Sock issues

Check out this hilarious post by the author of the socks I am almost finished - ie, charade.

They are lovely, lovely, I say. I've diddled with the pattern a bit, because I figured the easiest way to get them to fit my 9" around foot was to take the 6" around pattern and knit it on bigger needles, but then I fudged the stitchcount a little to bring it in, and then I've just noticed I made an error on the gusset - I decreased every row instead of every other row, but it worked out well and fits excellently, so now I have to rip the half gusset I've done on the other one, to make them match.


Also, I'm knitting them with what is left of the one skein of The Knittery's sock yarn. When I ordered it, they were between stock runs, and only had a couple of underweight balls left. I bought a ball in Forest Moss. It's lovely, although probably a bit bright for little old unadventurous me. I have been practicing with bright store bought socks, though. Today, I am pretty much dressed in greyscale, except that my earings and socks are both scarlet. It helps that the dress code at my workplace actively encourages 'crazy'.


Anyway, because the skein was underweight, I knit Widdershins, because it was toe-up. Because I like my socks short, I had about half a ball left (I weighed it). I haven't worn the widdershins, because the cuffs were too loose since I did the same 'needle-size to get gauge' dodgy. And I'm too lazy to fix this, even though I went out and bought shirring elastic especially.

I decided that I wanted to knit something else with this yarn. I hit on Charade. I. Love. This. Pattern. The only trouble is: well, there are two troubles. The first is a minor one - I think that this pattern would be better represented by a solid yarn. It's classic and simple and elegant, and although it still holds its own with the yarn, it doesn't shine like I know it could. The other is that I am up to the gusset on the second sock, as previously mentioned... and I am rapidly running out of yarn.

Aaargh!


I was firmly resolved to frog the unworn widdershins in favour of my more exciting socks. I was also going to use the rest of that yarn for a little heart sachet from the Christmas issue of IK, since green is a christmassy colour. Although, the green is maybe a bit acid for a heart. maybe I'll keep it as a representation of my own bitter soul....


Adding to my confusion, today I sought out the pattern for the Hedgerow socks, as I have seen on 144" of I-cord. If you go to the pattern and look at the picture - that yarn, it looks exactly like my yarn that I have! And I want a pair of hedgerow socks in green! The pattern is named after a plant-thing! Green!


I also have another ball of knittery yarn, in Moonlight, which is more true to my own personal colour-scheme, and so something that is more likely to get an airing on my feet.

So, my options are these.


1) I could frog widdershins, and finish Charade. Then I could knit Hedgerow in Moonlight, which was my original (ie, this morning's) plan, and actually sounds very picturesque, now that I type it. Hedgerow in Moonlight. I'm thinking that scene in Jane Eyre where Mr Rochester's horse throws him. How Gothic. What was I talking about? Right, socks...


2) I could frog widdershins and charade, knit Charade either in Moonlight or in something else entirely. Then I could knit Hedgerow in Forest Moss.


3) I could buy more yarn. Which will not be happening for a while because I always seem to be poor, and anyway, I just bought a jumper's worth of yarn the other day. And I'm saving for a computer and accouterments.


4)Gah.


Now that I'm thinking about it, I definitely want to knit charade again anyway. Maybe in a solid from Bendigo, which is not so expensive - I could probably do that soon. So maybe I should rip Charade (noooooo!). I really love this pattern.


The other trouble, of course, is that while socks make for great summer knitting, I only like to wear wool socks when it's actually cold, otherwise my feet get too sweaty. So, I will probably not be wearing any of these for another 6 months, minimum.


Advice is appreciated. And, for posterity, here is a pic of the beginning of Widdershins.

I'm thinking now I'll just frog the lot. That could be cathartic... or not. But then what will I knit with moonlight?! Maybe I should knit that first, to see if I like hedgerow pattern... gah. Gah, indeed.

FO report

Pattern: Mohair Coat from Jo Sharp's 'Knit 3'

Yarn: Bendigo Woolen Mills Rustic 12 ply in 'Mariner' ( I don't know how many balls, I just kept ordering them until I finished. God)

Adjustments: none, except for the yarn substitute.

Model: My sister.

Time to finish: About a month and a half. Ish.

Comments: I actually wish I'd made a smaller size. It's huge! I do this all the time - and it's not just a warped sense of how big I am, I am going on the bust measurement. But even though I go out a fair way at the bust, I then go in at the waist, and so I could probably usually get away with a smaller size. (Hello, negative ease. I love you)

Because of the yarn substitute, it's heavy. Obviously 100% regular wool in actual worsted weight is going to be heavier than 100% mohair in not really but knits up like worsted weight. And since I knitted the biggest size, it's huge and it's started to be a bit saggy. I'm currently knitting one for my sister for christmas, in red, in her size, which is the second-smallest. It makes such a difference! For one, it's so much quicker... Also, it's much less heavy and I think will stand up to the weight of itself better. I will also tell her not to hang it in the wardrobe, just fold it, because I think that's what made the front of mine so saggy.

Conclusion: I still love it, it's super snuggly and warm. I don't know if it's a wear out of the house jacket, though, which is sad. I'd like to try it in the intended yarn, except that I would never pay that much for it unless I was damned sure I would love it, and also, mohair makes me itch.

We were going for a look-alike. How do you think we did?

My sister just loves the camera a little too much. She loves to ham it up, and also to get in the way of a photo of something else. Viz:

The photo I was trying to take:

The photo I took:

It's hard to get a decent shot of her.







Also of my cousin, who modelled the coat as well, and think she's in the Funky Squad, or something.

But I like this one. It's my favourite.

PS Dear Blogger. I hate you.

Hello?

Hi, blogland. I'm here. I'm not dead, dying or injured. I just blogfaded for a while there. I've been gone so long there's icons on the task bar here that I've never seen!

See, I've moved house, and I am internet-free there, and will be for some time. I don't think I need to tell you how sad that makes me - although I'm over the worst withdrawl symptoms. The sweating has passed, and I only sweat a little now, when I think about how I could be working my way through bloglines instead of cleaning, on the weekends.

At the same time, I moved workstations, and now, every time someone walks into the general area, they can see what I'm doing. I hate blogging at work, in general. What I want from the blogging experience is a setlled-in, hunkered-down, concentrated experience. What I get at work is the opposite of that. The exact opposite.

However, I miss you all. I miss reading and I miss writing. I will not be getting internet at my place for some time - my computer could just about handle it, but a better computer is first priority, and moving was expensive. I didn't have a fridge or a waching machine, there's bond, there's other furniture. My finances have still not quite recovered - even yarn has been put off. The conclusion of this is, that until I get internet connected, I will make a vow. i will blog once a week, so that it is not so wierd to get back into it. This post does not count. This weeks post will be a retro-active FO post, since I have a few exciting things to show you. After that, where the wind blows, you know?

I'm secretly hoping that the blogging bug will bite me again, and I will be super eager to get into it. I think that will in fact be the case. I hope enough that it balances out how much I hate blogging at work.

It's good to be back, though.