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Conquering the Sock,

Ever the fan of handknit woolen socks, but understanding the fear factor when contemplating knitting a pair, I wasnt surprised to learn from our Knitters Survey last spring that socks were the least favorite project of all. Socks look incredibly tricky to make. And then there is the whole issue of the double pointed needles and skinny minny yarn. Sock knitting can certainly be a leap of faithat times what youre doing seems to make absolutely no sense at all. When I owned my yarn store, I would often advise customers to channel their inner Luke Skywalker and feel the force (trust the pattern). Dont read ahead, dont jump to conclusionsjust take the pattern one step at a time, and it will all work out in the end. To prove that point, lets challenge ourselves with Christmas at Seas new Seafarer Stripey Crew Sock pattern. This new sock pattern uses worsted weight yarn, which will make the learning process easier and the knitting go faster.

Inch by Inch
Turning the heel: We will use a short-row technique to create the pocket in the sock where your heel sits. Here it is time to channel your inner Luke Skywalker. Just do as written and it will work out. Sl 1 purlwise, knit 12, k2tog, k1, turn. There are unknit stitches on your right needle. DONT WORRY! (From this point forward, all slipped stitches are purlwise.) Sl1 purlwise, P4, p2tog, p1, turn. Again, there are unknit stitches on your left needle. No worries! Sl 1, k5, k2tog, k1, turn Sl 1, p6, p2tog, p1, turn Sl 1, k7, k2tog, k1, turn Sl 1, p8, p2tog, p1, turn Sl 1, k9, k2tog, k1, turn Sl 1, p10, p2tog, p1, turn Sl 1, k11, k2tog, k1, turn Sl 1, p12, p2tog turn You will have 14 stitches on the needle. Turn and knit 7. This is the new beginning of the round.

Pick up and knit 14 stitches onto third needle, knit 7 from the heel. You will have 21 stitches on needle 1, 24 on needle 2, and 21 on needle 3. If youre continuing with the stripe pattern, add your contrasting color. Round 1: Needle 1: knit until 3 stitches remain on needle, k2tog, k1, Needle 2: knit, Needle 3: k1, ssk, knit to end. Round 2: Knit all stitches. Repeat rounds 1 & 2 (alternating colors if youre doing the stripes) until 12 stitches remain on needles 1 & 3, and 24 on needle 2.

For each major step in the pattern, Paige has recorded a YouTube video.

Round 1: Needle 1: knit until 3 stitches remain on needle, k2tog, k1, Needle 2: k1, ssk, knit until 3 stitches remain on needle, k2tog, k1, Needle 3: k1, ssk, knit until end. Round 2: Knit all stiches. Repeat rounds 1 & 2 until there are 8 stitches on needle 1, 16 on needle 2 and 8 on needle 3. Then repeat round 1 only until there are 3 stitches on needle 1, 6 on needle 2 and 3 on needle 3. Knit the stitches on needle 1 onto needle 3 (you now have 6 stitches on needle 2 and 6 on needle 3). Cut yarn, leaving about a 12 tail. Kitchner stitch the toe closed. Kitchner stitch: using a tapestry needle and with both needles being held parallel to each other, insert tapestry needle as if to purl through the first stitch on the front needle (leave the stitch on the needle!) and then as if to knit on the back needle (again, leave the stitch on the needle). Then, insert tapestry needle into the first stitch on the front needle as if to knit, remove stitch from needle, then insert into next stitch as if to purl. Leave that stitch on the needle. Insert tapestry needle into first stitch on back needle as if to purl, slide stitch off the needle, then insert tapestry needle into the next stitch on the back needle as if to knit. Leave stitch on needle.

Step Six/Toe: Now we will decrease to shape the toe:

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The 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church July512,2012 Indianapolis, Indiana If you are attending the General Convention of the episcopal Church, make sure to stop by SCIs booth in the exhibitors hall. We want to say hello.

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One Step at a Time

Step Two/The Leg: Now youve got the groove, I bet. When the cuff reaches 1.52", continue knitting in the round in stockinette stitch (knit each round) for approximately 67". This is your opportunity to use stripes, or a color block pattern.

n the Bible, Noah, his family and a whole zoo of animals waited forty days on a wooden ark. Moses wrote the words of the Ten Commandments while spending forty days on a mountainwithout eating or drinking. And Jesus fasted for forty days and nights in the Judean desert. Surviving on very little (or nothing) and sacrificing the ways of ordinary life, forty days must have felt like an eternity. For those who endeavor to give up or take on something for Lent, the forty days of the season make the task even more daunting. Yet the church presents this patternmodeling its traditions on impressive scriptural storiesand asks faithful people to tackle an extended period of sustained willpower and strength. This may be fine if your name is Noah, Moses or Jesus, but for ordinary people, it might seem different. For centuries, however, people have lived to tell about the other side of Lent. Do they have a secret? Making it through a forty-day discipline requires pacing and perspective. Bunching up one tremendous bit of a project at the beginning of an extended period can trigger burnout. A steady stride ensures stamina and precision. Breaking the large task into parts, Lenten survivors focus on one step at a time. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives this advice, Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and dont get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. (Matthew 6:34, The Message)

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The newsletter of the Seamens Church Institutes Christmas at Sea Program

In this Issue
Meet a CAS Knitter 2 dont Bite off More Than You Can Chew 2 notes from Knitters 3 Packing days 3 Mariners Thank Yous 34 Bit By Bit 4 Conquering the Sock 56

To incorporate stripes: Knit one round in the main color. On round 2, add a contrasting color. Knit for two rounds, but do not cut the main color, instead let it hang, and you will pick it up when needed. Knit two rounds of main color. Continue in this manner (two rounds CC, two rounds MC) for the desired length. End with 2 rounds of the main color.

Repeat this process (front stitches, back stitches) until all stitches have been worked. Thread the tail into the sock and secure. Cut remaining yarn. Weave in any ends.

Step Five/Foot: Now youre back to 48 stitches. Knit (continuing with the stripe pattern) until sock reaches about 8.

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Step One/The Cuff: Cast on 48 stitches onto a single doublepointed needle. Use the cast-on method you are most comfortable with, but make sure youre casting on loosely. Once all 48 stitches are on the needle, from the starting end, slip 16 stitches purlwise onto another dpn and 16 more stitches onto a second dpn. You will have 16 stitches on 3 dpns. With the dpns, form a triangle, with the yarn coming from the top of the needle making up the right leg of the triangle. With your left hand, pick up the left needle and with the empty dpn in your right hand, knit the stitches from the left needle to the right needle (the other two needles may danglethis is normal). Once that needle is empty, move on to the next dpn, using the just-emptied needle as your right needle. Repeat for the third needle. Knit in a K2,P2 pattern for approximately 1.52".
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Voilasee, it can be done! You are now the proud owner of a single sock. Cast on immediately for the second, so you dont fall victim to SSS (the dreaded second sock syndrome), which means the second sock never gets knit, and you have piles of singleton socks all over your knitting bag!

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Step Three/Heel: The heel is knit in two sections: the heel flap and the turning of the heel.

Days of Migration:
Step Four/Gusset: This is where you join your sock heel to the other two needles to create the shape from the heel to the arch of the foot.

Heel Flap: Knit 24 stitches and re-adjust the remaining stitches so that there are 12 each on the 2nd and 3rd needles. You will be working on the 24 stitches only. Row 1: Slip 1 stitch purlwise, knit 1 stitch.* Repeat until end. Row 2: Slip 1 stitch purlwise, purl remaining stitches. Repeat rows 1 & 2 14 times.

Still using your main color, knit 7 stitches from the heel, and then pick up and knit 14 stitches from the side of the heel. Remember all those slipped stitches? Now you know why they were slippedmuch easier to pick them up and knit them. Knit 24 stitches across the top of the foot onto one needle.

ometimes settling in to a new space can prove just as tricky as the move. While the physical move of Christmas at Sea from New York to Port Newark required logistical acrobatics, the settling in required time and adjustmentone step at a time, taking stock of the opportunities the new space afforded. Throughout the early winter, spring and summer, as the number of incoming boxes increased and more and more groups came to volunteer, our staff reconfigured tables, reorganized storage closets and rethought how to use the new space more effectively. Each day presented the prospect of discovering the right arrangement, and little by little, piece by piece, Christmas at Sea equipped the room with systems to face the busy season effectively, efficiently and full of energy. Come see for yourself.

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The Power of One

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Just as every stitch from every knitter contributes to mariners warmth during the winter months, every dollar you give to SCI upholds the valuable services we provide and on which the entire maritime community depends.

Please consider making a financial contribution today.

PORT NEWARK, NJ 07114

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One step, one person, one stitch at a time. It adds up to tremendous change. This theory has fueled the Seamens Church Institutes (SCI) Christmas at Sea knitting program for years. This past years collection yielded over 20,000 itemsquite a vast number! To put that into perspective, 20,000 seafarers scarves laid end-to-end would stretch about 14.5 miles. A lot of stitches combine to make warm holidays for mariners working at Christmastime. This Lent, be fearless! Adopt a project that has intimidated you in the past. Dont be concerned with its length or complexity. Seize Lent one day at a time and seek in each of those days the chance to find goodness in its opportunities. Perhaps you will find that little by little, piece by piece, ordinary people can tackle the most challenging circumstances, including knitting tricky socks.
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Founded in 1834, SCI is a voluntary, ecumenical agency affiliated with the Episcopal Church that provides pastoral care, maritime education, and legal advocacy services for mariners.
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The Knit Before Christmas

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