Monday, August 14, 2006

Those Socks That Only Needed a Toe

I'm making progress, people! Finished a few things, the first of which are these:

Stitch pattern is the same as Conwy from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road.

But I didn't really bother following that pattern -- I know from a previous and very frustrating experience that a true Conwy doesn't actually fit me.

So, these guys have an extra six stitches (one additional pattern repeat), and the calf shaping is eliminated. We probably differ on several other points, but I really couldn't say which, as I stopped paying attention to the pattern long ago.

Some other details:

Size 1 (US) Brittany Birch dpns.

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Flames colourway.

Top down, with ye olde heel flap. Close-up of point where cuff, heel and gusset meet:

Have no idea how I avoided that gaping hole I usually get at this point. Probably I picked up 17 extra stitches here, rather than the 1 or 2 extra stitches that are generally recommended (but that never really seem to help in my case).

Perhaps it is boring of me, but I've now tried many, many of the exciting-and-new methods of knitting socks, yet still I think this is my favorite. At least for knitting socks for my own feet.

Unlike a short row or afterthought heel, the heel flap allows me to make the heel just as roomy as I need it -- which is quite roomy. (I can't, for example, wear Jaywalkers. Believe that I have tried.) In any event, the socks I have made using these other methods are always a bit tight in the heel. Unless they're a bit loose everywhere else. The heel flap gives me flexibility, options.

Doing it top-down allows me to check the fit of the heel separately from the fit of the foot, before even moving onto the gusset. If I've got it wrong, I only need to re-do the heel. With a toe-up sock, if I've got the fit wrong, it is invariably because I followed the pattern and didn't start increasing soon enough to get the larger gusset I need. Which means a heck of a lot more ripping.

As for the DPNs: Yep, just like everyone else, I've got problems with laddering. If I'm doing a ribbed sock, I can hide most of this. If I really, really don't want the laddering, I'll use magic loop.

Magic loop is quite nice, until I get to the heel. Just don't like it as much for that. Couldn't say why.

Two circulars? Very bothersome, all those needles flying about. I thought I'd particularly like doing two socks at once, but really all this means is that if I don't like the shaping, I have to rip out twice as much.

One final comment: Lorna's Laces is very nice. But you all know that already.

Labels: ,

3 Comments:

Blogger Yeah So said...

Look great! I like the old tried and true top down method too. Why mess with a good thing. But I do love the magic loop now.

4:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lovely! My first socks were Lorna's Lace with the heel flap. Actually, so far, most of my socks have had the flap. *L*

5:59 PM  
Blogger Angela said...

Loverly! Lorna's Laces, huh? Must try sometime. They have it at my lys...

Ang

3:38 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home