This sock has a beautiful central motif reminiscent of a spider when knit in a spiderly color. However when knit in a more flowery color, the motif begins to look like an orchid. My goal is to make the motif look more like an orchid. When I first started raising orchids I purchased this lovely purple Oncidium from an orchid nursery in the Chicago suburbs. Unfortunately, I was still new to orchids at the time and this one didn’t survive. It will be remembered in these socks.

Summary

• Starting weight: 163 grams.

• I’m knitting the socks on 2 circular needles.

• Since the socks don’t have cables, I’ll knit the medium size.

• The cast on isn’t specified, so I’m using the German Twisted Cast On.

• I’m knitting the leg using the US 1.5 (2.5mm) and the foot using the US 1.0 (2.25mm).

• I’ve been told that this yarn is splitty. Given the number of plies, its actually not as bad as I anticipated. It withstood quite a few frogs and re-knits of the cast on and first row with out untwisting the plies.

• Switched to US 1.0 (2.25mm) needles at the start of the third repeat, while still on the leg.

• I’m ribbing the sole with a 2x2 rib.

• I PU&K’d 15 stitches per the pattern directions + 1 stitch to close the gap. I close the gap by picking up a stitch on each side of the gap and then knitting the 2 together tbl.

• My start of round is at the start of the sole.

• My row gauge is 44 rounds/ 4” instead of the specified 48 rounds/ 4”. I’ll have to allow for a little more than the 1 1/4” specified for the toe.

• For toe M1’s I’m going to do M1L and M1R as appropriate to the position of the M1.

• I changed the first 2 rows of the toe chart to include the final 2 center pattern rows from the toe chart (see bottom picture). I stopped the foot with round 22 of the leg chart.

• I changed the toe as follows: 1) add a M1 in the sole of the toe to even out the stitch count; 2) do not do the k2tog in row 16; 3) Knit 2 more rows (17&18) following the pattern of row 16. 14 stitches remain.

Journal

2013-08-27: Cast on using GTCO; complete left cuff.

2013-08-28: Complete second cuff. Complete one chart repeat on left sock.

2013-08-29: Complete left leg; stopped after 10 rows into the third repeat. I switched to US 1.0 (2.25mm) after the second pattern repeat. Moving back to the right leg.

2013-08-30: Complete two pattern repeats on right leg. Switch to US 1.0 (2.25mm) needles.

2013-08-31: Complete right leg.

2013-09-01: Complete both heel flaps.

2013-09-02: Turn both heels. Start sole ribbing. Complete left sock gusset.

2013-09-04: Complete right gusset.

2013-09-05: Complete right foot, stopping with row 22. I’m dropping a lifeline since I’m going to modify the toe chart to complete the 2 remaining pattern rows within the center of the chart. Complete toe. Right sock complete.

2013-09-06: Complete left foot, stopping at row 22. Start toe.

2013-09-07: Complete left toe.

Next Time

• increase height of heel flap so that I can get 17 pickups.