I am on about row 35 row of the foot portion of #2 Cotton Candy Sock. I am on a mission.
I will finish these socks!
I was about to frog sock #1 last week some time. The sock was sort of in hibernation mode. Not getting much attention from me. Sitting there making my knitting area in the living room look cluttered. I was getting the notion that if I toss a project aside because I lose interest or I am not satisfied with how a particular yarn is knitting up in a particular project or pattern... well, then I should just frog it and find a new project for the yarn. My new mantra "Finish it or Frog it!"
But before I ripped out all of my work (I was just an inch or so away from starting the decreases for the toe on sock #1), I tried on the sock. It fit like a dream. What was I thinking? These socks rock!
Now, as I knit away on sock #2 determined to finish some time soon, my mind is wandering. Funny thoughts enter into my head. For example, if my feet were not so darn big, I would finish these socks much more quickly. One thought leads to another... it reminds me of a thought I had in an exercise class years ago... push-ups are so hard for me, but they would not be so hard if I did not weigh so much. Funny how the mind wanders. Then my mind drifts off to the other sock yarn I have in my stash. What socks will I make next? It seems that as soon as I finish one pair of socks, I want to cast on another. Something about making socks is just so darn cool. They are so useful and you feel so clever after completing a pair... look what I did!
For these socks, I am using a pattern called Silky Soft Socks by Deborah Norville (apparently she is affiliated with www.premieryarns.com). Did she used to be on "Good Morning America" or something like that and now she endorses a line of yarn... much like Vanna White and her line of Lion Brand Yarn? I am not sure. (Apparently my mind wander while I knit and while I type blog posts). Whatever the case may be, this is the first time I've gotten a nice fitting pair of socks in stockinette stitch. I often make socks in a ribbed pattern so they fit better. I am thinking I will really like this pair of socks. The yarn I am using is Lion Brand Sock Ease Yarn (finished with Aloe Vera... according to the label I just now noticed) and the color way is "Cotton Candy". The yarn was originally purchased to make some Baby Bright Tights from my "Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders" book. I bought the yarn impulsively along with the necessary needles at my local yarn shop because the Cotton Candy yarn was the exact same yarn used in the photo in the book for the Baby Bright Tights. Ummm, what was I thinking? I don't need pink wool baby pants. I frogged the baby pants and tried to make a baby sweater (from the same book) but the yarn pooled in unattractive ways so that effort was frogged as well. Hence these socks. So as I am knitting away, I am doing math in my head and I was flabbergasted to realize that each of these socks contains well over 10,000 stitches. See, I told you my mind wanders when I am knitting. Now I do struggle with math so I got out pen and paper and a calculator.
Cuff and Leg (worked over 64 stitches per round)
65 rounds x 64 stitches per round = 4160 stitches
Foot (after gusset decreases and before toe decreases)
55 rounds x 64 stitches per round = 3520 stitches
Heel Flap (worked over 32 stitches)
32 stitches x 31 rows = 992
Gusset decrease rounds (rounds start with 96 stitches per round but decrease to 64 stitches per round)
16 rounds (rounds start at 96 stitches per round and then decrease by two stitches every other round until you have 64 stitches per found)... total... 2624 stitches (can you smell smoke, this took a lot of figuring... my brain hurts)
4,160 + 3,520 + 992 + 2,624
Drummmmm roollll, Puuuhhhhlllllleeeezzeee!
That's 11,296 stitches not including the heel turn and toe. And that's just for ONE sock.
So if I make you a pair of socks, I must really love you! That reminds me, I have some yarn which might be good for my son. Oh my! He has really big feet.
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