Pencil Socks are Sharpened
After many swatches and false starts the Purls and Postulate Make Your Mark Sock Kit are complete. These socks gave me the most trouble getting gauge ever. I tried all sizes between US0 and US3. Swatch after swatch was knit on 9 inch circulars and magic loop (I do not like DPNs and never use them). I finally settled on using the 9 inch circular size US1 for the cuff switching to a US2 (these were actually the needles called for in the original pattern). Once I was working toward the bottom of the sock I switched to magic loop.
I used to be an exclusive toe up knitter. I was never all that happy with my cuff bind offs, but I was even worse at kitchener stitch. It always looked so wonky. Once I read in Kate Atherley's custom sock book that she does not kitchener her toes I rethought my sock knitting.
I was also influenced by the Crazy Sock Lady who uses 9 inch circulars. The first sock took a little time to get used to a different knitting feel but I love my 9 inch needles now. I truly believe it makes me a faster knitter (just let me live here with all my knitting dreams and illusions LOL). Often times I would get a dreaded seam-like line in a sock where I was using the magic loop (This is also the reason why DPNs are not liked. I would make enough ladders to be able to climb up to the 25th story of any building LOL). I would have to remember to change where I began and ended each magic loop row to eliminate this mark. The 9 inch settles all those issues. I can usually switch to magic loop when I get near the toe.
Anywoo, the pattern is the kit was a toe up pattern. I tried and tried, but have now discovered I really do not enjoy the toe up socks. I am now a cuff down sock knitter!
After a few more false starts on the toe up I reverse engineered the socks to be cuff down. The original pattern had an afterthought heel. I have knit a few after thought heels, enough to know they do not fit my foot. I much prefer a Dutch Heel so I also ignored the pattern directions for an after thought and put in my favorite heel.
The little strings you see are the ends. I like to block my socks before I weave in the ends. This means if I do not like the blocking I can frog a portion and reknit if needed.
They do look like a pencil, which I think is super cute.
The kit is an excellent price and value. I used all but about 5 grams of the yellow. I do have about 5-7 grams left from each 10 gram skein of the other colors. Those "leftovers" will not go to waste, but will most likely be knit into my long term shawl project.
I also am not sure why whenever I photograph socks they look like they were knit for a giant! I swear I do not have abnormally large feet and usually knit a size medium or circumference 8-9 on all my socks.