Monday, August 06, 2007

A travelling we will go...

All the way to the UK for my sockapalooza sockpal!
While these should have been finished on Saturday night, a little interruption in the form of my Ravelry invite arrived early Saturday evening, and so for the rest of the night I was glued to the computer!

But a sustained effort on Sunday morning (whilst brunching with these lovely ladies) saw the second sock finished, ends darned in and all!

Woo hoo!

Details:
Pattern: Traveler's Stocking, from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush (what a great book - highly recommended!). I love this pattern, although as I've previously mentioned, the patterned cuff is a punish to knit. I even bent one of my KnitPicks DPNs in the process! But they look so great, I am so happy with them.

Modifications: I did an eye of partridge heel rather than the pattern heel (which I think from memory was a standard slipped stitch heel). As Bells and I discovered on the weekend, our eye of partridge heels were quite different - we think it is because I slip purlwise, while she slips knitwise - the knitwise slipping makes a thicker squooshier heel. Does anyone know which is the "right" way of doing it? And whether it matters?

Yarn: The Knittery Merino Cashmere sock yarn (old version) in colourway Water Lillies. One skein and a bit (about half of the foot of the second sock is skein #2). This is a good colourway for patterned socks, as the colours don't obscure the pattern very much, and provide some interest on the leg and foot, which only has the clocks down each side. The new version of this yarn has more yardage, and so one skein of the new version might be enough for these socks.

Sticks: I swatched for these socks! And I never swatch for socks! Knitpicks 2.25mm DPNs. It produces quite a tight fabric - in fact, these socks were a little tight over the ankle before I blocked them. If I was making these again, I'd probably use my standard 2.5mm sticks. But you definitely need metal needles for this pattern!

Time: 25 May 2007 - 5 August 2007 - about a sock a month! The cuff part definitely took the longest - once I was past that, the leg and foot breezed along quite quickly!
What I learnt: Oh, lots of twisted stitches. Lots and lots and lots. I like the toe of this pattern very much too - not sure what it is called, but it is more of a spiral toe (might be a star of 4 points?). I found it much easier to knit than the wedge toe. And for those of you who hate kitchener, no grafting!

18 comments:

Bells said...

Good work! They are absolutely beautiful. You should be very proud.

I haven't worn a sock with the EoP heel the way I do it yet so the jury is still out on whether it's comfortable or not. Will be interested to hear what others say.

Anonymous said...

Ok! My new bible "The Knitting Answer Book" says....

Question - "When I slip a stitch should I insert the needle as if I am knitting or purling?"

Answer - If your pattern doesn't specify, then slip as if you are purling (purlwise). If you slip knitwise, you change the orientation of the stitch. Working into the front of it on the next row causes it to twist, changing the appearance of the stitch and making the fabric even tighter. Of course, you can decide for yourself which look you prefer."

So there you go.

Ann said...

The socks are gorgeous & the yarn too as I also just finish a pair of socks with the same yarn but with 3mm dpns.

Diana said...

Those are very, very pretty. I love that patterning, something special about it!!!

Oh, I watched Gallipoli last night. You mentioned it once and I wrote it down, finally rented the DVD. Fun seeing Mel Gibson so young! Very sad ending, my son was upset by it! Now I know some Austrailian history!

Anonymous said...

Pretty socks! Love the colourway, and the patterning looks gorgeous, so well worth the effort! Great work!

Donna Lee said...

These are the socks that inspired me to buy Knitting on the Road and after I finish my hourglass lace socks, these are my next project. I love them. I have never done eye of partridge heel and am not sure I would recognize one. I'll have to look it up. You did such beautiful work.

Denise said...

Wow, really gorgeous socks there - I'm impressed at the amount of work involved in the cuffs!

Are those Bells' sock blockers?

TinkingBell said...

Lovely lovely socks - gorgeous colourway
Well done you!

Linda said...

Very lovely socks! I am going to have to go and slip stitches now to see how I do it as I can't remember!

amanda j said...

Absolutely deliciously gorgeous. What a lucky pal!!

Shucks, I had better post mine! Slack poster that I am, they have been finished for bleeding ages.

Tanya said...

They look fantastic!! Even though the cuffs were a grind, they really set the socks off beautifully. I've just ordered the same yarn, but in the passionfruit colourway. But not allowed to touch it until I am a ladderless sock knitter. Perhaps 2010 might be okay.

Anonymous said...

Those socks are scrumptious. Gorgeous color & they look SO soft. Lucky pal you've got!

Snoozen said...

Perfect timing for sock completion. Just in time for the cooler UK weather. They look so comfy cosy, very lucky sock pal

MadMad said...

Wow, I love those cuffs even more close up. Fabuloso. I didn't check the comments, so I'm sorry if someone already answered, but you're supposed to slip as if to purl unless it says to do it as if to knit. But either way works, right? It's a sock, not a brain, as I like to say. You can't go too wrong.

Anonymous said...

Lovely, Jane. The yarn works well with this pattern [of 80 or more sts]... :)

BrownPants said...

Great job Jane, I'm sure your Pal will love them. (If not ask for them back, hahahaha)

Mary, Mary... said...

I love that yarn and the socks are lovely. I'd book a trip to Giverny just to show them off. great job!

mathomhouse said...

Oh, very pretty! This pattern is soaring to the top of my must-do list. Lovely color choice, too -- full marks!