If one were to judge by how often I actually update this poor neglected blog which I until recently refused to even acknowledge as my own, one would think I didn't knit much. Not so! I knit plenty. In the past month or so I've done several face cloths, including one lacy six-sided star-shaped one. I've also knit the hat mentioned in the previous entry, plus finished the hat which did not get given to Little Miss Chickaboo. I also have knit about eight inches of a child sweater which is turning out to be ginormous, so now I'm going to... well... less said about that one right now, the better. But suffice to say, knitting has occurred.

I also have been working on a few socks. In fact, last week I confirmed that I damn well better not have Second Sock Syndrome too badly, because I do enjoy knitting socks. As evidenced by the fact that when I took the kids out for the day, when it came time to go home for naps, I instead decided to haul children on a blitzkreig through the nicer craft store (has nicer yarns, but doesn't quite qualify as an LYS, imo, thanks to all the /other/ craft supplies they sell there) even though Henry had already passed out and slept through the whole whirlwind trip, so that I could get a set of US1 needles and yet another ball of Sockotta. Then, once I drove around enough that Ben also fell asleep, I drove to a nice park with a view of the lake, parked the car, rolled down the windows, and cast on for another sock. This, for those keeping score, would make the third pair of socks I've begun, without actually finishing a single pair as yet. (Don't judge me!)

However, in somewhat more exciting news, I have indeed finished my first ever sock!!


And then, like a good little knitter, I did indeed immediately cast on for the second sock. I like the stripes thing, honestly - the color changes do keep me going, wondering what color is going to pop out of the ball next. They're also a handy way to go, "Okay, knit one more stripe, and then you can knit something else." Which is sometimes necessary.

Anyway, for the particulars: Sockotta cotton/wool blend stuff, the ballband is long lost, and I'm too lazy to be arsed to find the colorway. The colors as shown here are pretty accurate, though. I did it on two #1 Susan Bates circs. I'm torn on that method, really. I like that I drop fewer stitches on the double-circs, but even so I'm not sure I love using that method. I don't know. I just don't feel as much like I'm Knitting A Sock as I do when I'm knitting a sock on dpns. Which probably doesn't make much sense, but there it is.

And now, for my problem. See, at my First Ever Sheep & Wool Festival in September, I bought a really lovely skein of autumn-y variegated wool yarn. It's really quite lovely, and so I quickly wound it into a ball so it would be ready to be knitted up as soon as inspiration struck. However, inspiration wasn't making its scheduled appearance, so I flailed a bit, and then hit upon the notion of making a half-sized Clapotis out of it. Considering how nicely good ol' Clapotis seems to show off other variegated yarns, I thought this was an excellent idea.

Unfortunately, I've got a pooling problem. The first bit was nice - the set-up rows went just fine, everything was quite lovely. And then, as I finished the set-up rows and started the straight rows, I began to see an unsettling pattern forming.



Can you see it? Maybe it's too early yet, maybe I'll have to work a few more rows so it's good and visible. Which is fine, because I need to work a few more rows to decide if this is going to be all right or if it's going to be awful, in which case, to the frog pond I go. sigh.

Here's a hint - where in the beginning it's all nice and random-y, the inch or two closest to the needle, you'll notice suddenly the bronze-y color migrates entirely to the edges, leaving the green and red to alternate rows in a somewhat obnoxious manner. Perhaps further knitting will prove this to be a temporary phenomena. Otherwise? Urgh. Sooooo not amused.