12/25/2015 Although I am not finished with the Kilmarnock bonnets, I got the #5 DPN’s for Christmas from my in-laws (along with Designs for Knitting Kilt Hose & Knickerbocker Stockings), and couldn’t resist starting this. It’ll be a nice break from the others. It seems these should go somewhat quickly.

I am using cotton. I don’t really want the maintenance headache of wool, and I had acrylic and cotton on hand. The cotton sounded nicer for socks.

1/1/2015 Completed first sock.

1/2/2015 Usually, I provide photos of steps along the way and provide a more detailed log, but I am travelling for Christmas and spending time with family, so although I am continuing the knitting in the spare moments, logging and photography have fallen by the wayside.

Rounding the heel was not at all the big deal that Staci indicates in the videos, requiring the concentration that she says. In fact, it is a nice formula that I can execute without looking at a pattern. I find it quite the opposite. It’s something I can pick up in the middle and know exactly what I have to do.

NOW, what I hate is picking up stitches. This is why crocheting and I don’t get along - it is ALL picking up stitches. What is VOODOO is that Staci picks up the stitches and knits them without benefit of a left needle! (and make it look so effortless) THIS is the thing that she needs to warn you about and spend more time on. I managed to get 3 or 4 done this way when I received Hiatt’s Principles of Knitting from my mom for Christmas. Hiatt has an entire chapter on picking up stitches. The first method she gives is to insert a smaller needle through the picked up stitches first, and the complete the K like normal. WOW! HOW EASY THAT MADE IT! One of my earlier picked up sts turned into an ugly knot. I wish I had ripped back when I noticed it. Ripping back is easy along picked up sts.

Somewhere in the even rows in the foot, I did an accidental YO between needles 3 and 1 (probably from setting it down and picking it up later). Didn’t notice until many rows later. Just decreased to make it up.

Oh yeah….I used 14 sts in the cuff to get 2”, and 55 sts in the foot for my length. Length is OK - might could use a few more rows, but still seems too small. Like the heel flap is too short. Cuff angles down toward back of foot, and heel wants to fall out. My cuff is REALLY loose, too. Maybe a function of not using wool (something else I subsequently read about in Principles of Knitting) or my loosey goosey purls.

I am starting the second sock. Thought I’d try some acrylic this time. Might as well experiment with materials. It’ll be orange. My pair with be Auburn University colors: navy and burnt orange.

1/3/2015. Into even rows of foot of sock #2 (orange). Realized what I did wrong with #2 (navy); I believe I skipped the every-other-row even row in the gusset. Ugh! I thought about frogging back to the pickup sts, but with the loose cuff, might just start over.

1/6/2015 Orange acrylic sock done!!! (Now to start over the blue, cotton one.)

1/7/2015. Plucked out kitchener st from bad, blue sock, and cast on end of yarn and started a new sock. Just using the old sock as a ball of yarn.

1/18/2015. Done except for stitching down ends.

1/20/2015. Done.

1/31/2015. Got around to taking pictures using my foot model wife. I am mostly not too thrilled with these because they don’t fit me well. I was hoping that my smallish man feet (9ish) would fit this pattern, but not really. Kind of hate spending that effort, and not really being able to use them.