Padded Footlets

Finally finished a sock-- I have so many on the needles right now. This is just the first of the pair but it took a while to get comfortable with the pattern so I think the second one will go much faster. I am not sure that I will use this pattern again-- it seems like a lot of work for what doesn't seem to be that great a benefit (a double stranded sole). If I really wanted a thicker sole I think I might use the re-soleable pattern and just hold 2 strands together (or a thicker yarn) for the sole. But overall I'm happy with how the sock turned out. I love how sporty it looks w/o a leg. and the lace pattern is very nice-- simple but pretty. The yarn is Footprints from The Painted Sheep (my handpainted yarn company) in the color "Beach Sunrise"

Padded Footlets

Tonight I finally cast on for the Padded Footlets, a pattern I have been wanting to make since I got the book. I have already made a couple of pairs of the Re-Soleable socks, and the Embossed Leaves. This pattern looks so...different. I am interested to see how it works. I am using some of my own handpainted sock yarn, in colorway "Beach Sunrise."
My blog is lbullins.blogspot.com, my knitting website is lbullins.googlepages.com and my handpainted yarn can be seen and bought at paintedsheepyarn.com

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.