I am using the pattern Sell Your Sole Socks By Heather Clitheroe to practice sock making. I bought this wild yarn and decided to modify her recipe by adding ribbing - knit 3 p1 ribbing. I thought this would be simple because the pattern calls for a 48 stitch cast-on which is easily divided by four. Ummm right. As you can see, that's great for the leg but once you finish turning the heel and resume the top of the foot you wind up missing a purl stitch in between the the top of the foot and the decreases. Since it took me a gazillion trys to cast on and joint this stupid ugly sock I could not bear to rip again. I am really just using the experience to learn something and, clearly, experience has taught me a lesson. Nothing is as easy as it seems.
On a more positive note, I mastered the magic loop technique or at least my version of it. And my ability to make a jogless join is slightly improved. Ever so slightly.
Lastly, I semi-successfully grafted the toe shut with the Kitchener stitch. I have serious problems with the tension and the beginning and ending stitches of the graft. But its my best result so far. I carefully (and painfully) read the article in the latest Interweave knits "Demystifying Kitchener Stitch" by TECHknitter and actually understood it. The article made me dizzy at first but once I started on the sock it came together for me. I really appreciate the approach of the explanation of the grafting technique. If you understand the mechanics of what you are trying to accomplish then you can logically go about the technique and reason yourself through it. I had been blindly following instructions up to this point and not really understanding why I was doing each step. Now I get it - sort of.
I am now going to knit the second sock with all of the lessons learned on the first one. I have a feeling the pair will never see the light of day.
My mods to the pattern - one inch of k1p1 ribbing at top, 6 in leg before starting the heel flap including the one inch k1p1 ribbing. Leg pattern is k3p1 ribbing, Started the toe decreases at 8 inches of foot length (which might not be quite long enough for my gigantic feet.)
Completely unrelated note about life. I went to see Eric Clapton last night. I had forgotten how excellent that guy is. Monkey boy even enjoyed it and he is not a fan per se. The only real problem was that EC is starting to look like Willie Nelson. Now don't get me wrong, I love Willie but the look is not so good on Clapton. I was distracted from the music because I kept wanting to shave him. And get him a hair cut.
Look at the love happening this morning while I was grafting my to shut:
The were all in bed with me during my struggles with the Kitchener stitch.
