Thursday, August 24, 2006

%&@§ socks

After working for three days on the Pomatomus socks, and getting not even to the middle of the foot on the first sock, I ripped everything up and decided to start all over.

It’s not that I don’t like the pattern. I love the patters. It looks absolutely cool and the blue wool I’ve picked for it (Regia 4pl. 1040) is a perfect blue/blue mix. It isn’t that the pattern is too difficult. Au contraire, it is actually fairly simple and if you have started it right no problem to figure out where you are and how to move on.

But … they are too tight. That’s a first for me. My socks are always too wide. Always!

When I saw the socks had a cast on of 72 stitches I was concerned. I normally cast on with 60 stitches. That’s like 20% more. Those socks were gonna be huge. So, instead of using 2.5mm needles for the cuff and 3mm needles for the rest, I decided on a 2mm / 2.5mm combination.

The first couple of rows after the cast on should have given me a clue. Knitting a purl / ktbl pattern, this cuff was going to be tight. But still I plowed on. This would sort itself out eventually, I was sure. I started with the pattern, and even though it seemed a bit tight, it looked pretty and who cares for anything else? Even though the pattern was fairly simple to follow, I made a few mistakes like missed castovers, but those I could sort out and slowly (very slowly) the sock took shape. I got to the heel flap and the turn and started with the foot and found out that (again) I’ve made a mistake somewhere. But where. And how to fix it. And why are those socks to narrow and tight. They will never fit me (and I know nobody with smaller feet than me who would want to wear them – even my nephews are now getting bigger feet than me)

I took a deep look into my soul (or should hat be my sole in this case ;)) and decided to end it here and now and rip everything up and start all over again.

Of course, I have no 3mm needles with me this week and stitching wasn’t working either because I’ve forgot to bring my stitching frame with me …

Instead I took a dive into the entrelac I’ve seen and did a swatch trying to figure out how this is working for me. I’m thinking out making a scarf in that pattern but I need some nice wool for it. Something in solid colors maybe. Or maybe using a verigate fiber.

Well, I need to visit the shop anyway as I need more wool for my shawl ….

Tonight I’m going to head for Berlin and I plan on visiting this exhibition there tomorrow.

1 comment:

Jessica said...

I feel your pain, I just ripped a sock back to the beginning today too, but because I was using a pattern I always use but accidently with a different size needle.

Here's to our next sock being bigger!