Tuesday, June 5, 2007

The Padded Footlets are not excited.



Is anyone else making the Padded Footlets?
Anyone?
Because my footlets are killing me. As in, I think they're about to commit mutiny, jump ship, and run away with a busty lass.

I love these socks. I do. A lot. A whole whole lot, otherwise I wouldn't be driving myself mad to try and make them work.
But the designer and I do not see eye-to-eye on those whole sizing and gauge issue. I get gauge--as in, what the ball band says--with my yarn, but I do not have her gauge. So the needles are changed. And I seem to have fat feet, which surprises me a little bit because I seem to be pretty much right on the average size in the US. Not skinny, not huge. Just sort of normal.



But yeah, 58 stitches to fit around a foot? Who are we knitting for? Tinkerbelle? No.
I refuse to knit another pair of disastrous socks this year. (Why yes, I do have a pair of hand-knit socks that is only good for use as sock puppets. Why do you ask?)

I'm glad these socks are beautiful, because the yarn wrangling and the resizing and the crap has been trying.
Am I the only one fighting to get myself a pair of these?

Also, I hope I haven't scared you off the pattern! They just aren't for the faint of heart or head. They're not summer carry-along socks (because they require two balls on the sole) nor are they mindless knitting (because there are charts and tricks), but they are worthwhile.

My yarn choice is also interesting. I was having trouble finding a solid colored yarn in the correct weight that wasn't superwash so I had to do something that betrays my principles. I bought Knit Picks yarn. (There is a larger reason behind this, but I prefer not to bombard you with it.) I got two balls of Palette in a darker blue and one in a lighter blue to give this a go, because I'd like the soles to felt a little with wear. I think that would make these socks all the nicer and much more cushy as they wear, plus that would make the soles more durable.

Also, the jumping ship and running off thing I mentioned above? Not kidding. I grabbed them before they hit the door, but still. I've got my eye on them in the time out corner.

5 comments:

Kristy said...

What size needle are you using? Could you go up a size? It might not get you gauge, but it might also fit :) Good luck!

Knit-Wit said...

My daughter wants me to make these for her, but I'm still a 'newbie' in the sock world (I'm on my sixth pair of socks) and am a little intimidated. Keep us posted on how these go (as in work up or jump ship).

AuntieAnn said...

Hmm, I have used 58 st. to make myself a sock, and I have medium feet. But I like a good bit of negative ease in my socks for a snug fit. I'm not sure I could get the pattern gauge with a 0 -- maybe a 2.

Suzanne said...

I'm using size 1us needles, and I increased to 64 stitches instead. If I went up any more in needle size, the socks would be a little too holey, if you know what I mean.

My own mental sock formula is 64 stitches around the foot- same as Wendy of Wendy Knits. I figure I can't be the only person, either.

Laura said...

I was excited to hear that they turned out small for you-- that means I might not have to size the pattern down! I have tiny feet so I often have to size down patterns...Plus I'm a loose knitter so things tend to end up huge.

Laura