For several days I've been re-reading books, contacting designers, writing instructions and organizing and printing materials for a major sock class. It wasn't part of the original plan but when the planned instructor dropped the bomb and backed out at the pre-class meeting what's a girl to do?
I find it rather amusing how things have a way of working themselves out. Last year I began exploring various techniques for knitting the heels and toes of hand knit socks. I started with toe-up techniques and had progressed through the Figure-Eight, Magic and Easy Toe cast-ons. In the heel department I learned Judy Gibson's standard heel, PGR's Short-row heel and a modified no-wrap short-row heel with gusset. (No clue as to its' proper name if there is one.) Over the next 3-4 months I'll have the pleasure of imparting these skills to my fellow guild members.
I don't think I'll ever reach the point where I'll want to stop learning or sharing what I learn. There have been many occasions where fun has been made of the sometimes pointless facts and bizarre info stored in my brain. Usually the jokes end when someone realizes that I probably know the info they're looking for and if I don't I can direct them to the most likely source. There have also been times when I've found it to be a bane to my existence. I can't get out what I really want to use but the useless info flows out just as freely as it flows in.
At this moment I am a student of the sock. Fully engrossed in all the minute details that go into manufacturing what many people see as a useless knitting process. Anyone who knows the luxury of wearing a perfect fitting, beautifully designed and knitted pair of socks would howl with laughter at the absurdity of such thoughts and the nerve of people to speak them.
Tonight I went to sock heaven.
The German Twisted Cast-On took me there.
Why did it take so long?