If It's Baroque, Then Fix It!!!

    So when I saw this pattern I thought they were gorgeous. I could not wait to make them. I loved the twisted lines, the crisscrossing cables, the smart ribbed heel. The whole pattern is unique and exquisite. I got my hands on some Cocoa colored sock yarn, the right sized dpns. I have made two pairs of socks so far this year, with the intent they would be for me, however both socks were slightly too big for me. I thought since I made the Firestarter socks in medum I would make these sock in size small. I cast on and quickly discovered the cuff would be rather tight...so I decided to ski the second pattern round as I do like a shorter cuffed sock. Then I went on to make the sock itself. However upon completion I made this...

     The little silver thing is not a quarter but it is the same size. This sock came out too small for my foot. The actual sock portion is only a half inch or so too short. But the cuff is simply too tight to really fit well over my heel but fits snuggly around my ankle. I am not sure what to do about this...I am thinking I really do need to acquire a set of 1 1/2 or 2.5mm dpns and maybe I could do the cuff section with them, then switch to the 1s. I need them anyway to do many other sock patterns but they do not carry this size that I have seen at Joann's. Then I would just extend the pattern into the instep another 6-8 rows.
   So of course I will be frogging these. Yet I am forlorn to do so. I don't even want to think about it. I suppose I need to learn this Magic Loop technique I keep hearing so much about, as I have a few other patterns that say to use 2 sets of circulars but I can't seem to wrap my brain around how that works. I might even extend the cuff to the original pattern repeat called for, when I can bring my self to go back to them. This failure is making me even rethink the Firestarter socks...wondering if I should use and smaller needle or try to find a way to make them fit me better, frog them too and start from scratch. Yet that thought makes me want to pull the nearest rock over my head, throw out my dpns and never look at sock yarn again! :(

TTFN

Firestarter!!!

So I completed my Firestarter socks. Remember those? They looked like this....

These were made with the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Purple Rain. I loved working with htis yarn. Not to mention I was able to meet the lovely lady who owns Blue Moon, as she is one of the wonderful women from my knitting night. These were started April 17, 2010 and finished May 9, 2010. These socks also exhibit my first gusset, which was super fun to make. My second pair of adult socks ever!! These colors are so my colors, I love purple so much!



They came out like this....

:) I am happy with them... However I am not happy with the fact my feet are not big enough for them. They came out just a bit too big, though they haven't been blocked or washed. Perhaps they shall shrink a bit then life will be sweet while I sport perfectly fitting Purple Rain Firestarters!!!

I think next time I will shorten the gusset, and thus the heel a smidgen, and maybe the leg portion by two repeats as I like my socks a little shorter. Anywho, I am working on socks #3. More updates on them soon.

TTFN

Yarn Cakes!!!

Yarn Cakes Galore!!!

My lovely Auntie DiDi sent me a very lovely Mother's Day Gift. Wanna see?

It's a yarn ball winder!!!!!! Cool huh? I am so very happy! My dreams have come true! Now I can finally make yarn cakes!!! Wanna see?

From this............................................................to this!!!! (weird how they are same yarn but two different colors...)
And this!!!

Beautiful!!!!! Thank you Auntie Di Di, you are the very best!!