Could it be?

I want to be clear that this is not a gauge swatch; it is a pattern swatch.

It's Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Wilderness, and a cable rib pattern. The strong lines of the knit columns between the cables overpower the cables. Not sure it's the best use for this yarn-I'm hankering for cables on socks, but not sure this is the way to go. I'm leaning away from it, though clearly undecided.



In other news, this:

has progressed to this:

and this:
That's all I have to show for today.

Moving a Bit More

These are the two sock projects I have on the go.

I did frog back to the picot edge of the pink Trekking XXL and am glad I took the time to straighten it out. No more lumps. However, I decided to abandon the Traveling Leaf Eyelet pattern . It was too complicated to knit in public after all. I finally settled on the Lace Rib pattern, also from Barbara Walker, which, although it does have an SSK , is otherwise pretty easy.

Am I the only one who has trouble with SSK's? They really slow me down.

The Trekking Pro Natura in the lovely browns is also progressing. I have already knit the heel flap, and frogged the heel flap. I thought it looked a bit narrow when I was knitting it up, but somehow didn't bother to check the stitch count until I was finished the whole thing this morning and counting the first row of the heel turn. Still loving the yarn, though, and happy to be knitting with it.

I did get sidetracked yesterday with some Paton's Kroy in Crayola. So far I've never had more than two pairs of socks on the go at one time, because it just takes too long to finish anything, but the cheery Crayola colours and fond associations with childhood finally broke through my admittedly thin resistance, and I was hooked. I couldn't think about anything else, and I couldn't walk away.

I cast on for a toe-up sock, using the method in VK Ultimate Sock Book, Anklets pattern, but became frustrated with the M1R stitch. "With LH needle, lift strand between needles from back to front and k." I couldn't get the RH needle into the loop to knit. So after a valiant effort, I frogged it.

Then I cast on and knit 16 rows of K3, P2, and a few rows of stockinette. I thought I'd do a basic sock- can't go wrong with that, eh? But I didn't like how the colours worked up- too regular and patchy. So I frogged it.

Then I thought a bit more pattern might disguise the colour repeat issue, so I cast on for the Garter Heel Socks, also from VK Ultimate Sock Book. I knit a couple inches and then held it up to my leg to check the size, and found out it was going to be quite a bit too small. So I frogged it again and sensibly put the yarn away.

Then I knit the some of the too-small heel flap, and went to bed.

Not the most productive day of knitting, but I did figure out that two pairs of socks is enough, especially when you're enjoying knitting them. Is there anybody out there who could use some Paton's Kroy yarn in Crayola?

Moving Right Along

Worked late into the night to finish these for my brother's birthday on February first. I'm so glad I frogged back to the heel flap- it made a much better sock.


Yarn: Paton's Kroy in 54733 Grass Green and 54008 Muslin

Needles: 2.75 mm bamboo DPN's

Pattern: Chevrolace Socks from
Knitty

Except that I used a K3,P2 rib in place of the lace.

Notes: Paton's Kroy yarn gets my respect. It's a bit stiff and the strands split easily, and in my experience it tends toward felt , but it's sturdy and inexpensive. It's sock yarn to keep me humble.





I've also been working at this:

from Trekking Pro Natura, made with 75% wool and 25% bamboo. I love the variegated browns in the yarn- it's quite natural looking. It's also a sturdy yarn, and I'm happy with the stitch definition of this Hourglass Lace stitch, from Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns. I got the inspiration from the Tsock Tsarina. She is a sock design goddess.

And I cast on this last night:

More Trekking- this time XXL. It's my first Picot edge, and I'll have to frog it back, as I've already done the first few rows of the eyelet pattern wrong, and the knitted-down edge of the picot is a bit lumpy. I was going to do something easy, like a simple rib ,or straight stockinette, something I can do in public and not mess up, but the yarn called out for a feminine touch, so I am going with Travelling Leaf Pattern, also from the Barbara Walker Treasury. It's a fairly simple eyelet pattern- I should be OK.

I hope.

Both these new cast-on's are for moi. Hurrah!

The Green Frog

Is there something fishy looking about this pair of socks? Look carefully. Yes, there is.

Let me tell you the story.

The story is not about the stripes; it's about the other sock- the one without stripes.

This is a new pattern for me. It's Chevrolace , from Knitty. I wanted a toe-up sock that had a gusset and heel flap, but this pair are for a man; the lace just wouldn't have been appreciated, so I substituted a K3-P2 rib for the lace.

In spite of doing the (minimal and simple) math, I had to frog out the gusset and heel flap on the first sock.

Twice.

The first time the foot was too short, the second time, ridiculously too long. The third time, I got the foot length right.

But then I did the heel flap wrong. It's supposed to be in Eye of Partridge stitch, but somehow I forgot to do that, even though I had done it correctly the first two times, and ended up knitting the thing in stockingette stitch.

I thought it would be OK. I thought no one would notice. I thought I could live with it. I carried on up the leg and cast off. Sock One Done.

Well, when I got to the heel flap on the second sock, I thought I'd just do that old Eye of P. heel, and see how it looked. I knew I'd either be frogging the flap, and knitting it again in stockingette to match Sock One, or I'd be frogging the whole leg and heel flap of the first sock. Here's what happened:

Yes, Sock Two is finished (I threw in three clever-looking sporty stripes, just for fun.). Sock number one is now frogged back to the beginning of the heel flap.

I *will* get these done. They have an early February deadline. I like to finish knitting projects well ahead of deadlines. Other types of projects (like housework and resumes) I am content to leave in any old unfinished state up to and even occaisionally beyond deadlines, but not knitting. I'm a slow knitter- can't handle the stress of last-minute knitting.

The thing about frogging is that I don't really mind it too much, because I love to knit, and frogging just means more knitting. How can that be a bad thing?

.

First Frog 2008

Cast on 60 stitches of lush Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome in Wild Cherry, completed 16 rows of K2tbl, P2, and checked the pattern only to find I was supposed to cast on 64 stitches.

I'm supposed to be doing something else today anyway:

I need to turn the heel here at home where distractions are limited. Then I can finish the leg anywhere. More about these another day.

But now I can do the Wild Cherry ribbing anyhwere, can't I? Long as I can count to 64.

First FO 2008

Pattern: Garter Heel Socks from Vogue Knitting The Ultimate Sock Book

Yarn: Regia Silk, colour 070 (55% Merino, 20% Silk, 25% Polyamide)

Needles: 3.00 mm Brittany Birch

Notes:

I enjoyed working with this yarn; it has a nice feel to it and works easily. It's smooth and even.

It seemed to me that the pattern worked up quickly, too; that's perhaps due to the larger needle size.

These are a birthday present for my grandmother, who will be 96 at the end of January. She is tiny, and has small feet, bless her.