Live and Learn

Once there was a fairly accomplished knitter who joined a Knit Along for a pair of very creative socks.  She had knit many, many socks and had been in many KAL's, too.  This sock was raging around Blogland like wildfire and it looked like loads of fun to knit.  She already had a perfect yarn and so decided to join in. She cast on and blithely knit to her hearts content, enjoying the process and the way the colors of the yarn played well with the zigzag pattern of the sock. The incredible Koigu yarn was so delicious to knit and it all seemed to be going well.

Here she was doing what she had always done…same size needle, enjoying the process of knitting, but not really engaging her brain or the knitting knowledge it held.  How many times had she heard the socks were tight, very tight…but that fact didn’t really sink in. When she read Cara's update on the JW KAL and Grumperina's new post, THEN she knew. She knew, like she 'could have had a V8' smack, that the sock was, in fact, doomed.  In front of a group of friends she pulled out the sock and tried it on.  Gasps of sadness and then laughter rang through the room. But not all was lost.  Knitting is after all a process of life.

The sock frogging went very quickly when she employed the ball winder. She made a cup of ginger tea, put a little snack beside her favorite chair, and sat to start again.  This time she knit the largest size of the pattern and moved her needles up one size, too.  She knit and check and knit and check while the sock grew once again.

Then she pulled the sock on just to insure the fit would be right.  Sigh, can it really be so difficult to get this right?  This time the ribbing is too loose and the sock huge!  She told her problems to a friend who suggested she knit the smaller size with larger needles.
Frogging resumes.

Live and learn….it’s ALL the process. 

Comments

[Carole]

You put it so sweetly but it must be frustrating. It's good that you accept that it's all about the process!

[Jane]

Same size, larger needles for me too! It's working so far...

Thanks for making me smile. Must remember: process, process, process.

[Cassie]

Oh, the cute little furry face!

I'll be honest, the last time I knit socks with two size options, I gave up in frustration at getting the sizing right. More power to you for persevering.

[Kim]

Sounds like some of my knitting adventures.... You are a patient soul!

[ann]

I will wait for the outcome of this saga before I cast on for mine! ergh. I was thinking that the new sock pattern in Knitting (promoteous or something) would look great in STR.....

[Jan]

On the bright side, at least it's a sock and not a sweater!
Once you get the right mix, make sure to note it somewhere. My recurring mistake is thinking I'll remember what I finally did to resolve a problem.

[Beth]

I'm sitting back and waiting for everyone else to finish their Jaywalkers first. You know, let everyone else make the mistakes first. I just don't recover well afterwards. I need to learn to be one with the process...

[Kathleen]

Sigh. You are handling it quite well. The process. :)

[Cara]

Okay. I'll say this. Remember the DFS! Did I steer you wrong there? Trust me. They'll be gorgeous. I'm assuming everyone got home okay last night - I was thinking about you.

[Snow]

You, my dear, are the embodiment of a true knitter. You love the process so much that you don't scream about reknitting the socks over and over.

[Sue]

I was planning on Jaywalker socks next, may wait till you're finished, had a close call with Child's French sock from KVS, in Jaeger Matchmaker,thought I was going to run out of wool, finished the 1st one with a few yards to spare, I'm liking this book more & more.

[Teresa C]

You know, what would blogging be like if we didn't have these stories to go along with our knitting? Of course, just once in a while I could do without the drama in my knitting. :)

[PumpkinMama]

Bummer. But I am pleased to know I am in good company this week, getting my ass kicked by my knitting! For what its worth, I'm knitting my Jaywalkers in the small size, on #2s (instead of my usual 1s) and the fit has been perfect - I too rushed to try it on after reading about all the fit troubles out there.

[Lolly]

You are patient! Good luck with the bigger needles this time, M!

[Vicki]

Here's hoping that the third time (it is the third time, right?) is a charm!!

[Laurie]

Process, yes. That does not mean it still isn't annoying. Or frustrating. What size is your foot (so I can skip all the intervening frogs when I finally get to Jaywalker?)

[Sneaksleep]

Good thing you're working with such a lovely pattern and yarn for this project. Even the ever-important "process" can lose it's motivating powers at some point. :)

[Norma]

Hmmmm, perhaps I won't start mine until the New Year, then. Or later. (hee)

[Corrina]

I frogged mine last night. It was too big.

[Kathy]

I had to cast these socks on 2x myself. Even with one round of frogging, I am not sure my post would have been as calm and collected as yours!!!

[angela]

Well, if it's any consolation that Koigu really is incredible.

:)

angela

[Nancy]

I'm thinking of switching to the toe up variation that Nathania came up with. This way it will be easier to try it on as I go.

[Jennifer]

Good think Koigu is so resilient to the frog!

[Laura]

Ahh, this sock is the epitome of "try try again". I'm glad you're not among the number who said "forget* this!" about this sock pattern! :)

* insert your favorite eff word here

[Scout]

I'm tagging my knitting friends!

http://scoutj.blogspot.com/2005/12/tag-youre-it.html

[Kit Knits]

To quote a certain bear, "Oh bother".

[Kim]

Sorry these are being so difficult. I'm anxious to hear how it turns out before I cast on for mine :) Hang in there and stay warm!

[Katherine]

I was about to cast this puppy on, but now... It's like watching a train wreck, but one that can, with effort, be reversed. You're a shining example to us all!

[Katherine]

I was about to cast this puppy on, but now... It's like watching a train wreck, but one that can, with effort, be reversed. You're a shining example to us all!

[marie in texas]

regs the pix with the knitting and snack chair.....once when my DD was not quite two, we were out walking, and comming towards us was an animal of some sort...small ...fuzzy, four legged and on a leash...DD asked "mom, is that a dog?"
lol...your pup is really-really cute

[JessaLu]

Oh I'm sorry to hear of your sock troubles :o(

[Birdsong]

Brave grrl.. sharing all these foibles. I know you will love it in the end, since the yarn is so fab.

[Kim/Chef Messy]

See this? This is why I knit so many SCARVES! Better luck next try!

[PJ]

Maybe it's just me.....life is a journey and balancing act. ...esp. for those cups!!
patience and progress you define those terms..

[Vera]

If I frog something, I need to start the items again right away, and I don't feel comfortable until I pass the point where I frogged the item in the first place. If I don't start right away, I usually abandon it.

I guess I lucked out because my socks fit perfectly after they were done, but were pretty tight when I tried them one the first time a few inches after completing the gusset. The colorway you are using is very pretty.

I used a size 1 needle and the small size.

I started my second pair, but this time, I'm using BS WildFoote which has more give.

We'll see what happens.

[Becky]

This was both a sad and wonderful post! I loved the little saga. And I feel your pain! Why are some socks so much easier than others? This I do not know...

[Paula]

I feel your pain, Margene. I am not even going to attempt this sock. I enjoyed the story , though.

[Julia]

You're a good sport. Let's hope the third time it's "just right".

xox, Goldilocks

[Wendy]

OMG, I did the exact same thing...except my scenario was like this....

Knit using recommended needle....sock doesn't fit....frog....knit using needle 2 sizes bigger...sock still doesn't fit....frog....knit using the larger size, size 1 needles for the cuff and size 3 needles for the sock...so far, so good...

Who knew one little 'ol sock would end up in the frog pond so many times, with so many people....should rename it to Frog Sock. I love the pattern, so will continue.

[Kathy]

At moments like these, I say to myself, "I'm learning." The desire to rant and fret and blame myself is always strong, but in every mis-step there is learning, and that what we do this thing called life for in the first place, isn't it? It really *is* all about the process.

[Adrian]

Weird! I have that exact same chair!

[Stephanie VW]

Oh - I'm sorry about your sock. I'm working on the Petticoat socks from Weekend Knitting (rather, I'm ignoring the 3/4 done sock from WK) and they are too small. I'm just going to suck it up and give them to someone else.

I had to comment when I saw your dog. I love schnauzers! They're so smart!

[MJ]

Process, process, process! Do not forget the mantra. You WILL get that sock done! ;-)