Decisions, decisions

Knitting lately seems to be two steps forward, one step back. In particular, I’ve been having trouble deciding on contrast colours for heels and toes for the two pairs of socks I’m currently knitting. I have a selection of 5-ply yarns that I use for contrasts, but none of them really worked very well for either pair. For the blue/green/mauve patonyle socks, I knitted the heel first in the same jade green I used last time I used this yarn, but decided it would be boring having two pairs the same. So, I used a purple yarn and knitted the heel – blerch, too strong a colour and it didn;t really pick up the mauve that’s in the main yarn.

So, I’ve now knitted the heel a third time, using a blue yarn, and I think it works well enough.

The very-colourful jaywalkers have been stalled for a while. My choices of colour for contrast heels for it were a pink that made it almost fluorescent, or a blue, which I used, but I’m pretty ‘meh’ about. There is a very similar shade blue in the main yarn, but I don’t think it’s working well to pick it up as the contrast.

Then I (re)discovered this dark purple in the back of the cupboard. And now I’m wondering if that would work better than the blue?? I think it will, which means frogging the foot and doing the heel and foot again. Opinions, anyone??

With doing the first sock of the Veronik socks three times, I sure have been frogging a lot lately!

I’m also trying to knit gloves for a friend, but am having trouble with the fact that the angora yarn I spun quite a while back is finer than I need, and there probably isn’t, in reality, quite enough for the gloves. I’ve started a pair, but I’m also mulling over maybe using one of the merino-cashmere yarns from The Knittery instead, and stranding the angora inside for extra warmth, or knitting a lining for the main part of the hand from the angora. My friend’s hands and fingers get very cold in winter, but she needs to be able to draw and work at the computer, so these can’t be too bulky. Hhhmmmmm. I’ve never knitted a lining for gloves, so I’m not sure which way to go.

New shoes – and socks!

I have to wear ‘sensible’ shoes most of the time, and I bought these the other day on special – thinking as I did that they’d go well with handknit socks. And they do. (I think this is the middle-aged equivalent of a little girl wearing pink frilly party socks – although I’ll be wearing mine with trousers, not a dress. So it will mostly be only me who sees them.)

I ordered sock blockers yesterday from The Knittery. I’m hoping they’ll arrive tomorrow, but it may not be until Friday.

And yes, I put in an order at The Knittery but didn’t order any more yarn. How virtuous is that? However, I’ve only earned $47.60 in my exer-stash program, and I have to earn the $70 for the gift voucher from Wool on Wheels before I can spend it, so that’s my first target. Plus, there’s the little incidental fact that I have three skeins of sock yarn from The Knittery already that I haven’t started knitting yet. (Although I’ll probably start one of them this afternoon 🙂 ) So, sock-blockers and several sets of dpns were all I ordered yesterday. It’s only fibre and yarn that I have to walk to ‘earn’, so tools are exempt. And books. Which I don’t buy very often, but there’s a shipment on its way from amazon.com at this moment. They’ll probably be at least another week away.

Project details:

Pattern: Socks for Veronik, Interweave Knits. Holiday 2007

Yarn: Nundle Woollen Mills’ Retro 4ply, shade 147, 100% pure wool

Needles: 2.75mm

Modifications: I didn’t like the toe decrease as per the pattern, so I worked side decreases every second row until 30 sts remained, then every row until 14 sts remained, then grafted.

A Veronik sock

I have finished a sock. (But don’t ask me about the book revisions. Just. Don’t.)

They’re cruddy photos because I have neither a sock blocker or an attractive leg, but I’ll try and get some better ones later (photos, not legs – although maybe some weight loss might eventually help the legs.)

I didn’t do the toe decrease as written for the pattern. I looked around on Ravelry, and the P3tog decrease down the centre front of the toe just didn’t work for me. I know some people love it, but I kept thinking it looked like a butt crack 🙂 So, I did a variation of my standard toe decrease. The garter stitch down the side of the heel doesn’t really work for me, either, but I’m not going to frog and redo that. I’ll make the 2nd sock matching, but if I make this pattern again (and I probably will), I’ll leave out the garter stitch heel band.

And, as far as progress on other fronts goes:

• Patonyle socks: up to heel on first sock
• Jaywalker socks: no progress
• Weaving: still stalled
• Fisherman’s gansey: front bottom band knitted
• Book revisions: will be finished tonight!