02-08-2025

—Did not like the results of wrap & turn short-row heel. RIP!
—Using German short rows.
—Increased by 4 stitches, evenly spaced, over 1st row of heel to accommodate higher instep/larger heel diagonal
—work German short rows until 11 stitches in center
—Well…didn’t like how the German short rows looked either. RIP!
—trying the the no-wrap short row heel method…FINALLY one I like!

02-10-2025 — As The Sock Turns

Coming up next on SKN (the Sock Knitting Network)…

In today’s episode of As the Sock Turns, we join our intrepid knitter as she struggles through the continuing drama of using her leftover yarn to make a pair of mosaic socks…

Previously on “As the Sock Turns,” we left our knitter with concerns that there might not be enough contrast between the lightest grey stripe of her striping yarn and the natural cream of her contrast color…
Today, we breathe a sigh of relief as we learn that our heroic knitter is satisfied with the color-play!

HOWEVER, while one problem is resolved, new ones are revealed…in an attempt to overcome her historic struggles with the snug fit of short-row heel socks pulling across her instep, our clever girl has made modifications to her heel, which provide more room and feel great…

ALAS! We find she has over-compensated. While the heel looks perfectly normal when her foot is flexed, she unhappily discovers that there is an unsightly excess of fabric when relaxing her foot, and we hear our knitter exclaim, “I should have left more center stitches in my heel turn!”

And the sorrows continue on. The knitter faithfully followed the pattern’s instructions. Alas! She now finds her cuff is gaping, and she realizes that she should have followed her usual practice of knitting her ribbing on smaller needles.

Finally, our knitter has discovered that her colored striping yarn is knitting up at a much slower rate than anticipated. She has weighed her remaining yarn and finds she could have knit more length on her cuff, which she strongly prefers.

What will our heroine do??

Will she settle for mediocrity, continuing to knit her sock as-is, with the hopes of sparking a new fashion trend in shorty-sock-shape?? Can she convince herself, and others, that her sock’s quirks are actually “fashion statements?”
OR…
Will she embrace “the zen” of ripping back and starting over? Can she embrace this whole process as a learning experience and an opportunity for growth, making her a better knitter, and perhaps even a better person??
Or at least the same person, but with a better-fitting sock? smile

Tune in tomorrow for another thrilling episode of…AS THE SOCK TURNS!! where we hear our intrepid sock knitter say…
“Maybe I should just knit another gnome!?!”

02-11-2025 — Starting Completely Over Again

—Changing to TOE-UP construction
—Use size 0 needles for tighter toe stitches
—Turkish cast-on w/10 wraps = 10 stitches per needle, 20 stitches total (NOTE: next time, do more stitches for slightly less pointy toe.
—Toe Increase pattern (magic loop) as follows until 64 stitches:
Round 1: K1, M1L, K to last stitch on needle, M1R, K1
Round 2: knit all stitches
—CHANGE NEEDLES to 2.5 mm
—To achieve required 66 stitches on last increase row: K1, M1L, K to end of needle
—knit stockinette 4 rounds in toe color (natural) before starting CC mosaic pattern (round 3 of leg in pattern)
—CHANGE NEEDLES — circumference seems a bit loose, so went down to 2.0 mm on 4th stripe of darker color

02-18-2025 — Instep Increases

To create less “pull” over my instep, I am adding increases to the top side of the sock as follows:
—started increasing after 12th colored stripe
—on the 2nd row of cream on the TOP side of sock only, m1r, k through last stitch on needle, m1L
—Repeat 2-stitch increase in each 2nd cream row until knitting heel (__times). Total of 42 stitches on top needle
—adjust location of increase stitch as needed to not interfere with pattern, also adjust pattern at beginning and end of top needle to keep pattern uninterrupted in center while accommodating increased stitches on ends HINT: the easiest way to do this is to remember that the pattern repeat shifts one stitch to the left. Find the correct location of where the new slipped stitch will be further in on the pattern (where the increase on the end does not affect) and count in-pattern backwards to first stitch to start off correctly
—after 15th colored stripe, increase by 2 stitches in sole stitches in both rows of the cream stripe as well as the increases on the top in the 2nd cream row ALSO CHANGE needles back to 2.5 for top stitches and 2.25 for heel
—38 stitches on sole needle, 42 stitches on top of foot work short row heel over 34 stitches (SEE below! This did not work!)

02-20-2025 — The Heel (No Wrap Short Row)

Almost halfway through short row heel and trying on…seems too short, so ripping back heel and adding more foot length and increasing on sole stitches only.
—17 colored stripes before knitting heel over 34 stitches (42 stitches on heel sole needle and 42 on top needle)
—after completing heel, work a few German short rows in white on heel needle before starting to work in the round again

02-22-2025

—CHANGE NEEDLES to 2.25 in 7th color stripe after heel

02-23-2025

—CHANGE NEEDLES to 2.0 in 12th color stripe after heel
—Total 18 colored stripes after heel, then knit a round of cream, then K2, P1 ribbing for 14 rounds