Thursday, August 08, 2013

Some socks fly ... Some drag

And I'm not sure why. Recently I have been plodding along with some socks, knit for me, knit in one of my favorite colours (sage like green), my favorite yarn (indie dyed vintage Purls sock), and a pattern themed to appeal ( ode to the frog pond). The sock knits well, the pattern makes sense, is a lace repeat over 12 rounds, where the increases and decreases form a line that can be easily seen, reading and predicting what one does next is fairly straightforward. Still since casting on these socks when I reach for something to knit I have reached over this and dug out other projects, even ones that have sat since 2011 and 2012. I started these socks in January 2013 ... And have only just finished one of the pair and cast on the second.
By contrast two days ago I cast on a new sock project, and already I am quarter done. This one is also my favorite sock yarn, but not in a colour I like to wear (- soft peachy orange), not knit for me (which is always less exciting), and in a simillar pattern, except toe up. I'd like to thin the speedy progress is due to the trill of the new - but there is something else at play here. Something I am trying to articulate and understand. Again this sock is a twelve round repeat and its easy to read the pattern in the knitting. The same needles, and yet my enthusiasm is much much stronger.
The other wock is Youturn, by Vintage Purls, part of a most recent sock yarn club kit. This is the progress in three short evenings, and for this sock I am working old school, using a magnetic chart keeper, as the pattern is paper not digital. I know I could request a digital version from the designer ... But the paper is cool. The frog pond sock is being worked digitally ..something I usually do, using KnitCompanion, I'd have to say that it's as easy and straightworward as paper and chart hold. You turn was designed to be knit in the bright pink yarn provided in the kit, but i couldn't help wonder what it would look like in soft orange.
One is knit cuff done, one toe up, but I'm not sure that has influenced me on the knitting, Ode to frog pond has a fairly traditional flap and gusset heel, whist you turn has a rather neat heel cup that looks like it is formed by decreases that converge. That maybe it, I am looking forward to working the heel.
I'm going to keep thinking on this, and my challenge is to finish Ode to frog pond before I finish You turn. Maybe you can help ... What makes some projects a joy to knit and fly of the needles, while others that seem outwardly the same lag and drag?
Na stella

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hard to say, but from the pictures it seems to me that the orange sock has a much more engaging pattern: "One big triangle done... one little ringlet done ... one more triangle done ...", where the blue ones seem, well, more of around and around and less interesting (although hard to see from the picture.)

Also, it may just be me, but I started my first project using only a digital pattern (because I was on vacation and didn't have access to a printer.) As soon as I got home I printed it out and felt a wave of relief come over me. I didn't even realize that the digital thing was stressing me, but having that paper and pencil in front of me was SO MUCH more satisfying.