Sock Madness Round 4: Mad Weave Socks

Yes I know, I know...I should have posted about this already. So I finished Round 4 and made it onto Round 5! Yeah me! It was my most challenging round yet...as well as the MOST challenging knitting pattern that I have done so far. That includes lace! When I was done I was exhausted...to say the least.


Pattern: Mad Weave by Tina Lorin
Materials: US 1 dpns, Claudia's Handpainted in two colorways...the lighter one is called "Purple Haze", unfortunately I could not find the label for the other colorway (sorry).
Time: I cast-on at about 6:45 am on Saturday the 14th and cast-off on Sunday at about 5:30 pm. I am told (by honey) that I spent about 28 hrs working on these socks! wowie zowie.

Thoughts: LOVE THIS PATTERN! Tina Lorin came up with a creative and unique design. Everything about this pattern was new to me with the exception of the ribbing. There are little mock-cables down the sides and dropped stitches which turn into this elongated cross stitched. Take a look at the flickr group so you can see the different effects from the different types of yarn that were used. My only problem with the socks is that they came out WAY too big for me. I followed the instructions to the letter, using the yarn and needles that were recommended but they came out really big. I was not the only one with this problem. Anyway, honey has a new pair of socks. Just to show how big they came out they fit him a little loose and he wears a size 13 shoe...they were supposed to be a medium sized woman's sock. LOL Btw...Claudia's is fantastic yarn to work with...the colors are vibrant and I got a nice soft fabric. I am think though that the Claudia's may be the reason the socks came out so big, it is a bit thicker then most other sock yarns. I want to do this pattern again but will probably use a thinner yarn and go down to US 0 needles.

Round 5 has been announced...it will begin on Friday (27 April). The specs given state that the designer created the socks using the Magic Loop method. This has been a method that I have wanted to try but have kept putting it off. We were told that we could use dpns if we wished but I have found in the past if I have to re-configure a pattern to use different tools that I get confused.

SOOOOOOO.....WHAT TO DO? LOL...well I Googled, "Magic Loop instructions" (I love Google...did you see their Earth Day graphic? Well done!) I came up with a ton of links that teach the technique. The best one I found is a video at Knittinghelp.com. So on Sunday I cast-on (from cuff down) and as of this morning I am at the point of picking up the gusset stiches! It is a REALY easy method...there is a trick to doing the gusset I believe but I didn't have time to figure that out yet. I am using a simple pattern from Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. I have modified to make anklets, since this is for practice. I am hoping to try the toe-up method for magic loop before Friday (just in case the pattern is toe-up I want to be ready LOL) Oh and I am using a 40" Addi Turbo in US 0. When I finishe the sock I will post picture of them....Oh and I am doing two at a time...really really easy! I like doing socks on dpns but this technique is way cool and adds a new skill to my knitting toolbox.

I LOVE how much I have learned from being in Sock Madness, Magic Loop, Short Row heels (which are my fav so far), toe-up on dpns, cabling....oh and just to be ready I have been working on the Knitty.com pattern called "Pomatomus" by Cookie A...its a lace pattern, and so many other things that I could keep going on and on! Also, as I said before...the other players are way too much fun! The posts and comments on the flickr page can be hilarious.


Well, there ya go...I have some other things going on but for now this will be all!