Getting past the One Sock Syndrome

I completed the first Cherry Hill sock last night. I lost a whole evening of knitting because I had to untangle the end of the ball.

Note to Self: ALWAYS use mom's swift and ball winder for skeins from now on...

Of course I put it on and discovered all my mistakes. But it fit almost perfectly. Ken chuckled at me and pointed out that I really should take it off and wait to wear it with it's partner. "So it wears evenly," he said. But the man knows me well and is trying to encourage me to both finish and start sock Number 2. If I don't let myself wear Number 1 until Number 2 is finished, I MIGHT actually finish Number 2.

So, in the interest of doing that, I cast on 56 stitches for sock Number 2 and went to bed.

That black object above my foot is my slipper.

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I did learn from the making of sock Number 1.

1. I learned that trying to remember what you did a week ago so you can repeat it, is not going to work and I must take notes.
2. I learned that making socks isn't hard but you must pay attention to what you are doing.
3. I learned that one should keep a tally of how many rows you are making.

I will make Number 2 as close to the same as I can manage, but in future pairs of socks I will also make a wider heel flap. Apparently, my heel is a bit wider than "standard" and my feet would benefit from something a wee bit wider.

I was very excited to find several cool ways to decrease at the toes from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. I used her first suggestion on this sock (and will use it on Number 2), but on my next set of socks, I think I will branch out and try other toe and heel techniques.

Two of the things I really like about socks is that it will not take months to finish a project and they are very portable. There is minimal finishing with only two ends to weave in.

I can see the advantage to toe-up socks as you can divide your yarn in two (reserving the second ball for Number 2 sock) and then knit right up the leg until you run out of yarn. I like longer socks but I would be risking the incompletion of Number 2 if I start at the top and don't divide the yarn. Things to think about...