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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Baby, Remember My Name

I have an auto knitter. It’s a hand-cranked, designed-during-the-industrial-revolution sock-knitting machine. By machine, I don’t mean something with a plug that does all the work for you. I mean a heavy cast-iron thing with gears and screws and needles and a carriage. You sit and crank, carefully counting rows, create a heel, crank some more, and create a toe. It takes all of an hour to make a pair of socks, once you factor in picking up dropped stitches and grafting the toe. These were my go-to gift for several years. After our move to the homestead, the pieces got divided amongst boxes, the needles stored somewhere safe. The place I chose was so safe that I’ve been unable to find them. So, the Autoknitter is sitting idle, patiently awaiting my return.
All the socks I made on it have worn through at the ball of the foot, but I haven’t had the heart to just throw them out. I don’t want to waste the time and yarn I used just because the toes have worn through. So I kept them in a pile for years.


The other day I got a notion to cut the toes off. And I’m thrilled with the result! I like to be barefoot, but our wood floors are chilly in the winter. These little babies keep my ankles and legs warm, but give my toes freedom!


Plus, I feel like a dancer from Fame, all calloused feet and slouchy legwarmers. I’m gonna live forever!

15 comments:

  1. Ha! Now I want an "auto knitter" too.

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  2. Let me know when you learn how to fly!

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  3. Hilarious...nice pics.......
    Raise 'em up, raise 'em up, raise 'em up....FAME

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  4. No WAY!!! I was just searching Etsy.com for some cool leg warmers...you have inspired me to just make em' myself..look out wooly, old hunting socks! I gotta plan for you now!

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  5. I want an auto knitter! And now I want to watch bad dance movies :)

    Stephanie :)
    www.simplicitymom.blogspot.com

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  6. I never knew such a thing existed! There is hope for me. ;o)

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  7. I actually want to watch Flashdance now.

    Love the socks!

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  8. Pretty bloody brilliant!!! Oh please dust off that ol auto knitter and start cranking out those socks again, (or cool, colourful legwarmers)!!!
    xo maureen

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  9. Awesome! This really made me smile :) Inspiring, now all I have to do is learn to knit.... umm, soon :D JM :)

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  10. PS Today's legwarmers are the sleeves cut off an old sweater...love! Very cozy over tights and my kindersurprises love them!

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  11. Love these!
    Thinking some of my "toe peaking" socks need to be transformed like this!
    love
    S.

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  12. I love this!!
    It reminds me of cutting the feet off all my children's pajamas.

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