About 12-13 years ago, I and a friend took a class at a local yarn shop in Salt Lake City called “Blazing Needles.” (A delightful little shop! Y’all in the 801 area code oughta check it out!) The class was called something like “Two Socks At A Time Using Magic Loop.”
Now let me back up just a bit. I had never attempted one sock, much less two, and I had never heard of “magic loop.” This probably should have sent up at least a couple of red flags. But since I was coming from a place of uninformed ignorance – I didn’t know what I didn’t know – I thought it was a good idea at the time.
More than a decade later, all I can recall of the class was a massive yarn tangle that I never did de-tangle or finish. At the very end of the class, the well-meaning instructor stated that she “didn’t like Magic Loop, really” and she “preferred to knit socks one at a time on two circular needles.” Sheesh!
My poor brain instantly overloaded and any remote hope I may have entertained for retaining the techniques of magic loop sailed right through the window.
Help on the way (sorta)!
Two weeks ago, the moderator of a lively online knitting group that I enjoy immensely every Wednesday informed us that she had finally finished her design and photographs for her gauge-less “Magic Socks.” This lovely lady owns “Twice-Sheared Sheep,” an online knitting/crocheting shop for yarns, notions, and patterns. Dawn asked some of us if we would like to be ‘test knitters,’ people who volunteer to test-knit new patterns for designers so they would be able to make certain that the knitting instructions are correct, or if not, what corrections needed to be made before mass publishing the pattern. I said aloud, “Oh, that could be fun!”
Gulp. Yep. I was thusly ‘volunteered.’ Being the kind and gracious (read “sucker!”) person that I am, I accepted the offer.
It would help if you understood, I still have never knitted a sock. I still have shied away from ANYTHING with the word “magic” in the instructions.
Her ”Magic Socks” pattern calls for a Magic Cast On. Strike one.
Her “Magic Socks” pattern calls for magic loop knitting. Strike two.
On the resources page for her website, Dawn very wisely posted videos for both of the techniques that I previously have “struck out” on. For the past two weeks, I have watched these videos daily…repeatedly. I’ve changed yarn twice. I’ve changed needles three times. Until this afternoon, Magic Loop and I were NOT on speaking terms.
I guess getting older makes a lady more stubborn. (PLEASE don’t tell my husband I said that! I would never hear the end of it!) I decided that neither rain nor hail nor dark of night nor cat trying to play in the yarn would deter me from tackling and learning, if not mastering, Magic Loop knitting.
Success at last!
After a long restorative nap following a visit to a local yarn truck (a subject for another blog!), I picked up the size 5 needles and smooth worsted-weight yarn and did my 10th—or was it 12th?—magic cast-on, placed the cute little cat marker you see in the picture below, and started really focusing on mastering “Magic Loop knitting.”
It isn’t beautiful, but it isn’t a tangle. I guess any kind of progress is still progress, right? I think I will keep going.
Dawn! I did it!! Woo hoo!!
Happy knitting!
Anita