The Experiential Knitter

Experience is the best teacher they say. Well I've certainly had my fill of that this weekend. That's what I get for 1) putting projects away for nearly 3 years (baby's breath socks, I'm talking about YOU) and 2) not making detailed knitting knotes anywhere about said project. Which meant I frogged and reknit the heel turning 3 times, picked up the heel gusset stitches twice, and redid the gusset decreases twice.
So here are some knitting knotes to self. So I do not have to repeat this decidedly unpleasant experience.
1) Check decreased stitches to be sure one wasn't dropped off needle during decreases (this happened twice when turning the heel; never in my knitting life had I dropped stitches before).
2) When using magic loop technique for socks, I personally found it easiest to keep the instep stitches on 1 needles, and the gusset/heel stitches on the second (YMMV of course).
3) Placing markers between heel and gusset sts made counting easier.
4) The decrease pattern for sts arranged this way are therefore: K1, K2tog, K to marker and slip it, K heel sts, slip marker, K to last 3 sts on needle, SSK, K1.
From the back of the sock, it looks like this (M = marker):

Left side of gusset / M Heel / M /Right side of gusset <-Start here
K1, SSK, K all sts / K all sts / K all sts, K2tog, K1

For all the tsuris (Yiddish for troubles and tribulations), here is the end product:

I might even make more socks after this!

Evenstar nears completion. Only 14 more reps of the border (out of 56 total) and blocking before it's ready for its début.


DH found this beauty I made back when DD#1 was a wee lass:

It's from Anny Blatt book #61, called Félin, and was made of a wool blend plus scraps of angora. Just to remind myself that I really can knit.