Tuesday, October 31, 2006

the leaves aren't falling

Hooray! An FO, finally!

FO: Falling Leaves socks





Pattern: Falling Leaves socks, from Knitty
Yarn: Porridge-coloured Fortissima Socka yarn in a discontinued colourway, 75% wool 25% polyamide
Needles: Random 2mm DPNs, to my chagrin. This is the last pair of socks I knit on bloody 2mms, I swear. 2.5 mm power from here on in!
Time sucked: I suppose it's only a week and a half, on and off, but for some reason it feels like forever.

Verdict


Rarely have I ever felt less enthused by a project, and I'm somehow surprised that I even finished it. I'm not really sure why, but I think it's the yarn. The pattern is perfectly pretty, and look! I learned how to do toe-up socks. (I know that toe-up socks are the very apogee of True Sock Knitting, and now I can say, yes but perhaps I spurn them anyway. I just prefer the look of a decreased Kitchener toe, it's neater and more professional-looking.) So yes, a lovely pattern, I'm still slightly confused by the idea of lace (airy, lets in the breeze) wool (warm, insulates) socks, but they seem to be common currency on the internet, so I should probably shut up.

No, it was the yarn. I was young, I was weak, I was living it up in Berlin, but I am never ever again buying a yarn that inspires me so little. You can't see the pattern for the weird mottling, but it's not as though the weird mottling is particularly pretty in plain stocking stitch either:



Porridgey. Pointless. That said, I will wear them, because it's Hallowe'en and the leaves are finally, finally falling from the trees. But from here on in, it's hand-dyed or plain sock yarn all the way from me. Yarn snobbery, you will overcome us all in time.

(On a side note: the heel demanded a purl three together through the back loop. I struggled through one heel; I lost loops, shoved wildly through impossibly tight yarn, approximated stitches, resorted to crochet hooks, cried. Then on the second heel, I became a heretic and just purled three together. Yes, I know, I am a bad internet knitter. The heel looks a lot less fally-aparty, at least.)

Onwards and upwards! Yesterday I was round at a dear friend's for a knitting and gossiping date, whereI started Christmas Present Number Two, because it is a stocking stitch project and I can't concentrate on fancy stitchwork while screaming and shrieking over feminist theory. Here's a peekeen:



... and now sssh! till Christmas. I'm scooting through it, though. Good times.

I also finalised my plans for that kidsilk spray:



and the pattern's in the very first pattern book I ever bought, back in 2003, in the Wool Shop in Bray. Aeons ago, I know. Back then, I knew not of the way of internet knitting, and I bought patterns full price. Crazy talk, isn't it? Anyway. A Season's Tale is an elegant book full of classic projects for classy chicks, which isn't quite the way I would define myself. But I find myself drawn back to this top:



minus the lurex, because I think there's enough interest in the variegated yarn. But perhaps a little beading around the neck? Or even all the way through the garment? We're talking a fabulous, sexy, luxe top that I can wear to Christmas parties to hide the fact that I've ever been known to be an utterly nerdy internet knitter...

6 comments:

Unknown said...

But, but, but! Lace has holes which trap the warmth in! It's like layers! Makes perfect sense, if they're little holes. Not that I can knit lace. Not that I can knit anything, really (I ripped back Gnome's jumper and started again, which was the correct thing to do, but I am discouraged). But I agree they're disappointing-looking socks - perhaps a slightly fiddly design needs simpler coloured yarn for best effect, especially when so small?

la glitz said...

Oooh, like an aertex vest! You are so right. And thank you for your honesty about the socks, too - I think these are going inside my boots for the winter. And possibly will be re-made in a plain yarn at another time.

Good luck with the jumper! At least it's small and manageable, no?

Anonymous said...

I think lace socks are popular because plain socks are boring to knit :)

And, to be honest, I think lace needs longer colour lengths to work with varigated yarn. Otherwise it's all too much.

Inspired by curiuosity and just having bought some autumnal koigu I'm giving the pattern a try. expect an update in 5 years or so.

la glitz said...

Nuala, you're dead right. Also, lace is nice and stretchy and the yarnovers make it go so much faster. (Give us all a year or so and we'll be replicating the white knee-length lacy socks of our primary school days.)

I learned! And look, I bought some monocolour yarn, too! I look forward to your update, whenever it grades us. After all, socks are timeless.

Unknown said...

I agree wholeheartedly that grafted toes look neater, but I'm addicted to toe-up socks because they're infinitely easier to start - for me, anyway. I like the Turkish CO for my toes.

Starting at the cuff, I can't do emergency increases if the sock is too narrow for my freakishly wide feet and ankles, I risk twisting the stitches when I join in the round, and if I want a longer cuff, I have to guess how much to leave for the foot & toes.

The colors of the falling leaves socks completely swallow up the pattern. :(

la glitz said...

Kristen - whoa, that Turkish caston looks hardcore! I may have to try it next time, indeed.

I think once I start knitting socks with 50g balls of yarn, toe-up will make more sense - I'm useless at judging when I'm halfway through a 100g ball, so end up making socks too short anyway, whether toe-up or cuff-down.