Look What Else Came!

No not the partly-done sock, the needles. Do you know what those are? They are among the last of their kind, Addi Turbo Gold-plated needles (size 2.5 mm). Why were these ever discontinued? I love them, they are a tad less slippery than regular Addi Turbos (a good thing, imo; dropping sock sts off the end of a pin terrorizes me), the cords relaxed without heat, the joins are so smooth, and the size is engraved in the pins. If you want to buy a pair, and I know only small size with 32" cords are left, go here. In fact, check out the Needlepoint Joint's whole website for unusual gadgets and notions and hard-to-find-elsewhere miscellany. I found the row marker for circs there, Margaret Stowe's lace book for a good price when everyone else had sold out of it, and these Addis. And I picked up the 2.75 mm Inox circs too.
Back to the socks here, Jeanie Townsend's Lilacs: The cuff was started with King Cole Anti-Tickle DK on 3 mm Addi Turbos. I casted on in the K-P method on both pins, then started the 1x1 ribbing across for 2 rows before joining and continuing the ribbing in the round. I'm hoping this makes for a stretchy cast-on, sort of like the tubular method I used before. The pattern was modified thus: besides the cast-on, I shortened the 17 repeat to 16 sts by changing the central P1-K1 tbl-P1 motif to a 2 st RT. And I eliminated rows 9 and 10, making the pattern 10 rows in all. The leg is started in Sundara sport merino in Meridian, still on the 3 mm needles to fit my lower calf (I want these to be a bit long; Peach Petals came out a bit too short and slouchy around the ankle (yes they are done!), but I'm wearing them anyway). Now done with the 2nd repeat, the sock is on the gold Addis. At the ankle, I may change the RT to K1 tbl, for a snugger fit. This is a fun and easy pattern.