Head to toe, and musings on covering said toes

First off, below are my FOs for the month of June.

Headwear:

• Syncopated cap in Artyarns Ultramerino 4 for shop display

Neckwear:

• Montego Bay Scarf in Handmaiden Sea Silk

Socks:

• Baudelaire in Sweet Georgia Superwash
• Shimmer in STR mediumweight
• Crosshatch Lace in Artyarns Ultramerino 4
• Sweetpea in Tradewind Knits Celestial Merino
• Todd's socks in Opal Mosaik
• Amy-sized Pomatomus in Artyarns Ultramerino 4
• FIL socks in Reynolds Swizzle
• Ribbed-leg socks in Trekking Pro Natura
• Pomatomus in Artyarns Ultramerino 4

Other Footwear:

• 3 pairs of kids' felted clogs in various odds and ends
• 1 pair felted clogs for SIL in Patons Classic

After deciding to take the month of July and rest from socks, I dug back in on the latest BMFA club kit.  I am officially re-energized in my love for socks.

It has turned out to be all about the needle size for me.

I have done 90+ per cent of my socks on 2.5 mm needles, and have always been pleased with the results.  I have some smaller needles stashed away for when I feel like playing with gauge.  I had somehow convinced myself that it took more skill, more discipline and more knitting chops to work with the smaller needles.

Perhaps that's the case, but I have some serious doubts about that.

I have since concluded that my 2.5 mm needles make me happy.  The end result is not inferior.  The fabric is not droopy, lumpy or otherwise unpleasant.  The socks wear well, keep their shape and do their job.  My tension produces a fabric at 2.5 mm that isn't just good enough, it's good.

Last week, I hauled out my 2mm needle and some Louet Gems fingering weight to tackle the Mock Wave Cable Socks in the Interweave Favorite Socks book.  Great pattern, great yarn.  And in that gauge, it looked awful.  The "made" stitches pulled the adjacent purl stitches out of whack.  More importantly, it wasn't fun.  I will re-work the pattern in a larger needle size down the road.

Next instance of this sock mess was with my BMFA kit.  The pattern called for a 2.25 mm needle, which I had stashed away for just such occasion.  Not fun, not pretty and again with the stitches getting all pulled this way and that.  I re-cast on my 2.5 mm needle and am much happier.  Can't imagine this is a Club spoiler, so here are my progress photos:

Yes, that is a short row heel, over my size 11 foot, and yes, it fits.  Very well.  (About as well as JC Briar will fit in my pocket, if she doesn't stop the sock brilliance that is the tech editing of the BMFA club patterns.)  The designer combined a set of increases, forming a mini-gusset, with a short row heel.  The combination of the increased total stitch count leading up to the heel and the resultant increase in the heel's row count make for a great fit.  I will no longer shy away from the short-row heel for my own canoes feet.

Here's a closer peek at the heel region:

Now I think I'll stop pontificating over my socks and go make some more!

Happy Canada Day!

Comments

[Megan]

Holy feck! That's a lot of FOs. I have 0 since I've been knitting my sockapalooza socks and travelling around the country.

Hope you have a good Canada day.

[Val]

I love my 2mm Addis, knit all my socks on 'em. So does that mean I knit looser than you? I certainly knit slower! Wow, what a lot of FO's! Oh, and I too love the sea wool sock yarn. Yum.

[Carol]

Yup, I would say, knit what you like and works for you. It should be all about the fun,right?

[Valerie Mason]

Whoa, that's a lot of knitting! Great stuff!

[Suna]

Deb

I am commenting so hopefully you will have my email address. Send me yours and I will send the parts I had trouble with on Coupling. Assuming I can find the pattern where I wrote them (it was not at hand when I blogged).

Suna