Monday, July 25, 2005
The Experimental Sock
I have finished the first opal sock and am not sure what I really think about 1) the sock 2) the yarn and 3) the Simple Socks book.First, here's Anna showing off the sock:
Anna Sock
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
I do know that I like the self striping part of the yarn. And, Maureen says that the opal yarn washes very nicely. I'm going to take her word, since she is a great sock maker and knows how these things work, which means that I probably like the yarn. I'm not enamored of the way the yarn pulls out of the skein however. Check the previous picture for the huge glop of yarn.... I have to rewind it before I start the next sock... Argh.
And I tried a new cast on for the socks--Twisted German cast on.
This technique is certainly worth learning--the top is much more elastic.
On the other hand, I can tell you that I don't like all of the techniques laid out in the Simple Socks book. Now, please let me qualify my complaint. These are the third pair of socks that I have made, so my sock experience is pretty low. And, I'm certainly not an advanced knitter. But, I've ripped out the heel and toe a few times and fixed some of the problems, but the heel is not as nice as the flap heel with picked up stitches that I have made previously. Take a look:
Sock Heel
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
There is an uneven seam running down the side of the sock, and I used a bit of the loose end to sew up some of the gaps. The heel used a number of yarn overs to turn the corner, which should, in theory, create a smooth heel. I ripped and reknit this a few times, paying particular attention to the way that I wrapped the yarn, but it still wasn't as neat of a heel as I had created with the flap. So, unless I can figure out the problem on the next sock (I will try the technique with the next sock for consistency), I think this is a technique that isn't for me.
The toe was to be turned in the same manner of the heel, but I abandoned this pretty quickly. I went back to Nancy Bush's excellent book Knitting on the Road and used on of the toe designs from the book that ends in a Kitchener stitch. I can't wait to see her new book, Knitting Vintage Socks, has in it.
Sock Toe
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
All in all I'm glad that I tried another way to knit socks. I'm not yet confident in altering patterns, but sock techniques seem like a good place to start.
