Knitting vagaries - we all have them :) I ran smack into a couple of mine yesterday when I was working on a couple of things - both of them in the round. One was on DPNs and the other on a circular needle.
You know how they tell you to join and place a marker to indicate the beginning of the round? I never do that. I use the tail of the cast-on in conjunction with the end of the stitches on the needle over it to show me where the starting point is. And it’s always worked great…until lately.
I don’t know what happened, but I’ve been obsessing, in a minor, harmless way, over hanging yarn ends. Suddenly, a few weeks ago, they started driving me bats! It’s like my knitting is sticking its tongue out at me. Yarn tails never bothered me before. I’d do the thing, hat, scarf, whatever and that cast-on tail would just hang there from the bottom of the work until I was done. The cast-off tail would get woven in and then the cast-on tail - in that order. It was neat and easy. Now, I get several rows into the work and find myself waiting until there is enough to the piece to reasonably weave in the cast-on tail. I will stay up and knit just to be able to get rid of the thing. Certifiable, I know…
See that red yarn on the left? That’s the beginning of the round. I forget all about the fact that I use the tail as a marker and just weave that sucker in as soon as I can. And it usually hits me about half way through the next round that I don’t know where the end is. Much cussing and gnashing of teeth ensue as I count back (under some circumstances, tink back - in which case gnashing and cussing are joined by snide and nasty commentary) to the beginning. Then I lop off a length of some seriously contrasting yarn and loop it through a stitch in a lark’s head knot to be my new point of reference. You see what I’ve done? I’ve woven in a hanging piece of yarn and replaced it with two hanging pieces of yarn. Oy…
I mentioned this Sandal Socks pattern earlier this week. I have fallen distractedly and besottedly in love with this sock and nothing would do but that I make an attempt. I really should have waited until I knew what I was doing :)
The author notes that because of the stranded colorwork, the sock should be made a bit larger than you would normally do because the stranding decreases the ability of the fabric to stretch. Fine, the pattern calls for size 5 DPNs. I’ll use size 6s - that will open things up a bit. The pattern says the sock will fit a woman’s small and calls for casting on 40 stitches. I’m not a woman’s small. Depending on the shoe, I’m not even small enough to be a women’s large. Okay, we’ll just up that cast on to 52 stitches. That should do it! Right?
That did it alright. I have a sock, well, a partial, that a family of four could live in harmoniously. I could put this on over my clogs. I could use this as a garage…
On the other hand, the color changes are nice and neat and the stranding isn’t too bad either - except for the heel flap. I may eventually make these socks in colors bright enough to send Bozo the clown screaming into the sunset. But I will never, never, never strand in flat knitting again. Not gonna do it. The checks are tres cool and I love them. And when I figure out how to do this thing right (I know, find a pattern that works and adapt the colors and patterns) I’ll use them - in the circular sections. That dad-blamed heel flap is just going to have to live its life as a solid color.
We won’t even discuss pausing to join a new color and being unable to locate the free needle for five minutes because it was behind my ear…
Laurie over at Lorenzo Knits has tagged me for a meme. Because it’s about music, I can’t resist :)
List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to (I won’t be tagging anyone else, but if you’re inclined to this meme…).
1. Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture by Felix Mendelssohn. This was the first piece of classical music that explained itself to me and I love it to pieces. I know it backwards and forwards but if the radio plays it, I will sit and listen to the whole thing, even if I reached the supermarket 10 minutes ago. If I’m looking for new audio equipment, this is what I bring for testing purposes.
2. Strangers Like Me by Phil Collins. This was from Disney’s Tarzan. Actually, I like all the music in the show but this, with its echoes of fear and loneliness segueing to rising hope makes me shiver.
3. You’d be So Nice to Come Home to by Cole Porter. This is one of the best sweet/sexy songs ever written and my favorite version of it is the rendition Diane Keaton offers up in Radio Days - which is probably also my favorite Woody Allen film.
4. Shameless, by Billy Joel. The funny thing is, it’s the Garth Brooks version that does it for me - absolutely electrifying. I never heard Joel’s own rendition until much later and it seemed flat and insipid in comparison.
5. Talk This 1994 album by Yes is a concept album. All the pieces flow one into another and related to a central theme, in this case, finding what life is meant to be and to hold. What impresses me most is the blend of rock and classical elements into a harmonious and triumphant whole. I wouldn’t have believed it could be done until I heard this.
6. Christmas in Sarajevo This was Trans Siberian Orchestra’s first album and like the above entry, is a concept piece. The story is of an angel whom God has sent to find the one thing that best represents the good that has been done in the name of Christmas. In one part of the story (and the angel encounters many stories), a girl is standing out in the street, in the snow, alone late on Christmas Eve. Someone tells a bartender about her saying “...on this night of all nights, if one could be home, they’d be already there.” This is another piece that blends contemporary and classical elements to magnificent effect.
7. The Last Time I saw Paris by Jerome Kern. A beautiful, haunting song about memories of a lovely city changed forever by war.
Goldie and I wish you a wonderful weekend. Romp with your pets :)
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LOL behind your ear!!! sheesh that sounds so like me it’s scary. I love those checks on your sock too. Too bad it won’t fit. 
Is it big enough to try shrinking? Or maybe it could be a Christmas stocking??
I have a tail tale, too. I thought I was being smart using the tail to keep track of a cable repeat for a hat. I knotted the tail. DUH. Makes it IM-possible to weave that gnarly tail in. You have a great weekend, too!
Aarlene - I had read about knotting the tail to tell you what size needle you used on something (yeah? How do you make 10.5 knots?) and thought that was a great idea until I realized I wouldn’t be able to weave it in :)
Shameless by Garth Brooks!!! On my list too!!!!
the pic of goldie is one of those with eyes that follow you around- a bit high on the ‘nip maybe?
i often stick (literally) the dpn not being used in my sock which is quite workable until i change positions and impale myself in the rear end with it- i’m one of those who sits with one leg tucked underneath me- i should either sit more appropriately or find a better ‘needle holder’-
stay happy-
Rob - There ought to be a warning on that one to not be driving when it plays. Just knocks me out!
Barb - The thing is I hadn’t moved or gotten up so the blasted thing had to be there somewhere. Finally, I figured it would turn up when it was ready and got up to get another needle. When I leaned over the coffee table, guess what fell down?
Sigh, another sock pattern for my queue. Would felting the socks a bit help the size? Not that’d I’m brave enough to give that a go.
That sock is adorable, even if IS huge. Could you felt it, perhaps?
Wait a minute…. I recently saw a pattern for a ‘stocking’ cap which had an actual foot shape as the top of the cap. Would it be possible for you to turn this wonderfully colored creation into something like that? ...time passes… okey dokey I had a look at my history and the hat is at knitty, called “A REAL Stocking Cap”.
Again, you and all the wonderful beings in your abode have a great weekend.
Toni and Kathy - Alas, the yarns are acrylic. I don’t have anything like that range of colors in my wools, though I hope to some day. So nope, no felting. I have to say though Toni, even if it was wool, I don’t think I’d have the nerve either :)
Aarlene - LOL - you’re right! I remember that hat :) Cute visual pun, that one :)
That is a shame about the sock. I just love the colors and patterns. Do you have any friends with really big feet? 
I just love the picture of Goldie too.
Hi Maureen - Well, it’s not such a shame because I learned something :) I swatch everything, but this time I thought I knew what I was doing. Ha!
Awww, some weeks ya got it, some weeks ya don’t. I laughed about the behind-the-ear thing, but only b/c I’ve BTDT. Next week will be better, I promise!
June - Nice to know I’m not the only one out there who occasionally misplaces a needle. I just wish I didn’t do it so consistently :)
Ahhh…I have these beautiful socks on my sock project list…I just love the color & the playfulness.
