Socks at Last!

I'm in the middle of a kind of personal crisis at the moment. I had quite a shock recently and it's left me at a sort of a crossroads. I'm not sure if it's something to be blogging about really so I'll leave it alone for the moment. However, I've been in dire need of a distraction from it (as if a house, a garden, a husband, a pre-teen, a toddler, a cat, two guinea pigs, a visit from the parents and a few days away haven't been distraction enough - but I'm sure you know what I mean!).

For a long time I've wanted to knit socks. I don't know why, I just have. I had an elderly great aunt who was a great help to the family. She had no children of her own but was like a second mother to my mum and aunties and uncles. Apparently she was an avid sock knitter and the sister of my grandma who taught me to knit. So perhaps that's where it's come from.

I've also recently come across Raining Sheep. I just love this blog. I find it interesting, inspiring and sort of soothing, and that's what I need right now. She also makes beautiful socks. So her blog and my 'crossroads crisis' have motivated me to get on and knit some socks of my own!

At least this time I had a valid reason to buy wool (rather than the norm of seeing it and loving it but having no idea what to do with it once I owned it), and the shop gave me a free (easy?) sock pattern. When I asked for double ended needles they said did I mean 'shorts'. As it happened they didn't have any 'shorts' in the right size so I ended up with long 'shorts' (approx 12") since I was too impatient to wait. This is what I came home with:

It's a Regia sock yarn with a Jaquard pattern and it's on 2.5mm needles. I've managed to cast on and do a few rows but I'm struggling with the long needles as I keep sticking myself in the stomach! I've ordered some 'shorts' (neither of the 2 stores in town had any in the right size) so I should hopefully get on a bit better very soon.

This is an exciting prospect for me - finally attempting a lifelong desire - I just wonder why it took so long, and a crisis, to get to this moment??

Edit: For the finished article see this post.

Socks at Last!