December 4, 2018

No rest for the wicked!! As soon as E saw me making the green “first cousin” socks, it was all up: Another pair of socks had to be made and delivered.

We found this lovely yarn at Wisconsin Craft mart, it knits up a dream. However, the variegation would have hidden all but the boldest patterns, so that’s what I chose: a bold pattern of 2/2 ribbing right down the center of the sock (3 ribs).

I also happen to think variegated yarn, and especially short-repeat variegated yarn such as this, looks best in reverse stocking stitch (ie: purl side out), or garter. So, I’m knitting the socks on the “inisde” with the intention of turning them purl side out when done.

BTW: I turned the socks inside out for the top two photos, so I could more see what they will look like as an FO. However, I am actually knitting them on the knit side, because I knit faster than I purl.

I’m knitting them top down and middle-up in the quick-and-dirty “make-a-tube” manner: I make a tube topped and ending with ribbing, using about 3/4 of the yarn. I then divide the tube in the exact middle by simply snipping a st and unraveling. With the other 1/4 skein I make afterthought heels (again, snipping and unraveling to obtain the live heel sts) and then toes, working down from the live sts where the tube was divided. I can knit this sort of thing while listening to an audio book or watching a DVD. And this is a good thing, because E wants the socks asap.

Note that one sock will be 1/2 stitch off the other. The difference is because with make-a-tube, one sock is knit “down” and one knit “up” from the dividing point. This is no biggie when most of the fabric is stockinette (or reverse stockinette) as here. However, it would cause problems if a person wanted to take the pattern all the way down the toe, because that pattern would be 1/2 stitch offset on the second sock. OTOH, mostly the toe is knit plain, so no real problem…

December 8:

I would completely FAIL at a sock knitting competition such as Sock Madness! It has taken me four days to knit just the plain tube and divide it into two more or less equal (couldn’t be troubled to count rounds!) tubes. (Photo 3). Separating across the ribs makes the stitches in tube which is 1/2 stitch off look extremely peculiar, because you get this really odd loose loop where a K borders a P, and vice versa, but trust the situation, put each stitch on your needle as it pops loose, disregarding its very odd appearance, and all will be right.

Dec 9th: I opened the tube for the heel opening last night, picked up the stitches and knit an entire afterthought heel, then realized I forgot to turn the sock inside out (purl side out--as I intend it to be worn) and so had to take the whole heel out again, turn the sock correct-side out and reknit the heel. Sigh.

I think shaping looks best on the knit side, so the heel is worked knit side out, while the sole of the foot is purl side out. The toe, which will be an exact match for the heel, will also be knit side out.