Sometimes Two Inches is Better than Twelve

No, really. Size does matter – and when it’s a case of having started a sweater and making a horrifying gauge error, it’s a whole lot better to stop and check the circumference of said sweater after 2″ of work rather than waiting until you’ve given it a full foot’s worth of time and energy.

It’s big, this sweater-that-won’t. Big enough for me and my three closest friends, and let’s bear in mind that one of those close friends is approximately 57 weeks pregnant. It’s at least 65″ in circumference. Whoops.

So I’ll be frogging that and finding something else to do with the yarn. Still love the yarn, still love the pattern, but the two should not be forced together.

In other knitting news, I finished a baby blanket, which leaves me with two more new babies for whom to create something before the summer is over. Happily, babies are small and cute, and therefore knitting for them is quick and satisfying.

Pinwheel baby blanket, knit with Sugar ‘n’ Creme cotton yarn on KnitPicks Options size… 8? I think? Maybe 6.

I also made some simple ribbed socks from KnitPicks Felici yarn. They’re a touch big, but knitted on size-0 needles with 80 stitches in the round – I was willing to accept the extra room rather than ripping back. Knitted toe-up on DPNs… might as well copy the pattern here in case someone’s looking for a simple toe-up sock pattern, I suppose.

Ribs and Stripes

Materials
Knit Picks Felici, 2 balls
Set of 5 double-pointed needles, size 0 – adjust as needed to get gauge
Darning needle

Gauge
8 sts/inch in St st in the round

Directions
Toe
CO 7.
Turn and pick up 5 through “purl bumps” – 12 sts total – rearrange to 3 sts per needle on 4 needles.
Don’t turn; k around:
Round 1:
Needle 1: k1, m1, k to end
Needle 2: k to 1 from end, m1, k1
Needle 3: k1, m1, k to end
Needle 4: k to 1 from end, m1, k1

Repeat until 12 sts per needle, then alternate
Round 1: as above
Round 2: k around even

Repeat until 20 sts per needle – 80 sts total

Foot
Needles 1 and 2: instep: k2 p2 rib (p2 k2 on other foot)
Needles 3 and 4: sole: k acros

Work even until 5 1/2″ from cast on.

Gusset increase
Needles 1 and 2: continue in ribbing
Needle 3: k1, m1, k to end
Needle 4: k to 1 from end, m1, k1

Repeat gusset increase every round until 36 sts on each Needle 3 and 4. Continue ribbing across Needles 1 and 2.

Turn heel
Move all sts from 3 and 4 onto one needle.
Row 1: K 39, ssk, k1, turn
Row 2: sl1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3: k to 1 before gap, ssk, k1, turn
Row 4: p to one before gap, p2tog, p1, turn

Repeat Rows 3&4 until all sts used: 40 sts remain.

Honeycomb heel flap
Needles 1 and 2: continue ribbing
Needle 3 (40 sts):
Round 1: (sl1, k1) across
Round 2: k across
Round 3: sl 1, (sl1, k1) to one from end, k1
Round 4: k across

Repeat until heel flap is 2 1/2 – 3″ long.

Leg
Return to 4 needles (20 each on needles 3 and 4), k2p2 ribbing across all. Continue as long as desired.

Finishing
Weave in ends.
You can block; some people do. I just put ’em on and wear ’em. And having tried it myself, I can say that this yarn can safely go through a washer and dryer cycle just like normal clothes, with very slight matting but no significant changes or problems.&