Okay, I'm about 1/2 inch from the dreaded turning of the heel, but tonight I noticed a problem. This is the first piece I've done entirely on DPN's - everything else was circulars until I needed to decrease. Apparently I'm not pulling the yarn tightly enough when I cross needles because there is a noticeably wider stitch at the corners. Ugh! Will this even out with stretching/blocking, or am I sunk?
I get those little differences, and if it's big enough to bother me, I'll go over it with the tip of a needle and tug a little yarn over to the next stitch, and on along the row until, after three or four stitches' worth, the extra yarn is absorbed. It's a nuisance to do it for row after row, but it beats reknitting the whole thing (especially since I'd get the same problem again). I try to remember to do it every so often during the knitting.
I actually get them worse when I try using circulars, but that's because I really yank the first two stitches on dpns.
Is it wool? It may block out if it's only a little difference.
Elizabeth Zimmermann pointed out that many of her handknits were a lot rougher looking when new than after a few years of being worn and washed. Knitting tends to even out over time.
If the sock isn't going to be worn at full stretch, it isn't likely to show a whole lot. Use the ten-yard rule: if it isn't the first thing you notice from ten yards away, it's okay. ;-)
Galloping horse rule of assessing the degree of errors in knitting: If I ride past you on a galloping horse while you're sitting in a chair, will you see the error?
Corollary of the galloping horse rule: If the horse doesn't see the errors as it gallops past the laundry line, the knitting passes.
Wooly's version of the Galloping Horse Rule: If you're close enough to me to see an error in a knitted item I am wearing on my person I will probably be justified the degree of force I use to remove you from my space.
The impolite version of that is: You're too effing close, step back before I start jabbing you with my pointy sticks.
My husband's version of my version of the galloping horse rule: If anyone is close enough to me to see errors in a knitted item I'm wearing on my person and that person isn't the coroner I'd better have a good explanation.
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Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET.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...
Hiya, Joy. I'm not as experienced as Tamar with socks, but I noticed this "laddering" immediately when I first used dpn's. I practiced a few socks worth till I could work 'em without that happening. I just pull the first stitch on each needle tighter than normal ... and no ladders. :o)
As for fixing it after the fact, I imagine Tamar's recommendation is best. I do think that wool is a lot more "forgiving" than acrylic and will even itself out with time. Acrylic might forever keep the ladders if you can't pull them out with some tugging at the adjacent stitches.
If I were in your place, I'd have a cuppa (and a smoke or two -- yeah, I know -- lousy addiction!!) and decide if I wanted to frog 'em and start over before starting the heel since you're apprehensive about it anyhow. Wouldn't want to do a gorgeous heel and not be happy with the rest of the sock!!!!!!
Smiles, Eve :o)
PS - I have noticed that this laddering is much more noticeable and prevalent with certain patterns, particularly ribbed. The combination of switching from knit to purl coupled with switching needles seems to make the gap that much wider. PPS - Still SO pleased that you're working the socks and "going for" the heel!!! Please don't let this bum you out. Think of it as a learning experience! :o)
My first sock had a K2 P2 rib at the cuff, and I had 15 stitches on each needle. I was starting each needle with a purl and I definitely had ladders. (they don't look so bad now that I've worn them and stretched them a bit.) My second sock I cast on a little more, 16 stitches on each needle, and it was much easier to move from needle to needle.
Joy this happens a lot to many people ,, don`t be worried it mostly washes or pulls away after one wasahing or wearing ,,,, later when you want to avoid this you may move the `cross` over a sytich a 2 while you use dps ,, this way the gap isn`t seen anymore ,, mirjam
It should stretch out after a while. A tip till you become accustomed to using dpns is to knit one stitch from each left-hand needle onto each right-hand needle as you go around. That way you move the "ladder" around too. Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the row if you need to.
Let me add that you don't really have to have the same number of stitches on each needle when doing the cuff. I have read in sock knitting books that it is better to start each needle with a knit stitch. For the socks I'm knitting now, I had 16 stitches on 2 needles and 12 on the other two when doing the K2P2 cuff.
Running socks for summer need extra vents to let the sweat out. There all kinds of fancy lace stitches that will do the same, but your way is faster.
If you are gearing up for cold weather, you will be knitting many socks, (practice, practice, practice), then your hand strength and technique will improve, and then you will have to invoke all those fancy lace stitches to get the same effect.
When my hands are very dry, I find that I need a bit of hand cream to maintain proper tension and produce winter socks with no "vents."
I know I am the freak of the group on this topic, but the right needles really help also. Needles that are too long or too heavy or too slippery make it harder to get uniform tension.
Certainly, different knitters have very different needle preferences. But, by and large better knitters tend to have the right tools for the various kinds of knitting that they do, which does makes getting good results much easier.
I wonder how Wooly would handle it when there are people who not only look for errors, but then they delight in finding them....I find myself unwilling to say what I'm thinking at the time :P
Katherine i have had to work with whatever i got for so many years , that i tottaly am amzed that you have choices ,, When i came to Boston i Stocked on all sizes i never saw here ,,, mirjam
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