The Unadventurous Knitter

[callmemadam]

It was third time lucky for this sock (apologies for the photo) knitted in Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn. I decided to try a pattern and picked one with a slip stitch design. I worked the six pattern rounds and got a nice textured pattern; the trouble was, it was quite a tight honeycomb look, not the desired Lazy Daisy effect. So I frogged that and tried a very simple ‘ynfwd then pass stitch over next three’ idea, which gives a sort of brick effect. I decided this added nothing at all to the sock so that came out too and it was back to the same old socks I always make, only varying the rib and the needle size.

I’m a stick-in-the-mud generally when it comes to socks. Sometimes a new sock pattern will take my fancy but as soon as I see that it calls for a circular needle, a provisional cast on, wrapping stitches to shape the heel or some other daring innovation I recoil in horror and see if I can adapt the design to my safe old ways. I still need to check a pattern when I get to the heel, just in case, and as for grafting the toe,


which still seems to me like magic, I reach for the Encyclopaedia of Knitting and learn all over again. It’s thanks to dovegreyreader that I know this method of grafting is called Kitchener stitch. I laughed out loud at her recent account of her knitting technique, which you can read here. I knit like a lady, apparently.



This shade is Copperbeach if you go by the ball band; Copper Beech according to most web sites. The brown(ish) sock will remain a singleton for a while, as I’ve moved on to Christmas presents. I’m changing my mind about Colinette being my favourite sock yarn and starting to favour Regia. This is their Design Line by Kaffe Fassett: ‘Carribbean’. It’s gorgeous!

Comments

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Jaywalkers (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jaywalker)? (The link is to the pattern on Ravelry, of which I am assuming that you are a member. If not, I could email it to you.) It's a really simple pattern to knit, I promise, with no complicated circular needles or provisional cast-ons or any of that nonsense. But the zigzag effect is really striking, especially if you're using a self-striping or other multi-coloured wool. I'm knitting a pair at the moment in pink and brown stripes and they look fab. Sadly, they are not for me.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thanks for the tip. I am on Ravelry but haven't had time to get to grips with it yet.

Knitting for other people is really selfless :-) I love the socks I'm making now.

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link to the dovegreyreader article too - that was hilarious. I knit like a lady as well, though only for reasons of efficiency, not decorum. And actually I find it really hard to watch people who are flailing about all over the place as they knit - I just want to show them how to do it better. It was interesting to meet a Polish knitter recently who, while not a flailer, definitely has a different style from me. She holds the yarn steady and moves the needles a lot, whereas I basically hold the needles steady and flick the yarn over to form the stitch. I don't know which of us is quicker.

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

My workmate currently has multicoloured feet after her Jitterbug socks leaked dye. It's a bit of a flaky yarn, it seems, although I've never had any problems with mine.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Oh dear! I'd better not wear them in the rain. They wash OK, though.

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

I think it really does depend on the colourway. (I love Colinette yarns, and I'm happy to risk purple feet!)

[pinkhebe.livejournal.com]

Gosh, you knit socks the otherway out to me (not that it matters in the slightest which way out any of us knit our socks as long as we end up with a sock that we like).

It is a plan to knit the jaywalkers: and it is also a good idea to remember that she is not joking when she says they are not terrilby stretchy!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Yes, this has been discussed before on someone else's blog. I can't get my head round doing it any other way.

I noticed that hint in the pattern; I don't usually measure my feet before knitting!

[debodacious.livejournal.com]

Kitchener stitch is clever, isn't it. I think I have finally got the hang of it, I always usued to do it in front of a YouTube demo just to be on the safe side.
I have just bought some of the Kaffe Fassett Regia, but stupidly forgot that the balls are much smaller than the Opel I have been using so I will need two balls for a pair.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Kitchener stitch is genius. Once I've started I can stop looking at the instructions.

Bad luck. They recommend two balls and three if you're using Softie. I bought this on eBay after finding it was cheaper than the *sale* price in one of the knitting shops.

[dovegreyreader.livejournal.com]

I think all socks are adventurous full stop because it was years before I had the courage to sort out the heel-turning instructions, it always looked so impossible. I always feel a huge and disproportionate sense of achievement just doing that bit and every single time have to wave it at whoever is watching and get the "huh knitting balaclavas for ferrets again?" comment.I have real trouble doing Kitchener without line by line instructions and apparently I tell people off if they interrupt me. My second jitterbug sock is almost there so let joy be unconfined, God bless sock-knitters!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

'God bless sock-knitters!'

And so say all of us!

[lethe1]

I'm jealous of people who can knit. I've never progressed beyond the most basic scarf (but I can cross-stitch beautifully).

That blue is gorgeous!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

My eyes can't cope with cross stitch so I'll stick to the knitting.

Now one sock is done the colours really show up and are just as good as you'd expect.