11.21.2007

The second you stop worring about running out of sockyarn...



...is about 10 seconds before you run out of sockyarn. In the grander, more general sense, I am not out of sockyarn. Nowhere near. In the specific sense of the two pairs of socks on the needles, I am very much in danger of being out of sockyarn. I've probably made more than a dozen pairs of socks, and each time have had copious amounts of yarn left. With the first two pairs of STR socks I've made, I've been very careful to guess on the conservative side for yardage, and those turned out fine. So I guess that means throwing caution to the wind and not thinking about yardage at all. Good plan.

The Hoofle Foofle (yellow STR Mediumweight) I think I might actually be okay on, though it will be close. The black sock (Earl Gray, because black shows cables so well (Doh)), I will almost certainly run out of yarn for. Because that one's a gift on a timetable, of course. I have some more Risata in burgundy that I could easily use for the toes, but the larger problem here is that I've likely used so much yarn at this point because, as with Cascade Fixation, I knit the beginning of the sock WAY too loose to compensate, subconsciously, for the stretchiness of the yarn. And I can't really ask Other to try it on because it's supposed to be a kind-of surprise. (I mean, he probably noticed when I tied a bunch of the yarn around his wrist as an allergy test, he's observant that way, but there could at least be a big reveal, right?) So I guess the plan is to wait until I run out of yarn, then give in and have him try it on. Probably the cuff will be way too loose and the foot will be tight enough to cut off circulation. Merry Christmas, Other! Sorry I tried to maim you!

11.08.2007

effed oh, calico



Yarn: Socks that Rock, Lightweight
Colorway: Calico
Pattern: plain stockinette, shortrow heel
Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo, 2.25mm

LOVE! Socks that Rock has lived up to the hype - there's no halo that needs to be repeatedly maneuvered out of the joints of my toes, and it turns out I vastly prefer that. They're very warm and clearly durable. Yay. I have some Metamorphic in the medium weight that will probably be cast on soon for more plain socks.



However, I actually should probably not cast on anything else until one of the four not-insignificant and immediately pressing projects gets done. Which leads us to a question: Am I insane to think I might be able to knit my mom a pair of Clessidras before Christmas? When I don't technically have the yarn yet? And when I need to get a Montego Bay Scarf* done by Dec. 5, and a HP house scarf also done by the 25th? As well as another pair of socks? Hmm? Yeah, that's probably insane. Sigh.



*

11.06.2007

Dreidel vs. Pomatomus



Yarn: Socks that Rock - Lightweight
Colorway: Dreidel
Pattern: Pomatomus
Needles: Knit Picks 2.75mm metal
Modifications: Knit the stitches constituting last half-scallops instead of working them in pattern, so that the pattern appeared to bleed into the toe



While knitting the first one of these, I had high hopes that the second one would come out spiraling and pooling in the same way. By the time I was done with the first one, it wasn't even spiraling and pooling in the same way as itself, so I decided to be happy if the second one didn't turn out red.

The fit of the pattern is wonderful, the yarn itself is nice to work with, and soft and warm on my feet.

The, ah, problem if we want to frame it that way comes in with this specific combination of colorway and pattern. Dreidel is powerful. Lots of light vs. dark, yellow vs. blue turmoil going on here already. Pomatomus is a hungry up-and-comer, and its twisted stitches, yarn overs, and non-rectangular pattern repeats give Dreidel a pretty good thrashing. Dreidel wins, in the end, but neither leaves the ring looking good.



By the time I realized that this wasn't going to work very well, I was already pretty invested in it, too invested to frog. When this pattern came out whatever winter that was, I looked at it and thought, pshaw, who the hell would ever want to do something so complicated? Why spend a year on a pair of socks? So I'm pretty proud of their existence, if not exactly their appearance.

Grrr, Blogger's still not getting along with my server. Maybe I can add the pictures later.