Meets and Crosses ... or Just Meets
I still haven't started on my second Ornette sock, but I had a chance to test knit another pattern, so I jumped at it. Oh, by the way, the Ornette pattern is now available -- it's a gorgeous sock, and I'm looking forward to seeing lots more of them out there, besides, you know, another one of mine. :-)
I really should stop knitting with red yarn. It's just about impossible to capture the colour correctly and it throws my cheap little camera into spasms. This is Socks that Rock, Mustang Sally, light weight. I apologize for the craptastic photos. I've tried adjusting the colour a smidge, and that helps, but when I download them into the blog, they seem to look worse again. Sigh.
So, the test pattern. It's really just a basic ribbed sock ... well, sort of.
Two bands of stockinette, delineated by cables, head out from the top front and wind their way down and around.
They meet again in the back at the top of the heel flap, which is ribbed. Meanwhile, four bands of stockinette, delineated with cables, start from a slightly later point at the back of the leg and wind their way around to the front.
When they meet on the side of the leg, they have a little party.
The bands from the back carry on around past the ankle.
... and meet again in the front. The lower one meets itself, but the upper one bounces back off and heads out again, ricochets against the sides of the sole and heads back towards the middle again, where it finally meets itself, just in time for the toe.
Very, very cool. The pattern is called Meets and Crosses, and should be available soon. Luckily, Bea, the designer of these beauties, has some much better and clearer pictures.
There is also a lace version of this pattern that uses YOs and decreases to demarcate the travelling bands instead of cables. Monika test-knit that one, and her picture of red socks is lovely. Sigh.
The astute and observant among you may have noticed that there is no toe on these socks. I assure you that the pattern does indeed call for a toe. These particular socks, however, will not only remain without a toe but will be ripped.
First, it bugs me that I didn't notice there was pooling in the gusset which resulted in that light coloured bit right in the middle of the motif that is right in the middle of the instep that is right in the middle of all the action. It obscures the pattern. If I had noticed it as I was knitting, I would have yanked out a piece of yarn to move the colours along.
Second, and more egregious than that, though, is the fact that although the pattern clearly states the gauge is to be 8 sts/in, I somehow managed to merrily knit away at 9 sts/in, and although the sock looks wonderful on the foot, getting it there is ... an adventure.
Karma? Bad mojo? Just meets? I think my second Ornette has exacted his revenge.
43 people had something to say:
Meets and Crosses is a great sock!!! can't wait for her to publish it. I like it in the red. its very interesting, but not over the top.
Oh that's marvelous!! Mustang Sally is a great color for the pattern. Thanks for the preview and introduction to the designer. I can't wait for it to be published! : )
Nifty! How'd you get so lucky as to be testing these cool patterns?
I have a skien of STR Mustang Sally too. It's so gorgeous, I haven't knit it. No pattern or project has yet been worthy.
Very interesting pattern ... would love to see how it comes out.
I have the Mustang Sally colourway in my stash too ... it is indeed a difficult colour to capture. :)
Happy July 4th and wonderful weekend.
Fabulous sock! And I have to say a big thank you for helping me make a choice. I have been umming and aahhing over which red STR to buy and that was top of my list. It's perfect. I think your photos mustn't be so bad because they've convinced me to buy it!
Superspectacular pattern (and the knitting is pretty good too :) )
I too am stuck on red yarn. I counted nine different colors of red lace yarn and twelve different colors of red sock yarn. I just love red, what can I say?
Wow. Those socks are so awesome that I'm feeling a little lightheaded. :)
That is one seriously fantastic sock design!
WooT!
The sock design is really delightful, I think you are a bit too hard on yourself inregards to your photos. I have a large monitor and the details stand out well. I wish you were close enough so that I could take a few lessons from you, but the drive from Southern California to Canada is a little far. You are an inspiration!
Those socks are fab, even if your camera is misbehaving. Don't you just hate that, when someone else can take perfectly good, clear pics and yours just aren't what you are striving for? I hate that.
Ang
Reds are hard to shoot no matter how good your camera, trust me! I think you did a fine job capturing the yarn colour, and wow is that sock gorgeous!
That is a cool pattern! Have a great 4th!
Whoa! That is an interesting sock for sure! I love it, but yikes, not sure i could knit it! Love the Mustang Sally too!
I had the same problem photographing red today - impossible, I tell ya!
You, on the other hand, seem to have captured the colour perfectly. Well done on the photography ad knitting.
We are so critical of ourselves aren't we? Well, thank you for sharing before you yanked it all out.
Aah, so much work for nothing! The yarn looks lovely, and I like the pattern too. I hate pooling! I didn't even look at the gauge with mine. Red is really hard to photograph.
That looks like one highly entertaining sock pattern.
That sock yarn, that colour, that pattern......
*SWOON*
It's a great sock! Too bad you have to rip it, though. :(
That is probably of my favorite colors of STR. What a cool pattern! Too bad about the mishaps.
I'm also having trouble photographing pink yarn, which I am making many small things from for a friend. But I, too, love knitting in red. And since much of my clothing is red, red socks are fine accompaniments.
That is a lovely sock design--I have been using wandering stockinettes in some of my socks too, and it's fun. I hope to knit that pattern when it's available!
Such a shame that the yarn was thwarting your sock-age. It does look like a great pattern!
Ok you see craptastic pictures, I see fantastic yarn!!! OOOH I love that color! And the sock is gorgeous as well. I didn't even notice that pooling part until you mentioned it. And even then it's not that bad. Either way, it a great sock.
Those look great, sorry they have to be frogged. I just swatched a lace pattern with my Mustang Sally. Red is my favorite color, but I have to say that I don't like the light pooling in this one.
Thought I recognized that yarn. The sock is gorgeous. I made the winters Eve per club instructions. I'm surprised that you encountered pooling.
I LOVE Mustang Sally. I'm getting close to it now. It's the last color in my Charlotte's Web Shawl. It's gorgeous. It's the perfect STR color for a pattern like this. You can really see what's going on. And as for your gauge problem, I'd blame the yarn. STR Lightweight likes the 9spi range.
great sock.
drat about the pooling. that happens so often with semi-solids.. ugh...
yet hats off to you for the re-knit.
It's a fabulous pattern.
and I love the analogy of the cables meeting up and having a party. You crack me up :-)
That is a beautiful pattern. I did not notice the pooling in your photos, but if it is too small you'll be happy in the long run that you've reknit.
that sock looks fabulous! i love the color and how it compliments the design.
thanks for the heads up on odette!
Interesting pattern ~ on Bea's site the finished sock sort gives the illusion of a slipper with criss-cross straps going up the leg. Pooling issues are so frustrating! Grrr...
Only super obvious pooling bugs me, not that subtle darker ankle, but I just can't stand tight socks. Bea made a great pattern! I'll be keeping my eye out for that one to be available!
What pooling? I can't see any pooling? Shame you have to rip it out as it looks fantastic, but I know you won't be happy with it if you leave it with "perceived" pooling. ;o) It would bug me too. :o))
Gorgeous sock!
Wow, that's a great looking sock!
LOVE the pattern, but that yarn? Well...It's calling MY NAME!
(teehee!)
(((Hugs)))
I love these!!!! And red is a favourite colour too, shame about the pooling not suiting, I love a bit of pooling.......usually :)
I have my Ornette pattern, just have to finish a couple of other socks first :)
Love the socks! Those cable crossings look tres cool ;o)
Awesome sock! I thought your red looked very nice - Cherry and Cheery
Gauge problems or no, you make the most beautiful socks... nice work, Dave.
But if you stopped knitting red yarn, you would not have red knits to wear, and that would be a little sad. I like this pattern, in the red yarn.
Color, gauge and pooling? Clearly revenge of Ornette.
But it looked fabulous.
I love this pattern! Gorgeous socks!
Nydelig!
LOL I've made "adventurous" socks like that too, occasionally.
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