Completely Twisted

I can't remember the last time I was so relieved to have a project off the needles.

Pattern: Sybaritic by Hunter Hammersen
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in Old Rose, 1 skein
Needles: 40" US 1 (2.25 mm) ChiaoGoo Red Lace circs, magic loop
Started/Completed: June 6/August 12
Mods: inadvertently changed the heel flap (see below)

You all know that I'm a fast sock knitter, so the time gap between when these socks were cast on and bound off should tell you something. Granted, the Tour de Fleece fell in the middle there, and I did spin during my lunch break for a couple of weeks after it ended, but these socks still took much longer than a pair typically does for me.

Lest you think there's an issue with the pattern, let me assure you that there's not. As is the case with all Hunter Hammersen patterns (in my somewhat limited experience), the pattern is very detailed and thorough. The length of time it took me to finish these is entirely due to the number of twisted stitches in the pattern. On the cuff, the twisted stitches are mixed with purls and yarnover, so they create a very nice effect. On the foot however, every single stitch of the instep -- with the exception of the leaf motif that extends from the cuff pattern -- is twisted. That means that the fabric is both somewhat biased and very rigid. These socks are a bit of a challenge to get on and off, and I'm fully expecting them to leave an imprint on my skin when I wear them.

My one modification (if you can call it that) to the pattern was in the heel flap, and it was actually a mistake I made on the first sock due to not reading the pattern carefully. It seems that I was supposed to have some purl bumps showing on the right side, but instead I ended up doing the usual slip one, knit one pattern. I'm not sure it really makes a difference, but when I discovered it, I made a note of it so I could make the same "mistake" on the second sock.

I did have one mishap with the second sock, which I finished up last night. As I was grafting the last three or four stitches of the toe, I noticed a loop sticking out of the top of the toe, near the line of decreases. It seems I had dropped a stitch several rounds back, probably one that was part of a decrease, and not noticed. My stitch count was fine at the end to kitchener, so I decided to cut my losses rather than tink back. I ran a piece of yarn through the loop, pulled it to the inside, and secured it with the end I was weaving it. I can't tell it was there now, and the likelihood that it will come undone is extremely small, so I'm not worried about it. It's not something that's ever happened to me before, though, so I'm blaming all those twisted stitches.

It was good to use up some deep stash yarn on these. I don't remember exactly when I bought this skein, but I do know that it was when I was just getting into sock knitting, and that was before we bought our current house -- so more than five years ago.