FO: The Socks from Hell

Well, last week I couldn't get online for 6 days due to
a foulup by Verizon. (The idjits cut off entire phone
exchanges from incoming calls from my exchange, which
included my dialup numbers!).

Since I couldn't read email, news, or check websites, I
used the time to finally finish knitting the Socks from
Hell..aka the Clocked Socks from the Folk Socks book.

After all of the agony and frogging and cussing they're
finally done...and they DON'T FIT!!!

The socks are too *narrow* for my feet. I can get 'em
on, but they are *tight*! Dunno what they'll be like
after they're washed, but I doubt bigger will be an
option.

I'm really wondering about the sizing of the other socks
in the book. Yes, I can make them long enough, but how
can you check for width while they're still on the needles.

BTW the pattern was for men's socks done in sport wool
on size 1 needles. The designer said to make them for
women, go down a size needle. So I knit them on size 0s.
Sorry, but considering the puny size of these things, ain't
no way going up one needle size would make them large
enough for a man...unless he has banana feet!

Enough of my misery. I'm already onto another project.
This time I'm doing more dog sweaters as Christmas
presents for a friend's poochies. At least I won't get
any backtalk from the poochies about wrong color, style,
etc. lol

Nyssa, who wonders if she'll be brave enough to try another
pattern from Folk Socks before the end of the decade

Hi Nyssa,

What a bummer not to have them fit after using a size 0 needle. I can't
begin to imagine knitting on that size. I do remember my Mom using size
2 dpn's and I thought those were small enough.

True the dogs won't give you any grief on color and style, just give
you some nice kisses.

Hugs,

Nora

In article ,
Nyssa wrote:

the Socks from Hell.. aka
the Clocked Socks from the Folk Socks book.

After all of the agony and frogging and cussing they're
finally done...and they DON'T FIT!!!

The socks are too *narrow* for my feet. I can get 'em
on, but they are *tight*! Dunno what they'll be like
after they're washed, but I doubt bigger will be an
option.

I'm really wondering about the sizing of the other socks
in the book. Yes, I can make them long enough, but how
can you check for width while they're still on the needles.

I've read that some people put the stitches on waste yarn
in order to try them on. Others use circulars for that.

Years ago on a spinning list someone said that the
"Mameluke" sock from Folk Socks, knit as directed, was
big enough around but the foot was only long enough for
her five-year-old son. Yet that pattern does say to make
that sock foot a total of 8 3/4 inches long, which should
fit me. Well, some kids have long feet. I know a tiny
lady who has surprisingly long thin feet.

The pattern for Stockings with Clocks says to cast on 88 sts,
and knit at 15 sts/2in, or 7 1/2 sts/inch. That would be
just under 12 inches around, unstretched.

I just checked some socks I knitted at about 7 1/2 sts/inch,
using Regia wool sock yarn, and they have 64 stitches around.
They fit me. I am not thin. Could it be that you used
a yarn that has very little stretch to it? Or maybe
knitting very tightly and the yarn lost its stretchiness?

snip
Enough of my misery. I'm already onto another project.
This time I'm doing more dog sweaters as Christmas
presents for a friend's poochies. At least I won't get
any backtalk from the poochies about wrong color, style,
etc. lol

And the patterns ought to be the right size, or at least
less finicky.

Nyssa, who wonders if she'll be brave enough to try another
pattern from Folk Socks before the end of the decade

I think it's yet another case of swatch and check the
pattern against your gauge, to be sure that _that_ many
stitches will fit around _your_ foot. Also check the
length.

=Tamar

Geez...what a disappointment and after all that work and aggravation
too....I have the opposite problem when I make socks, they're too big
around my foot and ankle. I've had to go down a needle size or two
when I make mine. Have to hand it to you though, you're brave to do
that sock pattern!
Marie and the cats

On 04 Oct 2005 10:14:13 EDT, Nyssa spewed forth
:

Hell..aka the Clocked Socks from the Folk Socks book.

After all of the agony and frogging and cussing they're
finally done...and they DON'T FIT!!!

The socks are too *narrow* for my feet. I can get 'em
on, but they are *tight*! Dunno what they'll be like
after they're washed, but I doubt bigger will be an
option.

Did you check your gauge? Most of the socks in Folk Socks will fit me
with some adjustment for length, in circumference a few are too roomy.


I'm really wondering about the sizing of the other socks
in the book.

Why wonder? Each pattern tells you the gauge at which to knit and the
number of stitches on which to work. Make a swatch, match the gauge,
do the math to figure out how big the sock will be.

Yes, I can make them long enough, but how
can you check for width while they're still on the needles.

GAUGE. Measure your foot, check your gauge, do the math.


BTW the pattern was for men's socks done in sport wool
on size 1 needles. The designer said to make them for
women, go down a size needle. So I knit them on size 0s.

Did you check your GAUGE? Chances are you'd have been fine on size 1
needles if you matched the GAUGE.

Sorry, but considering the puny size of these things, ain't
no way going up one needle size would make them large
enough for a man...unless he has banana feet!

Or unless you were knitting at a smaller GAUGE?

Wooly
Who likes to harp about GAUGE, obviously

PS -- those socks will fit somebody

+++++++++++++

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET.
This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%.
Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

Wooly wrote:

On 04 Oct 2005 10:14:13 EDT, Nyssa spewed forth
:

Hell..aka the Clocked Socks from the Folk Socks book.

After all of the agony and frogging and cussing they're
finally done...and they DON'T FIT!!!

The socks are too *narrow* for my feet. I can get 'em
on, but they are *tight*! Dunno what they'll be like
after they're washed, but I doubt bigger will be an
option.

Did you check your gauge? Most of the socks in Folk Socks will fit me
with some adjustment for length, in circumference a few are too roomy.


I'm really wondering about the sizing of the other socks
in the book.

Why wonder? Each pattern tells you the gauge at which to knit and the
number of stitches on which to work. Make a swatch, match the gauge,
do the math to figure out how big the sock will be.

Yes, I can make them long enough, but how
can you check for width while they're still on the needles.

GAUGE. Measure your foot, check your gauge, do the math.


BTW the pattern was for men's socks done in sport wool
on size 1 needles. The designer said to make them for
women, go down a size needle. So I knit them on size 0s.

Did you check your GAUGE? Chances are you'd have been fine on size 1
needles if you matched the GAUGE.

Sorry, but considering the puny size of these things, ain't
no way going up one needle size would make them large
enough for a man...unless he has banana feet!

Or unless you were knitting at a smaller GAUGE?

Wooly
Who likes to harp about GAUGE, obviously

PS -- those socks will fit somebody

Nobody that I know. I'm the only person I know who
prefers knee socks, which these are.

BTW no GAUGE was given for the down-a-needle-size version.

And yes, if a GAUGE is given, I do a test swatch and
adjust needle size as necessary.

I think the biggest problem with these socks is the
combination of sport weight yarn that the pattern calls
for with the tiny sized needles. It makes a nice looking
fabric, but it has absolutely *no* "give" to it. Most
socks will have some stretch to them to fit snugly, but
comfortably.

And IMO even doing them on size 1 needles wouldn't have
made that much of a difference in stretch or fit to
matter. Possibly using fingering weight yarn is the
answer, but I'm in no hurry to do another pair of these.

My round foot just don't fit in 'em!

Nyssa, who wonders why Wooly keeps shouting GAUGE like
she's hard of hearing lol

On 09 Oct 2005 10:02:11 EDT, Nyssa spewed forth
:
Hell..aka the Clocked Socks from the Folk Socks book.

After all of the agony and frogging and cussing they're
finally done...and they DON'T FIT!!!

The socks are too *narrow* for my feet. I can get 'em
on, but they are *tight*! Dunno what they'll be like
after they're washed, but I doubt bigger will be an
option.

Did you check your gauge? Most of the socks in Folk Socks will fit me
with some adjustment for length, in circumference a few are too roomy.


I'm really wondering about the sizing of the other socks
in the book.

Why wonder? Each pattern tells you the gauge at which to knit and the
number of stitches on which to work. Make a swatch, match the gauge,
do the math to figure out how big the sock will be.

Yes, I can make them long enough, but how
can you check for width while they're still on the needles.

GAUGE. Measure your foot, check your gauge, do the math.


BTW the pattern was for men's socks done in sport wool
on size 1 needles. The designer said to make them for
women, go down a size needle. So I knit them on size 0s.

Did you check your GAUGE? Chances are you'd have been fine on size 1
needles if you matched the GAUGE.

Sorry, but considering the puny size of these things, ain't
no way going up one needle size would make them large
enough for a man...unless he has banana feet!

Or unless you were knitting at a smaller GAUGE?

Wooly
Who likes to harp about GAUGE, obviously

PS -- those socks will fit somebody

Nobody that I know. I'm the only person I know who
prefers knee socks, which these are.

Oh, they'll fit somebody. You know a skinny little teengirl who'll
wear them...


BTW no GAUGE was given for the down-a-needle-size version.

No - but its given for the original pattern. Per my math the cast-on
edge of the cuff is 11.75" in diameter, decreasing to a tad over 9"
after the shaping and maintaining that diameter through the foot to
the beginning of the toe shaping.

So a smart knitter will measure the intended wearer at the height at
which the sock is advertised to ride on the calf as well as measuring
that same intended's foot diameter. Armed with this information and
the required gauge from the pattern one can then adjust the pattern as
required to fit the foot as presented for covering.

And yes, if a GAUGE is given, I do a test swatch and
adjust needle size as necessary.

Did you swatch in the round or did you swatch back-and-forth? The
easiest way to do that for socks is to just start the sock. Most
people knit at a different gauge when knitting flat stockinette than
they do when knitting circular stockinette. Some knit more tightly,
some knit more loosely, but I don't belive I know *anyone* who can
accomplish the same gauge flat and in the round using same yarn and
same-size needles for both swatches.


I think the biggest problem with these socks is the
combination of sport weight yarn that the pattern calls
for with the tiny sized needles. It makes a nice looking
fabric, but it has absolutely *no* "give" to it. Most
socks will have some stretch to them to fit snugly, but
comfortably.

I'd take issue with that statement. I made the socks to gauge, using
the specified yarn though I don't recall the needle I used to achieve
the specified gauge. Until my accident last summer I was a tight
knitter and typically had to go up two, sometimes three needle sizes
to make gauge. Now I'm a loose woman, but that's a different subject
for a different thread.

At any rate. The socks I made fit the intended wearer - a friend of
mine who has about 4" height on me but who can wear my shoes as if
they were made for her. The socks are not unstretchy, they're not
air-conditioned. They're just socks, well-knitted and with
well-darned heels because they are much-loved by the wearer and worn
often.


And IMO even doing them on size 1 needles wouldn't have
made that much of a difference in stretch or fit to
matter. Possibly using fingering weight yarn is the
answer, but I'm in no hurry to do another pair of these.

I'll submit then that you were not knitting to gauge but were probably
knitting tighter in the round than your (inferred) flat swatch said
you would. Using a finer yarn is one approach to fixing the "problem"
but an alternative method is to go up a needle size, or even two. It
sounds as if you were knitting quite tightly and haven't yet bothered
to measure gauge on the knitted socks. Doing so will tell you volumes
about your knitting


My round foot just don't fit in 'em!

Or possibly you have wider feet than the pattern-as-written will
accomodate. Whatever the case you should measure, work a circular
swatch for gauge, then do the math. The clocked socks are
particularly easy to adjust for fit, as the "pattern" is 80%
stockinette with a bit of knit-purl texture running down each side.


Nyssa, who wonders why Wooly keeps shouting GAUGE like
she's hard of hearing lol

Because I take Elizabeth Zimmerman's and Maggie Righetti's view of
GAUGE - a knitter isn't a knitter unless she understands GAUGE and
knows how to make it work. Without a good working knowledge of gauge
you'll always be trying to "find somebody it'll fit"...unless you
stick to afghans


+++++++++++++

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET.
This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%.
Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...