I really should be posting finished pictures of my first pair of Dragon Scale socks, but I still need to get a "model" shot in daylight. This would have happened over the weekend, if I hadn't gotten caught up in the next phase of the Dragon Scale sock experience -- Dragon Scale socks for those with somewhat larger feet, i.e. the husband.

I decided that I would use the skein of Beryl Socks that Rock (a semi-solid green color that was husband selected) and a US size 1.5 needle since I thought that the US size 1 needle that I used on my pair of STR socks resulted in a fabric that was just a little bit too dense for a pattern that involves a lot of decreasing and increasing. Of course, I went into my enormous needle stash only to discover that I have just 4 size 1.5 needles. Sigh. Looks like one of my helpful cat fiends must have decided that it was an excellent toy. (I have several sets of DP needles like this...somewhere in the house, my cat is starting his own knitting needle stash)

Sunday I managed to track down a set of US 1.5/2.5 mm needles (this took a while as this doesn't seem to be a very popular size). I modified the stitch pattern to be a 20 stitch repeat and I cast on. Within the first 4 rows I dropped a stitch and had no idea where since the pattern was barely set and the yarn is a dark color and the stitches are tiny. I ripped and cast on again. This time, I got through two full pattern intervals (you have to do several before you get a real sense of what gauge will be on this pattern) and thought it seemed a little big -- as it turned out, it was 9" in diameter, which is about 1/4" more diameter than the widest part of my husband's dainty feet. I had him try it on just to confirm my fears, even though I know that there is no worse truth than math done correctly. Sigh again. 8.9 stitches/inch just wasn't going to cut it.

So, this evening, I ripped everything out again and cast on onto a pair of US 1.0/2.25 mm needles (at the same time as I bought the 1.5s, I also found a set of Inox 1s and thought it would be interesting to try them out since they have nice sharp points and a smooth surface). After 1 pattern interval it looks like I am now getting about 9.4 stitches/inch and that the socks are going to be about 8.5" around. Not quite as snug as I think would be best, but there's no way I am going to do these socks on size 0 needles. Just no way. That said, this fabric is no where near as dense and thick as the fabric I got under the same circumstances using the Tiger Eye STR. This suggests to me that perhaps the folks at Blue Moon have changed their stock sock yarn -- when I look at them next to each other, the old STR is definitely thicker. Which is not really a big deal, and not really surprising given that my first STR was purchased about 2 years ago at an Illinois fiber festival. I just offer it up as an interesting observation for anyone who might also have some of the older yarn.

So, in spite of all the sock knitting effort (and it really is because the manly Dragon Scale sock repeats the pattern interval 4 times while the more femininely sized sock repeats the interval only twice) I have no photos to share. This is because A) one 8 row pattern interval looks like nothing interesting and B) the yarn is dark green and I'm going to have to be outdoors in order to get any kind of stitch definition to be visible. At least I am on the right track, for now. And I'm pretty sure with this re-worked version of the original Dragon Scale pattern I can create a sock pattern that works for feet of more than one size without sacrificing too many of the details that I like about the first design. And even if I don't have any pictures today, I still have a little design victory that will begin to unfold as the week goes on.