Oh, the suspense!

Let's save the good part for the end, k? I know, the suspense is killing you. I have a hat (yes, another one) to show you. I gave a bit of a teaser in one of the previous posts. Without further waiting, here's the Man's Toque á la Strellson.



As yet, the pattern isn't quite ready and I'm not sure if I'll offer it as a freebie or a pattern for (future) sale. I've made two now. The one in the picture is made with Sirdar Country Style DK in black (I took it out of the roomie's bedroom to photograph it and get the gauge) on 3.75 mm needles (circular and dpn). The second one was done in Galway worsted weight yarn on 4.5 mm needles. It turned out a little smaller than this one, so if I were to do another one for that certain man in my life, I'd add a few stitches. I think the worsted weight version will fit my eldest grandson quite nicely... if he likes it. When next I see him, I'll make sure I have the hat with me.

Ok, you've all been so patient. The comment left by the winner..... Congratulations AO!!

AO wrote:
"My grandmother taught me to knit when I was little, though I didn't come back to the hobby until college. Now that I'm struggling to write a dissertation, knitting (along with yoga) is incredibly important to my mental health. One of the things I like most about knitting is its history and tradition. I love that I am making some things in the way that people have made them for years, decades, centuries. Socks in particular really embody this aspect of knitting for me. So at 33, I suppose I'm an old dog who is kind of unwilling to learn new tricks, at least when it comes to socks. I've thought vaguely about learning the toe-up method, but I love the soothing, timeless ritual of knitting socks from the top down and imagining all the other people who did it before me in exactly that way. For now, I'm going to stick with this method and bask in its familiarity."

AO, you have no blog link or email address, so I'll have to get you to email me with your contact information.

Incidentally, I agree wholeheartedly with what AO wrote. I, too, feel that connection with generations of knitters who've gone before. I think I've written about my dad's comment about my knitting once before. It bears repeating here. He told me once, while watching me knit, that it reminded him of evenings when his mother and grandparents sat around the kitchen table after dinner, all knitting socks. That included my great-grandfather. What a wonderful legacy, isn't it? I hope I can pass that tradition on to at least one of my grandchildren.

To all of you who commented, thank you so much! It does seem that the standard cuff down, heel flap and gusset is the preferred, tried and true method for the majority, but not by much. There are plenty of you out there who prefer other methods as well. I found this all very interesting input. As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to knitting socks, it all comes down to.... try as many methods as you want to learn and decide which you like the best.

Looking forward to hearing from you, AO.