fingerless gloves that were basically just a rectangle sewn up the side with a gap for the thumb. Having watched my mum knit for years, bigger and better things fascinated me but I was too intimidated to learn how to read patterns or figure out more complicated stitches.
When we moved to Trowbridge in June I saw a sign in the window of Costa Coffee advertising a local knitting group, and I went along a few weeks into July, taking my Crochet blanket with me. That first week there were only two other ladies there, Coleen and Tracy, the 3 of us are the members of the group who show up every week (an hour early) without fail, as well as meeting up often for coffee on other days when we are all free.
Seeing the two of them knitting more complicated things really inspired me and after a few hours looking at the knitting board of Craftster I decided I really wanted to try my hand at making socks. I searched online for a free basic sock pattern, quickly popped out and bought some DPNS (followed by a session watching youtube videos on how to use them!) and got started. Everytime I got to something I didnt know or understand I simply looked it up online, usually watching a youtube video. And within about 5 days of rather intense knitting sessions I had finished 1 sock! My rather basic knowledge of just knit and perl had grown to using DPNs, K2tog, SSK, picking up stitches, slipping stitches and making an amazing turned heel. I was so proud of what I had done and immediatly put it on... it was about 1 and a half cm too short for my foot. I was gutted that I would never get to wear my socks but I now knew I was capable of better things. I had plunged myself in with a rather complicated item to make and succeeded. I decided not to make the other sock, I wanted to start again and have something I could wear.
They arnt great photos, the wool is red with little specks of different colours, theres ribbing around the ankle and a couple of little mistakes that are really obvious to me now but really dont matter.
