Yesterday started out looking like a lost cause in terms of getting on with my own projects, there was much business and a constant influx and outflux of contractors discussing plans, delays, new plans, and start dates. By about 1 PM I had everyone out of the house, including the masons I had expected this week, but will who will now becoming in another two to three weeks, when the weather is warmer and they can break through the roof.
After a week of constantly interlacing my own projects with interruptions, demands, and expectations of others I was ready to embrace the peace and quiet. I brewed a pot of coffee, put on some music, and sat, alone except for the cat, knitting away on Rogue. What relief.
I only got about 2 hours of knitting before the demands of "real life" filtered through to my consciousness but they were 2 hours well spent. I am now about half way through the hood, finished with the increase rows but not yet to the decrease rows. It was good that I spent that time knitting, good for my peace of mind anyway as well as progress on Rogue, as knitting group was somehow more of a distraction this week than a relief and I kept loosing track of my cables and my position in the chart, despite good records and row counts. I think it may have been because our normal seating arrangement was somehow upset and I ended up sitting by the loudest and most talkative member of the group, we are usually on opposite ends of the table, but it was more likely that my brain was just addled, despite my earlier respite, and my mind was more easily swayed.
I gave up on Rogue near the end and picked up the pink sock instead. I was near the end and finished the leg of the sock, just before the picot edge, before group ended.
I was determined to finish the sock last night and did manage, after dinner and clean-up duty, finishing up about 11:30, just in time for a little pre-bed relaxation therapy outside in the hot-tub.
Here is the sock in the light of day. In the end, I went back to plain stockinette, right side (knit side) out.
I love the short-row heel; this or the after-thought heel will probably be my standard techniques as I am finding them very adaptable for fitting my narrow heels. I also like the picot edge, which might be easier as a starting point than an ending point. I suppose it is a question of sewing the hem down or picking up and the cast on row and knitting continuously. They are equivalent in my mind. The jury is still out on toe-up v. top-down but I think I could go either way; the initial cast-on seemed fiddly, but it will probably get easier with time. I don't see how they go faster or slower or any difference in the knitting either direction. I seem to like the leg about the same length as the actual fooot between toe and heel.
So, I have learned that I don't mind plain old stockinette socks, stockinette is very relaxing and calming, and there are times when my fngers want to work and let my brain take a rest. Short-row or afterthought heels and picot edge seem to be givens. I really don't like ribbed tops on socks, and I don't like particularly long socks, I like them to end just about two inches above my ankle bone, right at the narrowest part of my leg. Socks with ribbed cuffs must be long enough to fold down, probably dorky of me, but I always liked ribbed cuffs folded over and doubled.
Technically the pink sock is a trifle too long. I forgot to include the 5 rows of stockinette I added to the picot edge in my total row count, knitting to the desired length before adding the hem stitches. This can be easily remedied in the future. I suspect I would like a slightly thicker edge too, perhaps 7 rows instead of 5.
