Wednesday, May 14, 2014

WIP Wednesday: Clouds & Rainbows

It's been a long time since I've done a WIP Wednesday post.

I'm making crazy-fast progress on my rainbow socks.


One of my knitting friends persuaded me to try the fish lips kiss heel pattern  (which I usually call fish lips, fish sticks, or fish kiss because the thing is too many words).  The designer has a special formula for the knitter to follow in order to get the PERFECT fit.  This involves having a partner trace your foot on a piece of cardboard and marking the heel hinge line on the cardboard.

I made my socks toe-up because I thought it would be the easiest way for me to see if my heel fit my foot when I was finished with the heel portion of the formula. The photo here represents the heel hinge line and the point where you are supposed to start your heel is marked with a dpn from end to end.

Here's my sock so far.

After following all the designer's notes and instructions exactly, my heel is too big. 

It's too big by quite a bit.  I've had this problem with heels and ankles on socks I've knit for myself before.  I don't know if I have a more narrow heel or thin ankle or what, but it's quite frustrating to make a sock and have the heel and ankle just bag  up on me.  I thought I might need an hourglass set of increases and decreases while I was knitting the top portion of the heel pattern and I posted some pictures on the designer's forum.  I won't say too much because I'll get really pissed off, but the designer justified every single portion of her sock formula and said that if I had a problem with my heel, it's because I did x, y, z, and alpha things wrong.  It wasn't because the heel was too big for me.

  
And you know what?  The heel was too big for me.  I frogged back and used a smaller needle size for the heel and that worked famously.  I could still decrease 2-4 stitches on the ankle, but that's less of a big deal.  I'll try that on my next pair of socks.



2 comments:

  1. I remember you mentioning that. I'd also be a bit miffed because if I remember correctly, that heel type is a paid pattern, isn't it? Or am I making that up? I'd want the designer to know if someone had a problem with the pattern; even if they don't necessarily "fix" the problem, at least they address it somehow (instead of placing all the blame solely on you).

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    1. The pattern is only $1. I might show the finished socks in her group as a "looky here bee-yotch." But I'm satisfied enough that they are turning out well. I wish she would address in her pattern that people might still need a modification even though she thinks her formula is perfect. I don't see that happening as she advertises the heel as the greatest, most perfect thing ever that will work on every foot every time.

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