Woolgathering

This is the Opal Lollipop that I bought two years ago in my false start “knitting again” enthusiasm. It didn’t look very inspiring in the ball and took me ages to commit to knitting it up.

It actually looks better in this photograph but the un-started ball was kind of off-white, with navy blebby bits and a little bit of lilac in it. Really kind of… yukky. 

Opal Lollipop 1105

Well, blow me down - knitted up, it’s rather nice, and shading attractively in purples and lilacs. I do like it. I am surprised!

I’m not getting much time on this sock but it’s knitting up at a reasonable rate, I think. I am half way along the foot now and looking forward to the toe decreases soon.

Work in Progress

I’m knitting a sock that is partly the Fools Rush free pattern from Too Much Wool. It looked as though it was suitable as a second sock pattern, but I really only intended to steal the rib for this project. I had wanted a fancy rib top and Fools Rush provided just what I was looking for.

Angels Fear to Tread 

This is a great rib, really scrunchy in texture and very stretchy. It was difficult to do and I had to tink it on a frequent basis. Partly obscured by the printed yarn, unpicking was a pain. It all got easier after I knitted a test piece straight and joined needles with a plain rib round! Much as I hated the knitting of it, I did extra repeats.

Ankle Hugger

The Plan: I had intended to knit the rib from Fools Rush, but to do it extra long for a real feature cuff. After that I was going to knit to the basic recipe in Knitting Rules!, the book by the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, with a glorious final flourish of the anatomically correct sock toes from Persnickettyknitter.

I’m not fond of stitch patterns with variegated yarns, so intended a stocking stitch below the rib. What’s the point of a lace pattern if it cannot be seen? The point is, dear friends, if you make a mistake, it cannot be seen. Hence, this became the Test Sock. I really like the look of Fools Rush and want to do it in a suitable plain merino yarn. It would be dreadful if I messed it up, would it not?

The Yarn Harlot still got a look in when Fools Rush let me down at the gusset shaping - and that basic sock recipe was just what I needed to keep me on the straight and narrow. 

Mixed Recipe Sock

Overall, I do not feel able to recommend Fools Rush, nice as it looks. Not for a new-to-socks knitter, anyway. I felt the pattern was just slightly too deficient in detail and explanation and there is an ambiguity in the half lace instructions for the foot. I am pretty certain that I messed it up in the end, but it can scarcely be seen - so no harm done.

When I have done the second sock of this pair, I’ll feed back to Cassiana on the difficulties that I had. It may turn out, on a second go, simply to have been genetic stupidity syndrome, so I’ll not go rushing at it now.

I will certainly use this rib again. Many times, I think - even if I do hate knitting it, the results are well worth it.

Now - can somebody tell me why US knitters do this very odd SSK thing, instead of a nice simple K2tbl? What are the perceived advantages/raison d’être? I really struggle with the SSK, especially as the last two stitches of a row, and I’d dearly love to know that there’s a good reason for it. Or can I substitute a K2tbl without worrying about it? Thanks.