My new needle roll

I really want a pair or two of knitted stockings a la the Eleonora di Toledo pair to go with my dresses. Unfortunately, I'm not a very skilled knitter. Therefore, I'm challenging myself to learn to make socks this year. Yes, I probably could buy them or have them made, but has that ever been how I do things? No, not really. That would be far too easy as well as being the sane move.

I have been crocheting since I was 5 and am rather skilled at that, which is the largest reason I'm not a knitter. I enjoy crochet far too much and am fast at it. I haven't practiced knitting that much and only learned about 4 years ago. The completed items I have made can be counted on one hand. I did make a Jayne Cobb hat though, and I'm rather proud of that. Granted, being a bad knitter is an advantage when making a Shiny hat.

So, practice, practice, practice. As I am not inspired by scarves, I'm starting with socks. Wait, its not as crazy as it sounds. I have made socks before. I made a rather nifty pair of naalbinded socks based on an extant Egyptian set held in the V&A for my husband. I've made quite a few pairs of crochet socks and taught a class on them at my local yarn store when I lived in Cedar City, about 5 years ago. I understand sock construction. I just need to work on my tension and knitting. Not to mention working on double pointed needles and getting down to the tiny needles and gauge required to make the Eleonora stockings.

To further inspire and organize myself and all my new tiny dpn sets, I made a needle roll to store them in today. Its a bronze and brown striped silk taffeta with a little blue in it that I bought on ridiculous clearance for less than $2 a yard. I had a smaller piece as well as a 10 yard chunk. Even after making this I have at least a yard in the small piece. One day it will become. . .something. . . just not sure what yet. It probably should be something 18th century, but I just can't see myself looking good in panniers and polonaises as much as I think they're gorgeous. Not to mention the fact that I have enough crazy outfits to make within SCA period. But it would sure be pretty. The brown cotton velveteen is left over from my mantellina, and the blue dupioni silk binding is a scrap left from my ACC dress.

So, not exactly anything Italian, but tangentially related. At least in my head. On with the knitting!