Experimenting with Circular Needle Socks

I've knit quite a few socks now with double point needles from the top down. I started with bamboo needles borrowed from sariebeth, then graduated to a set of various sizes of polished wood DPNs that I purchased for myself after Christmas (6" length, rather than the smaller standard sock length). I've tried several different patterns and needle sizes and eventually different heel styles and I feel like I generally have the hang of it. I haven't poked my eye out or stabbed myself and it no longer feels like I'm trying to play a game of Cat's Cradle against a gang of toothpicks when I start working the ribbing at the cuff.

Of course that means it was obviously time for a new challenge! So, when I was placing an order for some new needles for a Mystery Project, I succumbed to temptation and included a kit to get started on knitting socks on two circular needles. Once my order arrived I started the internal debate of just how many new things to try at once. A single sock on two circulars: new... knitting socks from the toe up instead of top down: new... knitting 2 socks simultaneously: new. I suppose even I have my limits for how far out I'm willing to venture, but it was really my pattern choice that kept me to 2 out of the 3. I didn't think my attempts to translate a top-down pattern to a toe-up pattern for my first ever attempt with socks on two circulars was likely to work out well. And just in case the whole experience was going to be frustrating, I decided to experiment with the new methods on child-sized socks.

The whole 2-at-a-time, 2-circular thing definitely took some getting used to. I kept getting the yarn trapped between and/or wrapped around the cords. It felt a lot fiddlier than working with DPNs when I had to keep untangling the yarn from the dangling needles. I didn't always have the tension quite right between the two sides, so I can see some laddering in some of the purl stitches where they were looser than they should have been between the needles, although the most noticeable spots are near the top where I was first starting. It also felt like I was knitting much slower, which I probably was given all the fiddling with tangling yarn.

Still, it was fun to try and I haven't given up on the concept. I can see how it would be a great solution for people with Second Sock Syndrome that never want to start over just to finish a pair. There was also a point where I ran out of yarn for one sock and transferred it off to some spare needles. There was much less fiddling and untangling required when working with only one sock at a time on the circulars. Overall I'm still happy with the result (even though I'm still concerned that I haven't mastered child sock sizing), but the circular needle method definitely didn't make me a suddenly speedy knitter. I guess that was a bit of a bad expectation anyway, huh?

Theory vs. Practice

I open the question up for debate...how many projects on the needles at once is too many? I currently have:

1. M.O. socks
2. Jitterbug socks
3. Undulating waves scarf
4. Alpaca blanket

I really want some sport weight socks on the needles. But I think I have come up against my mental threshold for too much. If I finish M.O. socks, then I get jitterbug. The scarf, I only work on with Amy...so that's different.

Sooooooooooooooo...is another pair of socks acceptable? I bring it to a vote.

Somehow Successfully Secret

Somehow I managed to knit socks for my husband without him knowing. It's not that I wasn't trying to be secretive about it, it's just that I didn't think I would actually get away with it!

On Valentine's Day I cast on new socks for myself, then the next day I cast on for his secret socks. I kept his socks in progress stashed in my large knitting bag and only pulled them out to work on them when he was in another room. I tried to keep an ear on where he was so that I could quickly stuff them back in the bag when I knew he was coming, but I remember at least a couple of occasions where he was in the room before I could get them tucked safely out of site. Once he was sleepy and just out of bed so I don't think he noticed what I was holding when I stuffed it back into the bag right in front of him. Then there was that time that I didn't hear him coming up the stairs in time and quickly stuffed the sock in progress, needles and all, between my back and the couch cushion. At least he didn't decide to hang out on the couch with me for a few hours or that could have been painful!

Then, finally, after 5 weeks of hiding them and working on them only when I thought I had enough time to not be stuffing them back in the bag every few minutes, I was ready to kitchener the toe. And that's when I presented them to him. Not, as you might guess, because I was impatient, but because I wasn't completely confident in my measurements and I didn't want to have to rip out any part of the toe. And, as it turns out, he wanted a few extra rows on the toe before I closed them up.

I was amazed and didn't believe him at first when he said he didn't know I was making them. He had walked in on me with them in my hands, had seen me shoving things out of sight when he came in the room, but he sticks to his claim of being surprised. He has also told me that he likes them but wouldn't tell me if he didn't. He wears them (around the house) and claims to like them and they seem to fit him well, so I'm calling them a success and I'm happy to have been able to (maybe) surprise him with something made just for him.

<3

Introducing: The Mystery Project

There may not be many people reading our blog (yet!?), but I do realize that this is a public place. And, as much as I enjoy seeing the listings of our ongoing projects and their progress here, there are some projects that I want to keep secret until they're done. My solution? The Mystery Project!

I still think it will be nice to track the start date, progress, etc. for knitted items that I don't yet want to share publicly, so from now on I will add them to Ravelry with my Mystery Project image. They might be projects I'm working on as gifts for the future or things I'm making for fellow ludistitchers that I don't want them to get a peek at until they're finished. Of course, part of the fun is that since you don't know how large the project is you can't tell if I'm working really hard on something large or just slacking off and taking forever on something small when that little progress bar doesn't move much - muahahaha!!

Serendipity

So the first pair of socks that I'm making for a friend is mostly due to serendipity...or what some would call laziness. The Michelle Obama socks are turning out a little...um, what's the word...smaller...than I expected. Now, these are some really lovely socks. I think they're knit up pretty well, mostly because it's dental floss on size 0 needles. The colorway has a very cool spiral to it. And I love them. I really hope that the recipient (with her really tiny feet) loves them as well.

I should probably have finished them this week as I was on a tear after knit night. The distraction came in the form of the last book in the Twilight series. It was a seven day loan from the library, so I had to finish it up before it was due. And may I just say, so worth it.

Back to the socks. I'm on the heel flap of the second one. Very close.

Choices, Choices!

So May 2009 will bring my first Oz Sock Club shipment. I've been looking forward to the sock club for fun with new yarns in colors I might not choose for myself that come nicely paired with a pattern custom designed for that yarn. It should be fun to have something already kitted up and ready to go to mix in with projects that I choose for myself that may or may not work as well with whatever yarn I choose. Ah, a relaxing bit of freedom from decisions.

But then I checked my email and saw a looming sock club question. For the May 2009 - Over the Rainbow kit, do I want fingering or sport weight? Each will come with its own pattern. Ack!! How do I choose?

I can't see the patterns ahead of time to know how much variation there will be. Since fingering weight is lighter, the pattern to match it might be more complex or detailed and I do like a challenge. I wouldn't want to feel like I missed out on a beautiful pattern just because I chose the heavier yarn that would knit up more quickly. But then I've only knit with sport weight for one pair of socks so far and it was rewarding to finish the pair more quickly, so I might like to try it again, especially with a pattern this time. And if the yarn is true to theme and is a rainbow colorway the result might be really flashy and better suited for house socks where the extra weight would be comfy and warm for wearing without shoes.

Now, if I wait and don't answer by the deadline it will default to fingering weight. I don't want to cop out like that, I want to choose, but I can't decide! What should I choose?

First Formal Frogging

I've made plenty of mistakes on knitting projects. Some I live with, some I frog (rip it, rip it!) back to a lifeline to redo, some I frog whatever I have and start over entirely. I'm pretty sure my Muvs(Convertible Mittens) involved at least 4 frogging sessions to various stages for the first mitten alone. My first attempt at wristlets, though, will be formally frogged back to a small wad of yarn and won't be returning - at least not with the same yarn.

I like the pattern and I like how the Panda Silk yarn was working with the pattern. In other circumstances all would have been well, but I am not yet very skilled at estimating yardage for a project. I was hopeful that I would have enough yarn leftover from my Socks of Kindness, but I was wrong. But, on the plus side, this frogging didn't result in tears. I knew I was trying to cheat with the leftover yarn without knowing if it would be enough, so it was just a risk that didn't work out.

Still, it led me to wonder... is frogging an entire project with no intention of redoing it all that common? I'm sure it would be common in cases like this where there simply wasn't enough yarn, but do people frequently do it when they have plenty of yarn to go around and just don't like it? I've either been entirely lucky and have always had the perfect yarn for the project or - and this is definitely more likely - I'm just not that picky and I like letting the yarn do whatever it's going to do. I also wonder if I'm going to become more picky as I become less clumsy with my knitting. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to that. I think I'd much rather stick with the luck!

I blame Xandermommy

First of all, she kept insisting that I try out this whole knitting thing again, which I obviously have. That's not really a complaint because I do enjoy crafty time and it's fairly affordable (depending on your stash resistance) and I don't have too hard a time sticking to buying mostly just what I need for certain projects that I have in mind. I've made some fun things and even worked on using up remnants of yarn for smaller projects.

But then, she also introduced the concept of sock clubs. And Woolgirl. And I found Woolgirl's Oz Sock Club. And I debated and wondered and considered and noticed that the spaces for it were limited and were probably already filled, but I sent in a form to sign up for it anyway. It's expensive, but like one of Xandermommy's clubs it doesn't ship every month. And it's not that I'm a closet Wizard of Oz fan - I mean, I remember watching it when it was on TV when I was a kid but haven't ever really seen it since - but it sounds like a fun basis for choosing yarn colors and patterns. And so today they sent out the acceptance emails and I was chosen! Now I can start justifying the expense by noting that the kits are likely to contain project bags and stitch markers and other knitting accessories that I haven't really bought for myself yet, so surely they'll be worth the expense. ;) The kits won't start until May, but I'm looking forward to seeing them.

So yes, Xandermommy (and Sariebeth, who obviously helped by pushing the Ravelry addiction), you have corrupted me thoroughly. I just signed my name on a dotted line that guarantees I'll be knitting socks periodically for the foreseeable future! And I have now sunk a pretty penny into this crafty hobby, too. I'm looking forward to being able to point out that it was worth it. After all, I'm already wearing a few pairs of hand-knit socks that I made for myself, so what's a dozen or so more for me and my friends and family?