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Thursday, March 05, 2009

Socks, Blocked (Sort of)

Thank you all for your extremely nice comments on my sweater! It's always nice when things work out the way you wanted them to, and I couldn't be happier with the results in this case. I've already worn the sweater twice since it came off the needles!

Check out what I finished last night at knit night:

Pattern: based on Undulating Rib Socks by Ann Budd in Favorite Socks
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock lightweight (100% superwash merino), colorway Tide Pooling, one skein
Needles: two 16" US 0 (2.0 mm) Addi Turbo circs
Started/Completed: February 19/March 4
Mods: did a plain rib after completing the cuff and added an Eye of Partridge heel flap

All I can say is that Ann Budd must be a very tight knitter, because the pattern specified a gauge of 9 stitches to the inch on size 3 (3.25 mm) needles; I need a size 0 to get that gauge. So the result is an Amy-style sock -- very dense, with no holes.

I decided to discontinue the undulating rib portion of the cuff after a few repeats, in part because it was pretty lost in this busy yarn, but mostly because the tight gauge was hurting my hands as it was. So I just carried on with the plain ribbing for the rest of the leg and instep, and that resulted in a nicely squishy sock.

I feel I should mention that there is an error in the pattern that doesn't seem to have been noted anywhere online. If you establish the ribbing as *k3, p1, k1,p1* around, you will need to start on row 9 of the Undulating Rib chart.

You may have noticed that my socks are being modeled by my brand-new Knit Picks sock blockers. They -- along with a larger set for man socks, some stitch markers, some laceweight yarn, and a Mr. Foster kit -- arrived today, much to my surprise. (Three-day shipping -- who knew?)

And that's not the only good mail I've gotten this week. My All Spun Up March spinalong fiber arrived yesterday.


It's BFL, and in my current favorite color combination. I'm determined to finish plying what's currently on my wheel tomorrow night so I can start spinning this!

6 comments:

  1. The people in Leetsdale must have found out I was sharpening my needles on your behalf!

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  2. I'm a little farther than halfway through the club pattern with that yarn. I am enjoying knitting the pattern (I'm on a 2.5mm) but I see why people complained about the pattern stitch. Every 4th row slows to a glacial pace. Nice socks, though! :-)

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  3. Lovely! And dayum, 9 sti on size 3s?!? Holy bulletproof socks Batman!

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  4. Lovely socks and purplely vine sweater. Nice.

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  5. Mmmmmm...I love those socks! And your changing to rib was a stroke of genius.

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  6. Anonymous3:01 PM

    Beautiful; I love the way it looks with the change of patterning.

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