Dragon Designs
It's funny how the things that I don't think will get much of a response get a great response. Clearly, there are a lot of DDR fans out there! My blond kitties appreciate all the positive attention, too. These guys, as you might expect, are litter mates. They are almost inseparable and whenever it's cold, you'll see them curled up together. So the Siamese twin reference in the comments is not too far off for these guys.
I'm swinging out of a spinning phase into a bit of a knitting and design phase as I start my next family sock challenge pair of socks. Like I mentioned a while ago, my next pair of socks are for my sister-in-law. Can I just say that I couldn't have picked better for my little bro if I had picked her myself? Libby is awesome. In addition to embarking on Bikram yoga teacher training, she's also working on a PhD in history. In an alternate universe I like to think that I got a PhD in history, too.
I spent a lot of time thinking about these socks. I wanted them to be something special and something that was uniquely about Libby. I appreciated the suggestions I got to make her some yoga socks. But Bikram yoga is a special kind of yoga that is done at temperatures over 100 degrees Farenheit -- it definitely gets pretty sweaty. I figure socks in this environment wouldn't work out very well due to heat, sweat and the fact that she probably wouldn't get the traction she'd need to do some of the poses. So these socks are meant really just to let her know that even though she's far away from home (the training is in LA and my brother is in Houston) that her family is thinking about her and wishing her well. Libby loves dragons. She has the most fabulous dragon tattoo on her back. Dragons, as I think of them, are symbols of strength and beauty and intelligence and ferocity. All qualities that I respect and would wish for Libby as she takes on a big challenge. So instead of looking for an existing sock pattern, I decided to bond with Barbara Walker's 2nd Treasury of Knitting Patterns
Amazingly enough, she has a pattern called "Dragon Skin". Clearly, this was a sign. Unfortunately it's a pattern with a 26 stitch repeat. And a little swatching with the Blue Moon Sock Candy made it clear that I needed about 64 stitches in a round in this pattern to get the 8" circumference that I needed. So I did a little bit of chart modification to come up with a version that had a 32 stitch repeat.
The Sock Candy, being mostly cotton, does not squish like wool does. I am actually knitting these socks on US size 2 needles in order to get a fabric that doesn't feel like a board. I find myself very pleased with both the texture (i.e. you can see the dragon scales forming) and the way that the color and the texture work together reasonably well. It might not look like it, but this stitch pattern is also pretty easy to memorize. And I am having a good time with feeling like I am designing something on my own again. Instead of the usual Dutch heel, I am going to try to do a short row heel. I think that will work better with dragon scales and create the smoother look I envision in my head. I also want to do a star toe, instead of my standard toe. Once again, I think that that will give the sock a more polished look when combined with this texturing.
Once I decided on the dragon theme, I have to admit that I did feel a little bit bad about going with red sock yarn. Any of y'all who have played D&D know that red dragons are of the chaotic evil variety. Think of Smaug in the The Hobbit
Ooh - the colour is divine and love the pattern.
If you want to get more technical (and historically accurate), you should consult Chinese mythology on dragons. The swatch looks so nice, I may go look it up myself and make some sort of scarf or shawl out of it.
I love the scales!
Alignment is all well and good, but what are its hit points? THAC0? Any special attacks we should be wary of?
I understand the armor class of a sock is pretty high - except for the heel, and directly above the big toe.
Have you seen marnie's free sock pattern called Wyvern??
http://www.marniemaclean.com/patterns/Wyvern/index.html
It's very similar to the one you are planning and also uses 60-64 stitches.
Mona
Long-time lurker here, but I had to comment on these socks. I'm in a bit of a sock phase myself and these are gorgeous! I like your attention (albeit planned) to detail on the heel and toe as well. Can't wait to see how they turn out.
You should give your sister a copy of this post (or another version) when you present her with the socks. I think she would appreciate all the thought and attention you gave to choosing the perfect pattern for her.
That's a very cool stitch pattern.
Nice. Great Stitch pattern, damn Creative. I like you detail thought progress, there. Cool.
Beautiful scales, beautiful colors! I think the short row heel and star toe will look great with it and not compete with the scales.
That is a wonderful pattern! I can't wait to see how the socks progress.
The pattern looks great! And the yarn is so pretty.
You say "evil" like that's a bad thing.
;-)
Cool dragon scale pattern!
I had a DM who got fed up with his overly-experienced players knowing immediately whether a dragon was one of the ones they could talk to or one of the ones they had to run away from (or slay, depending on whether we were allowed to have gear that day). So we dealt with a "reddish-greenish-silverish-bronzeish-blueish-goldish" dragon. As long as we remained terrified of it, it didn't kill us.
Your socks don't look like just solid red to me, so you're probably okay. And, stepping out of the D&D world for a moment, I think red is a lucky colour Back East.
The pattern is great, and the yarn is gorgeous (of course, any yarn that manages to blend my two favorite colors - pink and red - is special to me.
So will you share the pattern with us when it's done?
Love your intelligent commentary on knitting, spinning, and life.
I tried Bikram a few months ago, and scoffed at the "really sweaty" reference a friend mentioned as I don't sweat. Let...Me...Tell...Everyone. Yoga at 100 degrees for 90 minutes is unbelievably sweaty. EVERY part of me sweat. I felt so good afterwards!!
Those socks are just truly beautiful. Good job, can't wait to see the whole thing!
I'm loving that pattern. If you're a movie junkie, you'll recall Disney's animated feature, "The Sword in the Stone", where the Marvelous Mad Madame Mim made a rule during the Wizard's Duel that you can't turn into a 'pink' dragon, because they don't exist, and then she turned herself into a purple dragon; ("I didn't say ANYTHING about purple dragons!") who then was infected by the wizard Merlin's pox, because he turned into a germ, rather than disappearing altogether - very tricky tactic there, even for a wizard in the cartoon 11th century. Anyway, she turned into a purple dragon, and denounced pink dragons. In D&D terms, I'd think that that's probably just plain chaotic, neither good nor evil, but merely a pain in the patootie, because you can't ever predict the dragon (or anthropomorphizing wizard)'s actions. Just something to chew on for like one minute.
-The incredibly-bored-at-work and total-geek, Whimsy.
The best I can suggest is an Amethyst Dragon - they're true neutral, described as "wise and regal"...that's pretty good, no?
More info: http://www.planetadnd.com/interactive_books/mm00059.php
Yeah, big D&D nerd, thanks. :)
The socks are lovely, by the way!
Don't worry, it is a little known fact that pink dragons are highly affectionate and loyal. They don't hang much with the rest of the dragon race because the others are so dang grumpy. Plus, pink dragons are nocturnal, a little shy, and like to stay in the water primarily. I think it was the best way to hide because of their color. Think Nessie. She is a pink dragon and she is very loyal which is why she has stayed at Loch Ness.
I just wanted to put in my two cents and say I too love the pattern.
Oh, and in the book series by Terry Goodkind (starts out with Wizards First Rule), the red dragon is actually quite helpful to the hero of the story.
Ooooohhhhh... I love it! I think it would be amazing in a yarn that goes from deep turquoise through saphire blue.
Cool sock! I think the idea of a short row heel sounds good; I personally like the fit much better... but, you might want to swatch your star toe and make sure you like it in combination with the short row heel... I thought they looked funny together when I tried it. (But that could very well be just me!)
Another longtime lurker here...
The pattern looks much like what the Harmony knitting books call "butterfly wings." Which I found anything *but* easy to memorize. I'd taken a piece along on a visit to my parents, and found that I simply had to set it aside for the week, because there was no way I could carry on a reasonably coherent and civil conversation and simultaneously do the pattern correctly.
Barbara Hambly's dragons in _Dragonsbane_ and its sequels start brightly colored when they are young, with intricate patterns. As they age, their color deepens and darkens, with the patterns fading to subtle hints. And "Morkeleb alone is black as night."
*giggle*
I still play D&D (though it is now on version 3.5), so I recall Thac0 with loving (and disrespectful) fondness. Such fun to see posts where my old hobbies and new hobbies collide (and yes, I also do DDR for exercise).
Those Socks are awesome! And you like D&D too! Excellent! Hane you seen the pattern for Dragonscale Gauntlets? http://chartreuseknits.blogspot.com/2005/09/dragon-scale-gauntlet-pattern.html Also, on my blog I have a pattern for a Dragonscale Hat (pretend the brim is rolled up) and a picture of a Dragonscale Dice bag that I made for my husband. Just click on the Free Patterns Link.
www.yarnpie.blogspot.com
I'm loving the pattern in that color.
I've never done a short-row heel (my name is Dutch, my heels are Dutch, the Dutch heels I learned first fit my feet utterly perfectly, and I've never felt the urge to learn another). Your discussion of this pattern is making me interested in trying.
Can the scale pattern then extend down over the heel?
I second the request for more details on the construction when you're done.