Knitting Marigold Socks - From the Toe Up

     Knitting.   It kept me sane in the insane world of cancer.
     I could get lost for hours in the hypnotic rhythm of the repetition of a stockinette stitch.  Laying out a complex lace pattern on a spreadsheet would challenge me to the point of complete distraction.
     I never went anywhere without my project pouch.   I would knit in the car (of course I wasn't driving, silly). I'd knit in doctor's offices and chemo waiting rooms.  I wrote about that here.  I would knit while sitting by my mother's bed and my son's chair.  I would knit at bowling and told about that here.
     I would always be on the lookout for a new yarn store.  I would get suckered in every time I walked into a new LYS, and I wrote about it here.  I bought lots of yarn and then bought some more.
    There is a wing in my closet, (okay maybe a corner) devoted to yarn.  Big plastic containers with sheep and alpaca yarn for scarves and sweaters.  Sock yarn, for mainly socks but sometimes shawls.  Baby yarn for baby things. Acrylic yarn for afghans.  Book shelves for books on, yep knitting.
     I rearranged my living room so that I could have a knitting corner.  Find that story here.  When that wasn't enough, I renovated our only spare bedroom and turned it into a knitting room.
     When my mother passed away, I kept knitting.  I knit christmas stocking hats for all of the kids and scarves for the big kids.
     I was a proud one of now 2 million members of Ravelry.
    But then my son passed away and I started to lose interest in knitting.  I  no longer had an uncontrollable desire to ogle the purples and reds or squish the yarn puffs in Woolbearers.  My obsession was waning.  I tried to cheer myself up by knitting a marigold scarf.  But I was too sad.
     I feared that knitting could not keep me sane in the insane world of grief.
     As I sat in my knitting corner of my living room today, crying and not knitting,  I realized how much I missed the feel of the needles in my hands and the yarn passing through my fingers.
     So I wiped the tears from my eyes,  blew my nose, and ventured into the knitting wing corner of my closet where I found some left over marigold yarn.
     I figured I needed something more challenging than a garter stitch scarf.  I had knitted socks but never learned the toe up method.  I googled and found Very Pink.  I bought a sock pattern from her web site which comes complete with tutorial videos.  And I found myself lost in the challenge of this new technique.

Here is my progress so far:

This is the start of what is known as a provisional cast on method

You have to use a scrap yarn of a different color than the sock.

Shaping of the Toe

Trying it on for size

I have quite a ways to go before I can wear my marigold sock.   And then I have to make another one just like it.

I'm still sad, but I forgot for a little while as I knit in the round, around and around.

I have created a page for Anna's Diary.  It can be found under the Tab titled Anna's Diary.

I have posted all of the entries to date there, starting with January 1, 1929.

Here is today's entry from Anna's Diary:
Holy Thurs. March 28, 1929
Slim home from college.  Drove me to bank on business.  Brought baby to see live bunnies and chicks in Kresge Dep. Store and Bambs.  Supper at 360.  home early and bed.

[I believe Slim is her brother]