Ten Little Fingers and Could Rule the World . . .

. . . if it weren’t for shiny objects.

It’s been a day of high distraction, tho’ really, you could repeat that phrase for just about any day of the year thus far. The push is on to finish finish finish all the projects I have started so I can spend next year knitting just for me. Of course, finishing one project will leave me with a stockpile of centers for Linus blankets, which I will probably begin longing to start on shortly thereafter.

I’ve managed to keep the startitis down to one pair of socks because I just had to try doing a star toe from the tip up rather than from the top down. I found an umbilical start worked best in the fine sock yarn—work an eight-stitch I-cord in waste yarn, then knit one in each stitch around, knit one round, double to sixteen, knit one round, then begin the four lines of increase, alternating with plain rounds. The plan is to continue the alternating increases with plain rows until the toe fits around the ball of my foot (about 60 sts or so in sock yarn, 40 in sport weight) then knit a plain tube until the sock reaches the front of my ankle. Then work an Afterthought Heel, finish the leg, finish the heel, weave in the ends.

This could well become the Blue Box Socks pattern I’ve lusted for, the Holy Grail of self-striping sock yarn. I lurve me that stuff, but heel flaps never look good because of the interruption; and I’m always afraid of not having enough yarn for the second sock . . . or having one-third of a sock left over after skimping to get done. If this works out, I can work the socks as long as I like, and then put the leftovers together with plain wool argyle-fashion—-self-striping diamonds and plain diamonds.

Progress on the new job continues apace--see the other blog for details. Meanwhile, I'm weaving in the ends at this one so I can change horses the moment the moment's right, like a trick rider in the circus. Here we go again; I was thinking this time last year how nice it would be to just have one job to do and be settled down. Ah well.

Finished one Linus blanket, need to weave in ends. Pictures to follow.

It’s a band heel, and I’m a groupie! 

Past the heel and into the instep. Used a band heel, and I like the way it works with the self-striping yarn. However, am nibbling my fingernails and wondering if I'll have enough yarn to get a sock out of each skein without having to patch at the toes—or having big scraps left over. I found a reverse Dutch Heel for toe-up socks, so after I complete this pair, I think I'll make the self-striped socks from the toe up to avoid this situation.

Yes, I know you can short-row heels and those look good with the self-striping yarn, too. However, they don't fit my feet very well. I have tall heels, and NEED that flap to keep my socks from feeling like they're going to be sucked down into my shoes. Both the band heel (which would be great to put some patterning on, methinks) and the reverse Dutch heel (would that be a Hctud Heel?) have the heel flap thing going.

Socks for me. These are my blue box sox--top down, heel flap, self-striping yarn, nothing but miles of stockinette to the wedge toe. The only geeky knitting bits are the kitchner stitch to close 'em and the Zimmerman arch shaping. Love it love it love it--makes my feet look narrower and makes the socks fit better. Gareth the hub-unit has lily feet with arches you could drive a truck under. Mine are just very three-d, with deep heels, wide balls, and highish arches that make boot-buying an adventure.