Leyburn ponderings...

So. I have come to the point where it is time to start paying attention to turning the heel. Deciding just where to do it and such. I am glad i realized that because with this pattern stitch it is suggested to increase a bit on the instep before turning the heel. If I had missed that instruction: frustration.

I like the way it's coming along. The sock. It's a nice snug foot. More fitted than my other endeavors. I seem to prefer this so far as it shows I am improving at getting a good fit. Toe up construction just seems to make sense. I dunno why the standard is the opposite. I hope to become good enough at reversing pattern directions that I might be able to modify to get a good, custom, ideal fit. In socks and everything else.

The yarn I am using was originally purchased with the designation to become a clapotis. Two skeins at about 360 yards each. As a single skein is intended to provide for a complete pair of socks (of the average persuasion with regards to foot length and cuff length variances) the question arises: how long to make these leyburns?..

I could stop after turning the heel on this first sock, place it aside as i begin and complete the heel on the second sock, see how much yarn I have left, split it evenly between the two, and make a basic pair of socks.

Or I could complete the first sock an make the second to match with no regards to having leftover yarn.

Or I could keep knitting until the first skein gone. Letting the yardage determine the length and using the entire second skein for the next sock.

The issues with each option respectively:

What would I do with the other skein of korrppi after completing leyburns of average length? sure that's an issue of stash and therefore not an issue. but would i really make another pair of socks in the same colorway? and having only one skein limits my non-sock options for the yarn. just a bit.

The second option might leave me with half a skein of yarn left. or force me to wind the second skein for just a few yards in order to finish up. This option throws all caution to the wind and let's the project decide. hmmm. i don't really like that.

The third option, using an entire skein for each sock, seems the most appealing. but would require bit of design, math and time extension (into the "long-term projects" category. working on shaping and calf increase and such. i would really want to take my time and invest my energy properly into such an endeavor. those could be just knee-high or there might be enough yarn in those skeins to accomplish thigh-high or above the knee socks. i am not so good with the estimating due to lack of sock knitting experience and most of my projects going, thus far, unfinished.

Then there are issues with regards to wearability.

what can i wear them with in terms of footwear, and outfitting?

do i intend to be able to fit these into my work wardrobe? because if not, i might never get very much opportunity to wear them...

and so, when i wear them do i intend for them to be seen?

and a million more ponderings.

thoughts?...

Wollmeise nightmares

I sit up to check for an update on my phone (as I do when I need to check but I am not ready to get up out of bed) and there is a sneak update with a bit of laceweight. I want.

It's about 10:30 and i slept through the update ( most likely put up at 9:30 like last week) and I am super lucky to have this one skein in my cart. And a colorway I want.

I figure, somehow, that It will take longer to get to the desktop, or I just panic, because I try to checkout on my phone. A hundred problems!

I can't get into the login box. It takes forever. I get frantic. My login name keeps being misspelled. The account page loads slower than a penny passes through your puppy's intestines. I start to sweat. I get to checkout. My cart isn't jumped! I am checking out- wait why is it wasting time asking for address an shit? Oy! "use address on file! Use address on file!" I am clicking angrily. The list I scroll through is a mile long. I can't find the address! Where is it?!

I am lucky enough to catch the just one skein that someone didn't jump on, waaay late in the update (an hour already) and for some freaking reason I can't check out?!

--- this is freaking nightmare! A nightmare! Get me out----

And then I wake up.

The first socks

one of my first projects in the beginning days was a sock. i made a knee sock with striping , a heel flap and all. Pippi Kneestockings from stitch n'bitch.

but i only made one.

more of an exercise in technique. i put it down and picked it up and frustratingly persevered through that project for like 6 months.

i got involved in the CPaA swap group in December. this yarn was up for grabs and i was "meh" about it. someone posted a pic of it knit up and it was these cute footsie socks. froot loops. it's a knitty pattern i had seen before and was meh about that too. i was all anti-patterned sock.

"why all that work?, it's going in a shoe anyway, that's gotta be uncomfortable, etc..."

just stockinette socks for me.

but i saw what this raveler had done to the pattern. and the crazy yarn was very froot-loopy indeed. since they were ankle socks i could maybe even finish them! one ball, that's all. being December i was cold, cold, cold and i couldn't find cashmere socks or cozy warm woolie socks any where any how. my tootsies needed these footsies!

and some how, some how i finished them.

cast on dec 28th cast off feb 9

and they are cozy indeed! i heard all the smack talk about how fab woolly socks are. specially the hand-knit variety. i know there are the peeps out there that are flipping mad about there sock knitting. the sock knitters. i never considered my self a sock knitter. even though i had made three halves of pairs of socks. cause all the patterns people are queueing on rav, i was all meh about. these opened my eyes.

i dunno if i consider myself one or not but leyburn is hanging on my needles now. i could attribute that to the virus though. once the yarnharlot showed those puppies queue rates went through the chart. i resisted but hey, a girls gotta use up stash some how.

yarn porn

the wollmeise

the poison

petit poison light,red hot chili med, red hot chili light, rhubaber med, mitternacht dark

whoa

i just spent the entire day, like 7 good hours, getting this done.

whoa. i was determined. i can' say i am really pleased with how it turned out. but it's good enough. i just hope i try again and make another. better! faster! stronger!

i know it's a learning process but being able to sew a straight line - i thought that was enough! an accomplishment, a major river i crossed. i didn't realize it would continue (the frustration. ) i didn't take progress pics. lord knows how that would have delayed me. for the next one i will.