I am the master of the Magic Loop
April 25, 2006 at 10:00 pm | In Uncategorized | 4 Comments
So, on Friday before we left for Montreal, I decided I needed a good portable knitting project. I finished my dad’s socks, didn’t want to bring my sweater, and didn’t want to start my mom’s socks on the bus. I acquired a skein of Opal sock yarn a couple of months ago and, having heard all about the Magic Loop technique for knitting small items in the round. Normally, socks and other small items are knit on double-pointed needles. I’ve never had any problems using them but I also don’t knit many socks, and I think that the reason is that I’m a really slow knitter on dpns. For some reason, I can’t knit continental-style when using dpns, and I find continental to be infinitely faster than the English style. Anyway, when I heard about the magic loop, I was intrigued. I tried knitting socks once using two circular needles (think Cat Bordhi’s Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles), but I didn’t get very far. One circular needle, on the other hand, seemed manageable. I found a pattern for a simple toe-up sock online and printed it, and by the time the bus had left the station in Toronto, I’d figured out the figure 8 cast on and the principle of magic loop knitting.
I am in love with not having to graft the toe of this sock:
The red bit in the center is the figure 8 cast on. I can’t explain why or how this cast on means that there is no grafting. I just know that it does.
This is how much progress I’ve made since Friday night:
That is pretty impressive for me. I am a sloooooooow sock knitter. Have I mentioned that I LOVE MAGIC LOOP KNITTING??????
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I have to learn this magic loop knitting thing. It would be cool to use to knit a sweater in the round.
Comment by Lorien — April 26, 2006 #
i see you got the natassia book as well…any good?
Comment by al — April 26, 2006 #
the natassia book was decent. i thought that the end left something to be desired, but it was certainly an interesting exploration of adolescent angst and parenting choices. i think that the author is a good writer who maybe needs some help with the concept of denouement (sp?).
Comment by Tasha — April 26, 2006 #
I’ve been trying to learn magic loop, but it seems awkward since I knit continental. Any suggestions?
Comment by Kim — April 21, 2008 #