February 23, 2005Don't you need another one of those?*One of my great knitting accomplishments of the week was getting my first lovely Koigu Crusoe sock off the needles:
Now for a confession: I am no sock expert. Crusoe marks my third sock ever, and the first two were made long ago and far away, so it felt like a very new experience. Luckily I have several blogging pals who had been in Crusoe territory before and were happy to offer advice. The thing I heard most regularly was that although beautiful, this was a tough sock to fit - easy to get too tight and easy to get too loose. This is no doubt due to the lovely stranding pattern, which shows off the koigu beautifully, but is not particularly resilient. Anyway, armed with this great bit of foreknowledge, I decided to leave the sock more than a wee bit small (my sock is my swatch - it's a tiny enough thing that a traditional swatch seems silly) and see how it went. As you can see it went quite well - tough to get on the first time, but fits like a glove ever after. I love it! Having said that, I was not comfortable making this sock for a foot I hadn't had the pleasure of measuring personally (i.e. my sockapalooza pal!), so for that special someone, I've decided to use one of my friend Mary's (She of the Fabulous Socks) pattern recommendations - Little Shell Socks. These are also in koigu, though in a very different colorway. I've already started and you'll be getting a peek soon. Until they're done, I'm not starting the second of this pair. I suppose I'll be padding around the house in a single Crusoe for a few weeks! *Yet another quote from my darling dearest - one to add to his running commentary on the state of my knitting. At this point I'm thinking that I will start keeping track of these little nuggets and gather them together for the "moxie awards." Posted by Julia at February 23, 2005 06:02 PMIn crusoe socks | main | moments with moxie | sockapalooza
Comments
I made a sock similar to the Crusoe sock two years ago (half-linen stitch, if I remember correctly) and, I agree, the fabric has no give. They were beautiful, though. Great sock! I just love that rolling edge at the top. Posted by: Becky at February 24, 2005 01:51 PMI haven't tried that pattern. Love the way it looks out of Koigu. When it comes to socks I guess I'm a tradtionalist. Moxie always knows just what to say, eh? Posted by: margene at February 24, 2005 12:24 PMWhen I made a pair from the Crusoe pattern I didn't like the gauge at all (I like Koigu for socks in the 7-8 stitches/inch range), so I ended up reworking them at a gauge I like better. I agree that they are difficult socks to make when you don't have the recipient around to test them on. Mine have turned out to be my favorite airplane socks because they are so warm and soft. Lovely colorway you picked, BTW. Posted by: Theresa at February 24, 2005 10:29 AMthat sock is gorgeous! and moxie is hilarious. Posted by: mrspilkington at February 24, 2005 08:24 AMStacey - I saw yours - very pretty! I used a larger needle than recommended and got a much smaller gauge - weird, huh? I stuck with it because I like the fabric at the smaller gauge and I knew I wanted the socks to fit tightly initially. I changed the pattern a lot, so I really can't say if the original would have worked or not. My only caution would be to shoot for snug, but to be careful, because if they are too snug they won't go on. As I said, I'm no expert, but I do think these socks require a closer fit than most. The one thing that I'm pretty sure is wrong is knitting 9" before working the toe decreases. Instead, take your sock pal's measurement for foot length minus 2" and knit that long, then decrease for the toe. One last trick, ala Priscilla Gibson-Roberts: Your fist balled up is the same size as your foot circumference. If you make a fist and it fits snugly in the top of your sock, it should fit your foot (this is my own logic and it worked for my crusoe). If your sock pal has a different sock size than you just hunt around for a friend with a similar size. This should help you figure out if the sock is working prior to starting the heel. Let me know how it goes! xox Posted by: Julia at February 24, 2005 07:29 AMyou knit that koigu up beautifully.i may have to give that pattern a go (much later though) Posted by: froggy at February 24, 2005 04:14 AMI have a "moxie" too. An endless stream of helpful commentary... ;-) Posted by: jenny at February 24, 2005 04:02 AMFunny guy - So - did you ever get the bathroom curtains?!? :) Posted by: Anne-Caroline at February 23, 2005 11:01 PMOooh! You're inspiring me. I'm finally getting the hang of knitting socks. I just completed my first sock after many trials and tribulations. Koigu is one of my favorite yarns, too. Posted by: Mary at February 23, 2005 09:22 PMI've been making the Crusoe sock for my pal as well. What size needles are/were you using? I'm curious if you were getting the gauge or not? Any suggestions/tips from your friends on what to do? I hate the idea of having to start over:-( Posted by: Stacey at February 23, 2005 09:22 PMWhat colors will this one be? Can't wait to see more socks! :) Posted by: Vicki at February 23, 2005 08:06 PMWell, it really is lovely. :) ahhh...the Moxie awards...we await with baited breath! Posted by: Jen. at February 23, 2005 07:51 PM |
