Okay folks, I really blew it. So badly in fact, that I’m embarrassed to admit it, but come to think of it, I’m positive it’s a mistake common enough among knitters, but it is quite amusing. Still. I knit merrily along on the first sock using two 16″ circular needles ~ five inches of 2/2 rib in fact ~ and I realized something funny about it when I wanted to start up the second, to catch up to the first. Don’t you know…I had two different sized needles on the sock. Yup the correct size #3 and then for the second needle, a #2. Yes, I admit to you total brainlessness, but at this point I’m really laughing because:
I thought I’d start ribbing on sock #2 with the suggested size needles for the pattern , #3’s, and see if they are really all that different. Either my karma is for me , or against me, hard to tell, because after knitting knit 1.5 inches on second sock, I noticed I did the very same thing, used both a #2 and a #3 in the ribbing…. again !!!! How can this be? I have a needle size measuring tool ! Ha ha…
I suppose it’s better this way, making the two ribbed sections the same. Blow off knitting over, I’m going to just repeat my mistake. In fact, I’ve fashioned this neat method of knitting 3/4’s of the round with one needle, then switching, knitting 3/4’s of a round again, and so on, thus rotating the different sizes around the sock pretty swiftly. My guess is that is will jsut look like homespun. Oh, and I will make for dang sure I switch to *both* needles #3 when I begin the foot section next.
I have successfully knit both socks to the end of the rib, but I’m noticing my left thumb hurting a bit. (drat). I am ready to knit the heel flaps !!!! Last time I did this was the one pair of kilt hose, when Morrie coached me through the eye-of-partridge-stitch last year about this time. This pattern does not call for any particular stitch for the heel, just has knitting pattern instruction… just ” Add reinforcing yarn if desired.” Um… I need Morrie ! (Morrie, do you have Nancy Bush’s “Folk Socks”? ( Pg.59) And Lizzi ! And Sarah !
Okay though, seriously, my thumb is killing me, and I’ve got to stop knitting. I believe it is from playing a 4hr gig on Sunday which has inflamed the tendons, and now this frantic sock knitting has made it quite sore. Going to put the needles down for the rest of the day.
JjD 
In spite of your mistake, I think they’re really beautiful. There’s got to be some use they could be put to.
Thank you blueturtle… they will surely be put to use ! Watch this space …
I’m on my first pair of socks with the magic loop method, and am in awe of anyone who can knit socks. They look fine to me! I’ll be interested to see how the rest turns out. When I am on a roll of mistakes, I need a break. And I have made plenty!
You and me both Martha. Not counting the kilt hose, which though are ‘socks’, aren’t *basic socks* like these utilitarian versions I am making for Jeff. I feel, before I am to be a real sock maker of any more elaborate versions, I must get the basic sock down well. I have worn to threads my favorite merino socks I had from a decade ago, just commercial machine knit socks, but I want to learn to knit replacements ~ somthing like size 0 needles and ultra fine fingering yarn, and then knit up 3 pairs all at once ! Have you tried two 16″ needles instead of magic loop? Still a little fiddling (as are DPs and magic loop) but I think just a tiny bit little less fiddling, which adds up. Of course, had I been doing magic loop, I wouldn’t have goofed up the sizes 🙂
In fact, I wonder what ultra fine sock yarns are available out there… anybody have any preferences????
This is my first sock class, and she’s teaching magic loop. I haven’t tried any other means to make socks, and I like magic loop, but it is a lot of fiddling with needles. I’ll try other methods when I finish these socks. I don’t know anything about sock yarns except the one I bought, so I don’t know around the ultra fine sock yarn that you are asking about. But I’ll be at the local yarn shop tomorrow and will ask around! And I thought size 4 needles made for small stitches!
It’s no laughing matter. Been there, done it–for socks, it was INTENTIONAL (and yep, I’m sticking to the story LOL) Seriously, there is no sock police where I am standing. Since this isn’t a rigid “motif” aka “picture” design type, just knit to the desired length on both socks to match. I for one ain’t gonna get down on my knees and count your rows on each sock! I promise you, sista. As for heels, I love short-row heels personally. I mostly knit mine toe-up and haven’t have a need to follow a pattern. Feegle heel seems to be best for my liking. It’s such a perfect thing. I suggest you just try knitting just “heels” and see for yourself what you like most. I have played and “studied” Cat Bordhi’s sock books (what seemed) forever. I played and played with baby-size patterns and tried new techniques and understandings. It’s wonderful experiment. There is a top down version here (http://knittersbrewingco.blogspot.com/2010/10/top-down-fleegle-heel.html) if you care to give it a try. Rarely do I need to re-enforce my heels since 1) i am petite and relatively light in weight, and 2) I rarely wear socks so my hand-knit lasts forever. 😀
Love ’em ribbing, by the way, sista 😀
Sarah, I think you’re so funny , no sock police huh? Well, you’re right, but I was thinking it was rather funny how I repeated the mistake by accident… oh, it was the force within me striving so much to be intentional knitter ! Oh, yes, and really, what is the difference between Embarrassing Mistakes and Artfull Mistakes? Nothing but a viewpoint ! Thank you for the link, I will look into this, because I have tasted the deliciousness which is socks, and since I’m off of sugar, and carbs… I at least need to have something FUN in my life, and I think it will be SOCKS ! 🙂 (don’t worry, I’m not scared of the sock police, wherever they are).
I think you are far too honest about your mistakes – we all make them and most of the time you can get away with it – as Handstitch said ‘there is no knitting police’. Keep going – you are doing well. Do you knit with your thumb under the needle when doing socks? I do and it does hurt after a while.
Hi Lizzi, you came , thank you. I will be wondering now… ‘do I knit with my thumb under the needle???” because honestly, I couldn’t tell you at the moment (not having my knitting in hand) lol. I’m fine, the ONLY place I will be talking about mistakes is when it is for the benefit of a good laugh. 🙂
One thing that EZ often said was that there’s not much difference in gauge one needle size up or down 🙂 Make you feel better?
One of my fav heel stitches is to knit across on the right side and knit one, slip one on the back side. One of the nice things about this stitch (often called the heel stitch) is that if you’re trying to learn to knit back backwards this is the stitch to learn it on as every other knit back backwards stitch is slipped! This is how I learned the KBB technique.
I guess the stitch I’m doing on heel flap for the Classic Sock in FolkSocks (really trying to not stray too much from the pattern, so hard to do) is the ‘slip one, knit one’ ; whether on the inside, outside, or alternating on rows “eye of partridge” style. I can tell you one thing Miss Morrie, is that I LOVE SOCKS, and sense this will be the start of a new love affair, and that I will be coming up with my own bits soon . 🙂 THank you for the comforting EZ words on needle sizes. I kind of tend to agree… on something as small as a sock at least.