Revolutionary Knitting Explored

First, I have to I am confess I am not a “sock knitter.” I have knit socks, enough times that I can knit them without a pattern, but I don’t consider myself a dyed-in-the-wool sock knitter — the passion just isn’t there!  That said, this book intrigued me. Cat Bordhi intrigues me. She has an interesting link/project posted on her website about knitting treehouses that has stayed in my mind since I first read it. It looks so cool and one of these days I WILL make a knitted treehouse or at least hammock. I’ve not read her other books because knitting a moebius never captured my imagination (Treasury of Magical Knitting) and I don’t knit much from patterns and knitting socks with circular needles annoys me (Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles).

However, I have a healthy respect and admiration for Cat’s brain. It is artistic and she’s really, really smart. I enjoyed reading about how she came to redesign socks as we know them. It was very serendipitious. What is wonderful is that she took that thought and ran – no, flew with it. The result is her book New Pathways for Sock Knitters and she’s promising two more books in the same vein to follow this one.

I decided that if I signed myself up to teach a class from the book that I’d be forced to check it out more closely. I’m so glad I did! I have been having a blast. So far I’ve only knit two sample socks in the picture above. Now I think I’m ready to begin a full sized sock (yeah – now I can pick out yarn!). It’s just plain fun! Easy to understand all the time . . . not exactly. That’s part of the fun of it – figuring out Cat’s artistic brain.

I think the reason I am enjoying this self-imposed exercise so much is that it is fun to watch the socks develop and at the same time to see how her brain works (which isn’t like mine at all). I love figuring out people riddles. Cat is a people riddle. How does she THINK of these things? Because our brains work so differently, it has been more of a challenge to work with her directions than to knit the socks! If your brain isn’t quite so artistic as Cat’s, perhaps you are struggling with these new concepts, too. If so, join me on March 8 and we’ll knit together from the book and I think you’ll come to enjoy it for the treasure it is as much as I do.

Just another reminder that easy isn’t nearly as fun as a challenge. And, when you get done you have an even bigger sense of accomplishment.

PS Don’t forget to download the errata for this book from her website. And, if you find problems with it, she asks you to let her know.