Okay, so I'm not really lost in knitting...but I am a fan of the t.v. show Lost! Love it! Never miss it! It is awesome this season! And Sawyer is hot, smoking hot! Today I found this link to a Lost podcast by Jay and Jack. It's fun to listen to their theories about the show and all the hidden secrets. I can't remember ever watching a show that has so many weird things going on. Fun, lots of fun. I have absolutely no idea how this series will end but I plan on watching until the last episode. If you haven't gotten into this show, I recommend you rent the first 2 seasons and check it out. But be forewarned, you will be hooked but good.
I love to knit socks. I have always knit my socks from the top down on dpn's. So yesterday I decided it was time to try the ever popular toe-up style AND use 2 circulars. I have used the 2 circs before so I was familiar with that. I cast on using the method here, and started knitting away. Here are my thoughts on toe-ups so far:
1. The cast on for toe-ups on 2 circs is putsy. Although, once it got going I was amazed to see how perfect it was!
2. I find it way harder and slower to do increases than decreases so the toes are slow going and tedious with all the increases EOR.
3. You have to just "wing it" when it comes to when to stop the toe increases and start the foot. Have I added enough stitches, too many? I had too many...way too many.
4. The toe is way too pointed. I cast on too few stitches to start and the toe is too narrow. I guess it's another "wing it" thing.
5. When the heck do you start the heel? You won't know if the sock is the correct length until you've finished the heel! With a top down it doesn't matter when you start the heel, once your leg is the length you want you start the heel. Easy enough.
6. The heel itself...I HATE the short-row heel. I LOVE the heel flap style heel. My heels require a 2 1/2 inch heel flap to fit correctly. With a short-row heel I can't get a good fit, they are too short. A toe-up sock normally uses a short-row heel. And if it doesn't, the flap heels are funky and done "backwards". I've yet to find a heel that is easy, normal, and fits well in a toe-up sock pattern.
7. Leg patterns are easier on toe-up! They aren't "upside down" like they will be on a top-down. Score one for toe-ups!
8. Binding off! Oh my! The bane of all toe-up sock knitters. How to get that infernal bind off loose enough to allow the blood to circulate to your toes! And I have to admit...most of the bind offs I've seen on toe-up socks look loose and sloppy.
So there, please comment and help me change my opinion on toe-up socks. Send me links, send me encouragement, send me suggestions. Oh, I forgot to mention WHY I decided I needed to knit some toe-up socks. I have some beautiful Artyarn sock yarn and I wanted to use every inch of it! That is probably the best reason I can think of to knit toe-up socks, the yarn yardage factor. But, they were a bust anyways since I had to frog them. It just seems to me that toe-up socks are a guessing game. You guess how many stitches to start with, how many increases to make the toe, how long to knit the foot, will the heel fit, is the bind off too tight??
As for the 2 circular needles VS dpns'. I like both methods. Either or. I feel like I'm farting around sliding needles and moving stitches a lot more with the circs but I don't mind it. I would guess that I'm faster on dpn's but I don't consider knitting a speed sport so it doesn't matter. I'd love to hear your ideas on toe-up socks and knitting socks with circular needles. Your favorite pattern, cast on, heel style, bind off, etc. But be nice please.
My house seems pretty quiet with Tyler gone. He's liking his own place even though he thinks it's a bit noisy! Whoever would have thought that my son...the loud music listener, Guitar Hero playing, music lover would ever find a place too loud! It does my heart good to actual think that he realizes, finally, that other peoples noise can be annoying! I've been telling him that for years :o) Too funny...and some don't believe in karma.
1 comment:
I have to say, I was quite impressed with the short row heel as written up in IK Summer 07. I've never liked the short row heel either, mainly because I found it too short on the back of my foot. This one feels fine, though. IK also has a chart (a la Ann Budd) for how many stitches to start with, how many stitches to reduce the heel to.. all of it is there.
The magic cast on is a simple one, and needed no tightening or loosening up... always a good thing. For increases, I simply increased to the number of stitches I usually use for my socks, 64, and just went from there. The only part that I worried about was the cast off and when I saw the tubular cast off, I knew that was the one I'd use. I really like it (I think I said that in the blog).
I'll try toe up again... once I finish sock #2. I need to sit down and do the heel all in one go; I'm already on the third attempt. :/
Post a Comment