I also second guessed my yarn choice. DK weight in solid colours is not easy to find here, and my first choice, a garnet wool/acrylic mix with Teflon (I'm wearing these suckers, not frying eggs in them!) was appallingly statick-y. My next choice was a handpainted merino from my local LYS ( I guess that's redundant)
It looked so pretty in the skein and even nicer in the ball:
yet I was unexcited by the look of the sock in-progress:
Eventually, though, I was overcome by the end-of-May deadline, the unavailability (at short notice) of an alternate yarn, and, in the end, this is some of the smoothest, springiest, nicest feeling yarns I've come across. So after letting the sock languish for some weeks, I picked it up and finished it this weekend.
There were times I really loved the colour transitions and changes, and some times that I did not. I liked this, for instance:
In the end I was pleased with them with the conviction of someone who is unwilling to frog and start again. They fit wonderfully, and feel almost silky on the feet. So I'm glad I persisted.
Pattern: Denmark, by Nancy Bush, Knitting on the Road
yarn: merino handpainted DK weight from Painted Yarn, in the Golden Plums colourway
needles: 3mm Addi circulars
knit May 5-May 19 (with long periods of indecision in between. It's really a fast knit)
4 comments:
Wow, I really love them! I like the way the pattern looks with a verigated yarn rather than a solid. I really wan to do these socks but think I'm going to try to figure out how to increase a few stitches and do them with sock yarn.
Yes, Sophie, that is indeed a gorgeous looking yarn in the ball, and would look fantastic when knitted -- if it was stocking stitch! As soon as you introduce a pattern stitch, as in the Denmark, the colouring of the yarn is wasted, and detracts from your pattern. You cannot have both! For anything that is strongly patterned, you would be better off using a solid colour. A light shade or a pastel shade is better to show off your knitting; all patterns are lost in very dark colours.
Now, all of these yarns that are coming out are great -- in plain knit -- but we are tired of doing just plain boring stocking stitch in anything! But the yarn companies haven't heard us yet, and they will continue pushing all of these multi-coloured yarns for some time.
These socks will feel wonderful on your feet, and will still give you pleasure no matter what colour they are. But this is something to keep in mind when you are choosing a yarn for your next project, whether it be socks or a sweater: will the yarn compete for attention with my pattern stitches? You will have to decide.
These are lovely! Are you in the KOTR Kal?
cute! wanna tell you about the Sensational Knitted Sock (SKS) KAL, if you're interested.
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