Cable Socks
The very first pair of socks -- indeed, the very first knitting design of my very own, is done!
The inspiration for these socks came from januaryone. When I first found her website back in May, she was waxing rhapsodic about her "mini monkeys". (For the non-knitters, Monkey is an extremely popular sock pattern, designed by an extremely talented and innovated designer, Cookie A.) What I loved the most about januaryone's mini monkeys were the picot edging.
I had avoided picots for all the five years I've been knitting because one instruction I saw for making picots was to knit many little, separate triangles and sew them together. I ran in the other direction. Januaryone was kind enough to provide instruction on how she did picots (which is completely different and much more knitter-friendly). I simply had to have a pair of socks with picots.
But I knew I didn't want a plain stockinette sock. I wanted something interesting, visually appealing, but simple enough to be put on autopilot, more or less. After percolating in the back of my mind for a few weeks, I remembered a rather simple cabled sock floating around the intarwebs. I searched in vain, however. I could find neither hide nor hair of the pattern that I had in my mind. I found lace patterns and cables with ribs, but not exactly what I wanted. So... I made one up! (Look, Ma, I made a nuclear bomb!)
Despite my dislike of cuff-down socks, that's how I knit this pair. I had a more concrete understanding of forming picots cuff-down than toe-up, and I didn't want to take the time to muddle around with the toe-up version. I wanted to cast on now!
My original vision was of a cable on either side, like so, but with a six-stitch cable instead of a four-stitch cable. After working the six-stitch cable, though, I determined that it was too wide, ripped back, and did a four-stitch cable instead. I was much happier. After a ridiculously short 2 inches for the cuff, I started the short-row heel. The heel is the only part of the sock that I would change. All of the short-row heels I've knit call for about 8 to 10 heels stitches left unwrapped (those are the stitches that ultimately end up on the point of your heel). Between my impatiences for Picot Cable Socks of Cuteness, I left 16 stitches unwrapped and journeyed onward. I now know why short-row heels call for 8 unwrapped stitches: if you have a ridiculously large number (like, say, 16), the heel will be too shallow! A shallow heel causes the back of the sock to ride down like pants that are too short. Also, the shallow heels makes the instep a teensy bit on the tight side. So, note to self: Do not skimp on the short-row heels!
The only hiccup on the foot of the sock occurred when I was visiting my grandfather. Each cable has a purl stitch on either side, to help differentiate it from the rest of the stockinette. During that visit, I managed to complete zone out on the far cable. I turned the first cable fine, knit all of the purl stitches like I was supposed to, but kind of... forgot to make the second cable a, well, cable. I had a nice little column of non-cables.
I didn't discover my lapse in attention until I got home and sat down for some tv-and-knitting time. My first thought was #$^&@*! (I had just finished redoing the entire heel because I forgot to wrap a stitch. I was a little frustrated.) I was not going to rip out eight rounds just because one cable was being tempermental. I dropped the four cable stitches and performed some knitting surgery. Thankfully, the other household members were occupied with other chores, so I was left in piece to very carefully re-establish the cable pattern. After that, it was smooth sailing for about four inches. Then, I reached the toe.
I have a strange well-founded dislike of the standard wedge toe. They always come out square. I know I've mentioned this many, many times. I decided to try something different. I saw a picture on a blog or a book of a sock pattern where the toe had weird triangle-look decreases. As I've never actually seen that pattern, I guestimated. My triangle toe is definitely not that one I saw, but it got the job done. It's actually rather cute, and for once the toe wasn't horribly square.
These are, by far, my favorite pair of socks that I've knit to-date. They have visited my grandfather (dude... I should have taken a picture of them with Papa...), they've been to the Pirate Festival, and they've been camping. The yarn is an absolute dream to work with. I cannot say enough good things about this yarn. It's everything I expected koigu to be (and was horribly disappointed that koigu was not) and more. And, of course, the socks are purple. How could they not be wonderful?
Boring Stats:
Pattern: Mine! I dub thee, "Cable Socks." Terribly original, I know.
Yarn: Louet Gems Fingering Weight, Eggplant colorway
Gauge: 8 stitches per inch (spi) and 11 rows per inch (rpi)
Needles: Rosewood Lantern Moon Sox Stix, size US 2. (So blunt. Oh my goodness, so blunt. They say they're making pointier ones.)
Start Date: beginning of June, 2007
End Date:end of June, 2007
The inspiration for these socks came from januaryone. When I first found her website back in May, she was waxing rhapsodic about her "mini monkeys". (For the non-knitters, Monkey is an extremely popular sock pattern, designed by an extremely talented and innovated designer, Cookie A.) What I loved the most about januaryone's mini monkeys were the picot edging.
I had avoided picots for all the five years I've been knitting because one instruction I saw for making picots was to knit many little, separate triangles and sew them together. I ran in the other direction. Januaryone was kind enough to provide instruction on how she did picots (which is completely different and much more knitter-friendly). I simply had to have a pair of socks with picots.
But I knew I didn't want a plain stockinette sock. I wanted something interesting, visually appealing, but simple enough to be put on autopilot, more or less. After percolating in the back of my mind for a few weeks, I remembered a rather simple cabled sock floating around the intarwebs. I searched in vain, however. I could find neither hide nor hair of the pattern that I had in my mind. I found lace patterns and cables with ribs, but not exactly what I wanted. So... I made one up! (Look, Ma, I made a nuclear bomb!)
Despite my dislike of cuff-down socks, that's how I knit this pair. I had a more concrete understanding of forming picots cuff-down than toe-up, and I didn't want to take the time to muddle around with the toe-up version. I wanted to cast on now!
My original vision was of a cable on either side, like so, but with a six-stitch cable instead of a four-stitch cable. After working the six-stitch cable, though, I determined that it was too wide, ripped back, and did a four-stitch cable instead. I was much happier. After a ridiculously short 2 inches for the cuff, I started the short-row heel. The heel is the only part of the sock that I would change. All of the short-row heels I've knit call for about 8 to 10 heels stitches left unwrapped (those are the stitches that ultimately end up on the point of your heel). Between my impatiences for Picot Cable Socks of Cuteness, I left 16 stitches unwrapped and journeyed onward. I now know why short-row heels call for 8 unwrapped stitches: if you have a ridiculously large number (like, say, 16), the heel will be too shallow! A shallow heel causes the back of the sock to ride down like pants that are too short. Also, the shallow heels makes the instep a teensy bit on the tight side. So, note to self: Do not skimp on the short-row heels!
The only hiccup on the foot of the sock occurred when I was visiting my grandfather. Each cable has a purl stitch on either side, to help differentiate it from the rest of the stockinette. During that visit, I managed to complete zone out on the far cable. I turned the first cable fine, knit all of the purl stitches like I was supposed to, but kind of... forgot to make the second cable a, well, cable. I had a nice little column of non-cables.
I didn't discover my lapse in attention until I got home and sat down for some tv-and-knitting time. My first thought was #$^&@*! (I had just finished redoing the entire heel because I forgot to wrap a stitch. I was a little frustrated.) I was not going to rip out eight rounds just because one cable was being tempermental. I dropped the four cable stitches and performed some knitting surgery. Thankfully, the other household members were occupied with other chores, so I was left in piece to very carefully re-establish the cable pattern. After that, it was smooth sailing for about four inches. Then, I reached the toe.
I have a
These are, by far, my favorite pair of socks that I've knit to-date. They have visited my grandfather (dude... I should have taken a picture of them with Papa...), they've been to the Pirate Festival, and they've been camping. The yarn is an absolute dream to work with. I cannot say enough good things about this yarn. It's everything I expected koigu to be (and was horribly disappointed that koigu was not) and more. And, of course, the socks are purple. How could they not be wonderful?
Boring Stats:
Pattern: Mine! I dub thee, "Cable Socks." Terribly original, I know.
Yarn: Louet Gems Fingering Weight, Eggplant colorway
Gauge: 8 stitches per inch (spi) and 11 rows per inch (rpi)
Needles: Rosewood Lantern Moon Sox Stix, size US 2. (So blunt. Oh my goodness, so blunt. They say they're making pointier ones.)
Start Date: beginning of June, 2007
End Date:end of June, 2007
2 comments:
"Thankfully, the other household members were occupied with other chores, so I was left ...
OH MY GAWD! My eyes! My eyes!! aarrrgghhhh!
...in piece ...
... to very carefully re-establish the cable pattern."
Congrats on your own design- wasn't it fun?
I like the Koigu colors, but sometimes the joy is in the owning, and I wasn't thrilled with the way it knitted up. Too floppy.
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