March 9, 2004
Of Socks and Swatches
Opal 3705 meets Rowan All Seasons Cotton
Poor sock! I have been working slowly on it for what seems like forever. I took it with me to Columbus and knit a whopping four or five rounds. I do like working with Opal, though. You can check out the German manufacturer's site here to see what's current. PT Yarn distributes Opal in the US and you can check out their site for all the wonderful colors and patterns that you can currently buy state side. The colorway I am using here is 3705, and it's part of the Southwestern collection. I'm way into the chocolate browns and purples in these socks.
I'm trying something new with this pair -- an afterthought heel. Carolyn brought them up at our last KIP, and it seemed like a good idea since I am always wearing through toes and heels in my socks and this technique is supposed to make it a lot easier to replace them when they wear out. I'm working from some information I found at the SockKnitters site. I'm working my socks top down instead of toe-up, but I don't think it matters so much for the construction of this heel. The dark black yarn in my sock is where I'll be putting in the heel. I knit the black yarn across the back of the sock and then purled back so that I could keep knitting on with the main yarn without breaking it off.
Also featured in the above photo is my second swatch for Rogue in Rowan All Seasons Cotton. On 5.0 mm needles (US 8) I get the right row gauge (6 stitches/inch) but too few stitches per inch on my stitch gauge (4 stitches/inch). On 4.5 mm (US 7) needles I get the right stitch gauge (4.5 stitches/inch) but too many rows for the row gauge (6.5 rows/inch instead of 6). I tried doing a gauge swatch in the round on 4.5 mm and and it was much tighter than required (in both dimensions), so now I have to try another one on the 5.0 mm needles and hope for the best. I like the ASC a great deal -- it knit's up like a dream and is so soft -- so I am going to make this work. Fortunately, this pattern isn't an all over cable thing, and I have plenty of yarn (2 bags!) so if need be, I can modify it to accomodate the All Seasons.
I think though, that this is a sign -- my 5.0 mm AddiTurbo is currently working on my Dad's sweater. Maybe the knitting goddesses are telling me that I need to finish that sweater before Rogue will work out. So watch out Lo Tech, here I come!
Thanks for sharing your ASC swatching results. I'm considering making another Rogue in this for summer, so I've got special interest! Your stitch/row gauge trade-off is exactly what happened with me and Magpie Tweed. I went with the 4.5 mm needles to get the approximate stitch gauge and worked with the decreased row gauge.
It is easy to compensate for the wonky row gauge on the body and sleeves. The difficulty is with the hood. Because every row of the hood is charted, I did not find any good way to compensate for the lost length. Inserting extra rows into the cable repeat sucked, and for me the length difference would have been overly made up by adding an extra cable repeat. So I just knit the hood as written and then blocked out a bit of extra length. The hood is generously sized, so unless you have a big head AND are actually likely to wear the hood up, no biggie.
hey remind me to show you on thursday, you don't have to purl back, since you are on two circs (or even on DPNs) you just knit the one side with the scrap yarn. then you go back to your regular yarn and knit that same side again (i.e., say you knit across second needle in scrap yarn. then instead of purling back to get back to your other yarn - you just drop the scrap yarn, go back to beginning of second needle where regular yarn is waiting, and knit across second needle again). no need to purl back to that yarn (you would only need to if you were working back & forth). not sure i am explaining it well in writing, but i can show you.
I love the chocolate browns and purples in that sock!
That's funny re ASC. I have the exact same problem! I always need to go down in needle size (to 4.5mm), but I still get more rows than I should. Same thing happens with Phildar Aviso, which is incredibly similar to ASC, even down to yarn composition. I wonder if it's the cotton/acrylic percentages that does that?
Can't wait to see the afterthought heel. I've read about it before, but haven't given it a try yet. I always like to see new sock "parts."
Working on a AT heel at the moment also. Will keep checking back to see if you learn anything different than I do.
Gorgeous yarn on those socks. I love it.
Hi Theresa! I love the Opal - I also bought a skein this summer that has turquiose and oranges in it. I made a pair of little socks and a hat for my nephew out of it, and still have a good amount of yarn left to make something else. Also, thanks for the advice on the blocking board - I just ordered it and am so excited for it to come! YAY knitting-related packages!
i love the bowl your dad turned, you're very lucky :-)
I tried to order ASC for a Rogue, but it never came! Where did you order your ASC? Was it a good deal? Your dad is going to love his sweater.
The socks I am currently working on will have afterthought heels. I am planning to experiment with the decreasing. Do one sock one way and try another way (decreasing at a different rate) for the other to see what I like best for my feet. It means I will do some reknitting but that's ok.