No, the socks beat me. I thought I was getting somewhere – but then I realised that where I was did not correlate *in any way* to where the pattern thought I was. I reckon I might have managed all right; I was ready to keep going in a tube-like fashion down the foot; but all in all this disconnect between instructions and actuality Did Not Bode Well.
So I’m going to try the DPNs.
And in a moment of madness ambition, I am upgrading from the yucky coloured stuff to the pretty stuff that just arrived from Posh Yarn. And from plain Jane socks to Jaywalkers. (I hate stocking stitch and ribbing. Dull, dull, dull.) They look cute, and simple; and the whole world has made them, so the pattern clearly doesn’t suck. Wish me luck, knitters. When it’s done I should have some really… sunny feet.
PS. You know what I am very much liking about this sock thing? (Yeah, the inch of it I’ve managed so far…) I am liking the pattern. Well, no, I am not liking the pattern, the pattern it is Confusing and also Wrong. (A rational and objective person would point out that more likely it is I who am wrong, but I am not liking that interpretation.) But I *am* liking the concept of pattern. I’ve written before about how I’m so used to doing my own thing and now it occurs to me that it might be not altogether bad to learn from someone else’s work for a change… well, I didn’t make it very far with the fair isle cardi, and now I’m ploughing along with my own design again on that denim jacket thing* (what can I say; when the muse bites, she bites… yes, I do have an unconventionally aggressive muse) – but it’s pleasant to have a pattern thing to try as well. Restful. Also, I’m not doing anything too radical with yarn substitution. I mean, sock yarn is sock yarn, right?
(No, no, please don’t tell me. No. We’re not talking anything freaky here. No silk or bamboo or even cotton. Good old sock wool. Actual wool.** It’ll be fine. Right?)
* Which reminds me: anyone have any thoughts on the whole grosgrain ribbon button band reinforcement thing? How do you tackle the actual buttonholes – machine stitch and cut them into the ribbon to match the knitted band? I hate sewing machines. But I rather think I’m working myself into a corner here.
** Which is very nearly a first. I generally use cotton and such; I don’t like scratchy wool, and for many years that’s all I knew. But I’m dipping my toe back into the sheepy pond, because I’m not actually allergic, and I hear there’s some good stuff out there. Any recommendations for really, really soft wool will be received with interest. Especially really soft, machine washable sock wool with a little microfibre or similar, in luscious, rich, velvety semi-solid colourways. What?! I know it’s out there!
7 thoughts on “Stumped.”
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Woolly thoughts (and fuzzy logic) 
I recognise that egg yolk colour. I drooled over that but knew I wouldn’t get it as I don’t have access at home so no Sunday yarn for me. Careful with the Jaywalker pattern, it has no stretch at all, the pattern makes the socks come up tight. I had to donate mine to DH as I couldn’t even get them on my legs. You could use my pattern as a guideline and use any 4 or 8 stich pattern instead of SS. My favourite is Baby cables, it is stretchy and cosy and would show off that yarn beautifully, it’s a very easy 4 row pattern. I think you’ll enjoy it more using stuff you like
Just re-read the last part. Softest is PY Lucia or Emily but I would handwash those. Lornas Laces is soft, squishy Merino and machine washable. I’ve knit a few in LL and all have come up well. Of course Opal sock yarn is machine washable and it comes up nice and soft after washing too. DH has quite a few pairs of Opal now and they just get thrown in the normal sock wash with everything else. Good luck. I’m glad you’re not giving up, it’s all about the anatomy of the foot and how to get the tube for the leg and the tube for the foot to join up over the heel and instep. For your 1st time through that a pattern is best and then it’ll all make perfect sense and you won’t have to follow patterns
Hmmm… I do like tight socks though! In fact that’s a major attraction for me in choosing this design. I’ll take a chance, and if the first sock doesn’t come out right, I can always rip it. But thanks for the warning. I’ve looked at Opal but it doesn’t really grab me; Lorna’s Laces sounds like a good tip though – such brilliant colours! I didn’t know they could go in the machine. Faboo.
Oh, and I have 2 skeins of the egg yolk (I like to be sure!); if I only use one, maybe I can pass the other your way! It is a yummy colour. Makes me smile just looking at it.
You’re OK. I got some saffron, and have ordered a skein of Sunstone from BMFA. I just lust after bright yellow/amber colours. Today I’m wearing a bright Buttercup yellow top and dark brown trousers, with lots of Smoky Quartz jewellery.You’ll never believe that the Jaywalkers I knit are bright yellow too, good job my DH also loves bright yellow. There’s a lot of yellow in my home too. Oh dear I’m a freaky yellow girl
Another vote for Lorna’s Laces, which is just lovelysoft, and according to the labels on the skeins I just wound into balls, 80/20 superwash wool and nylon. But my heart belongs to Koigu KPPPM and Cherry Tree Hill, both of which are 100% superwash, and just luscious. (I’m pretty sure they use the same base yarn, although I am slightly more partial to CTH’s colourways.) They’ve washed up beautifully, and though I cannot ever bring myself to use the dryer cycle with wool, no matter what its promises of easy care, they dried up a treat draped over the radiators and are not at all itchy. Not even a little bit.
Fleece Artist is likewise awesome, and I have some Schaeffer Anne I plan on breaking into one of these days, and which I have heard is very good. If the Emily sock yarn I just bought from Dee is anything like the other yarn I’ve got from her — and I see no reason to think it wouldn’t be — it should be a joy to knit with and wear.
Oh, and on the DPN front, I recently switched to using 5-inch instead of 7-inch needles, and I’m finding I like them a lot better, so in your quest to stop disliking the feel of DPNs, I highly recommend trying a different length, if you haven’t already.
Funny, I’m really not a yellow girl – in fact it’s my least favourite colour – but the longer I live in the UK, the more I crave brightness. And I am so enjoying this one.
Good tips ladies! I will be checking them all out. Alas no dryer for me, so that’s not a problem at least. Also, I am definitely using 5″ needles. No point in making it worse than it has to be! (About 2cm in now and going is… all right. Not loving it, but it’s all right.)
Rowan RYC Classic ‘cashsoft’ is a gorgeously soft yarn (57% Merino wool, 33% microfibre, 10% cashmere) – and as far as I know comes in 4 ply and double knitting weight. not sure about how it washes tho. I’ve only got as far as fondling it!