Oct 17 2006
Have Socks, Will Travel
I recently purchased Nancy Bush’s Knitting on the Road.
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It has been on my wishlist for ages, and while I had her other sock books (love them all, by the way) I knew this one had a place in my collection as well. Basically, if it has Nancy’s name on it… (Speaking of Ms. Bush, I had an exclusive interview last week! Stay tuned for the transcript, and possibly the some sound recording - if I can figure out all of that techie stuff…) |
It is such a fitting title too, for nearly all of the knitting I have been able to fit in lately has been on the road, or similarly on the rails. Progress on the Lace (Not So) Knee High occured en route to the optometrist yesterday morning. (See my new glasses?)
Only 60+ lace rows to repeat! (slow knitting is the name of the game at this point)
I am trying not to get frustrated with my lack of progress on these socks. Therefore, I think about how much I love this lace pattern (from Interweave Knits Winter 2004 issue) and what a joy it is to knit… and then I remind myself how much I love it when I have to frog a row…
…and speaking of frogging…
My knitty math skillz must be way oout of whack. This “customized” knee sock pattern is way too big. I am thinking of using this gorgeous Yarn Pirate (Cannon Beach colorway) yarn for another pattern, one that doesn’t involve so much math, conversions, and measurements.
The proclaimed Hokusai Knee High in my knitting bag along with the *now complete* scarf for my ISE pal (more details next post).
Sock knitting IS the perfect “on the road” project: portable, small, convenient. There is a fun discussion thread on the Socktoberfest Flickr group that would make a great discussion here as well:
Where have your handknit socks been?
What is the furtherst they have traveled?
My Dublin Bay socks made the long trip from Maryland to Hawaii last year (a year ago this week, in fact!), and my Diagonal Fixation socks were finished up on the road trip down south to Alabama this past January. There is no doubt that I will be bringing socks on my upcoming California vacation either (one month away and I can hardly wait!).
Feel free to weight in here, over on the thread, or even make your own blog post about it! (and tell me here that you did so!) Have you knit socks on the trip? Did you take finished socks to wear in a faraway place? I would love to know where your socks have been!
…Close to home, but still out in the wild…
My Koigu Indigo socks on my nature trek yesterday! 
Hmm, let’s see…I think the farthest my socks have gone is Nebraska, for a friend’s wedding, I brought them to wear around the house in case it was cold. And I was glad I did
I’m hoping to get in lots more traveling with future socks though, since they really are the perfect portable project.
Oh I forgot to ask, what shoes are those you’re wearing with the Koigu Indigo socks? I’m looking for a good pair of winter shoes to show off my socks with, that are still professional enough to wear to work. I like the style of those ones you have on! Any other suggestions?
Hey Adam! These shoes are from Rocket Dog (you can find them on Zappos). I got mine at DSW - do you have those in NM? I also like Simple. shoes - they are functional, comfortable, and nice enough for work too
My socks have been as high as 35,000 feet (plane trip to WA),as far south as Mercedes, TX, as far north as Two Harbors, Minnesota, as far west as Olympia, WA, as far east as Charleston, SC. So I guess you can say my socks have pretty well covered the US from one end to the other.
I was knitting a pair of socks on the train in Italy this past May while on vacation. Trains are great for sock knitting. I love Nancy Bush’s Knitting on the Road. I just finished a pair of the Conwy socks in Mountain Colors Bearfoot yarn. They turned out fabulous!
In 2003, from the UK to Denver (on the pins), to Yellowstone (still on the pins - too much to see and too tired at night!), to Boston and finished there - hooray - worn all around the US and then back to the UK in 2005. Still wearing and they have just arrived back from Switzerland and Italy. Travel sick socks or what!!!!!!!!
As I wrote in my sock history post, my first two pairs of socks were knit on my trip to India, so they’ve traveled the farthest. My Neopolitan socks came with me last month to Seattle and Pittsburgh, although they still were a bit warm for the weather. I can’t wait to see your exclusive interview, I’m sure that you had some good questions for Nancy.
I know what you mean about the knitting math problems, I had to restart my sock for Cobra about 4 times. It’s difficult but so nice when the results work and you get the nicest-fitting sock.
My very 1st sock didn’t go far, but had fun on a plane to Universal Studios!
you are just so pretty…you are not the bad sister. we will all go and have so much fun…
Well, I have only finished one sock, but it happens to be the pattern you are working on right now: the Lace Knee High from Interweave Knits. I don’t think it was the most ideal first sock project because I am having a hard time finding the motivation to finish the second sock. The first one wants to fall down, and it was soooo much work that I’m not excited about the project anymore. But, it did travel rather far with me–I took the socks to Tel Aviv over the summer. The silly part is that I am making them on two circular needles, and I couldn’t find the second circular when I was frantically gathering my bags to leave the country. Thus, although the socks came to Israel, I couldn’t work on them while I was there…. Oh well. It’s yet another reason to have several projects going at once.
I like that Cannon Beach colorway! It reminds me of one of my fave STR colorways, Pebble Beach, but darker.
The farthest I’ve worn my socks is from California to Turkey. That was loads of fun. I *wanted* to knit socks in Turkey, but I forgot my knitting needles.
those are rocket dogs arent they?!?!
:) im glad you enjoyed the calls haha…we found it quite hillarious, thats for sure..im sorry you can’t come see the show, next time i come home with sarah i’ll do a one woman version of it, how does that sound? haha love you!
-me
Socks have been my savoir during my travels to NM. I can take them on the plane with me and scare the people away from sitting next to me!! Hehehee pointy sticks!
I also knit a pair of socks while I was in Scotland on a Highland tour. I haven’t actually worn any of my socks in any foreign places - since I’m still fairly new at sock knitting - I save wearing them for special occassions!!
-Jody
Hang in thee with the lace (not so) knee highs - the result will be worth the wait!
Hi, Lolly! =)
I’ve knit socks while on vacay in Nicaragua (Pacific Coast side) and in Seattle. And I just remembered–I knit socks the last time I was in Vegas (if you find a stray Crystal Palace US size 1 DPN in the casino at the Venetian, it could be mine. Har!) I will bring more sock WIPs when I visit my sis in Seattle next week and then to Hong Kong in a few weeks.
P.S. That’s a GREAT idea–maybe I should bring the Nancy Bush book, Knitting on the Road, with me on my travels! Thanks for that idea! And I look forward to hearing about your conversation with her.
Digging the new glasses…Unfortch, my socks haven’t seen the light of day in quite some time, but past socks have seen many a doctor’s office, that’s for sure!
love the shoes! i just spent a bunch of money at zappos…for shoetoberfest. My socks have been to vegas and canada. boring, i know. i don’t get out much. i have to stay home and keep an eye on all of this yarn
I travel with all my knitting/crochet projects. Matter of fact I worked on my sock on the way up to Rockford yesterday. Today I even managed to do the heel flap, turning of the heel and the gussets.
Your socks look awesome.
I finished a pair in Bruges, Belgium, on vacation two weeks ago. Started the next pair there too. I love knitting socks in the car - BF likes to drive, you don’t hear me complaining. I even bought this earlight thing that I can stick on my ear and knit at night:)
I have posted on my blog about my first ever pair of socks which started off in Australia and moved with me all the way back to the UK! I think a creature had got in the yarn too because when I finally knitted them there were strange breaks in the wool!
I also tried to knit socks on a sailing boat in Portugal this summer …. never again … it made me sick!!!!
My socks don’t go far as I don’t wander too far from home but I am always surprised at the number of places that they’ve been knit. My Columbine Peak socks have been knit at baseball games, baseball practices, soccer practices, soccer games, doctor’s offices, dentist’s offices, waiting in the car, playgroup, watching tv at home …
My socks made it to the clinic this morning although since I was a week early for my appointment, there was no knitting done.
Ooh your new glasses are so cute! My socks have only traveled about as far as my front porch. I’m still trying to get the hang of it and so I’m a little nervous to venture to far from my help books!
travelling socks! My retros went with me to Mexico! and I’m predicting a pair will also be a travelin’ to Orlando too!
very cute!
Nice pants hike! show dem socks girl!
One of my favorite books, too! I just can’t keep up with all three Nancy Bush KALs.
Hey……can you tell us how much weight you have lost? You are looking fabulous!
I don’t go anywhere exciting, so my socks have lived a sheltered life. Are those Rocket dog shoes?
What a fun question! The farthest my socks have been is to Culebra, a tiny island that is part of Puerto Rico. My sock watched whales from the deck and waited patiently while I snorkled in coral reefs. My sock forgave the odd increase when I imbibed more than my share of Puerto Rican rum and smiled forgivingly when I did penance in the cathedral in Old San Juan. Such a sweet sock (and a beautiful island).
How about a KOTR pattern for your pretty Yarn Pirate yarn? What do you think of the book?
Eeeeek! Rocket Dogs! I have those shoes! They look smashing with your pretty blue socks =)
I can’t wait for your Nancy Bush interview! How cool that you are interviewing her! I don’t have that book but I think I need to go to the bookstore and find it
nancy bush. you lucky…..(and i finally got off my bum and am participating in socktober fest in blog land too. you’re awesome for doing this. and thanks for the blog. it’s great to read.
Well… my socks went on safari (to Africa): http://www.snargle.org/crafty/archives/000436.html and hit Amsterdam on the way home. And they’ve seen the Bridge of the Americas in Panama: http://www.snargle.org/crafty/archives/000377.html.
Another pair went to the Bahamas and Trinidad.
And closer to home, my Jaywalkers spent time in 7 states (California, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and of course Maryland). I love to travel, and so do my socks!
Too bad I hadn’t yet learned to knit when I visited Mongolia…
I answered on my blog.
Love the picot tutorial, I may have to do that to some socks this month…
The So-Called scarf is awesome as well, that color is fab!
I answered in my blog. I knit a sock on a diving trip.
My most exotic knitting spot was at several cafes in Heidelberg, Germany. I took socks to knit there last September. A current pair I’m working on traveled by plain from Houston to Minneapolis and then joined us on our drive back–the first sock went through MN, IA, KS, MO, OK, and back to Texas. We were in a horrible car wreck in Dallas, so I consider these my survivor socks.
Thanks so much for Socktoberfest!
Hey Lolly! Love your new glasses. They look great on you : )
Ooh that looks like a complicated sock pattern!
So far, the furthest mine have been is to the other side of town. (I carry a WIP dutifully in my bag to work, in case the computers go down, say, or I’m stuck in the building waiting out a thunderstorm before I can go home. Thus far, I don’t think I’ve knit a stitch at work, though I did attempt to roll a center-pull ball during a particularly bad fubar of the computer system.)
In November, they may go from the Gulf of Mexico coast (I live in Southwest Florida) to the Great Lakes, as I visit folks in Ohio and Michigan. How exotic.