Sock Quandry

[starfallz]

All right, I'm having trouble deciding what I sock pattern and yarn I want to knit with next.

Here's the group shot...




I've been planning on knitting the Feather and Fan socks from the Socks, Socks, Socks book with this yarn:



I like the colors and it is nice and fresh. I've never knit with Cherry Tree Hill yarn before, so I think it will be fun. I'm just wondering if I want to do something that fiddly right now.

Zabet's been working on Knitty's Widdershins pattern (plain version) and says "yea yea, you do it to" at me. I'd like to do something nice and light since it is spring so I was thinking this yarn:



But I have knit with some Meilenweit yarn before, and this yarn might look more awesome in that pattern:



I haven't knit with Trekking XXL yet, but that is a bit dark for now.

Also I plan on doing Grumperina's Jaywalkers in this yarn eventually:



And I bought some crazy, not-me yarn to use on something eventually:



So, opinions?

Comments

[tricksterquinn.livejournal.com]

I generally love feather and fan, but I also really like the widdershins pattern. I really really like the very dark blue. All of your yarns are so lovely!!

[morgandria.livejournal.com]

Love the crazy yarn! Widdershins is nice too. :)

[starsongky.livejournal.com]

Before following the cut to see what you had in mind, my first instinct was Jaywalkers, either with the green & blue ball (Cherry Tree Hill) or in the Trekking with the orange in it.

[starfallz.livejournal.com]

Yah, the Trekking XXL 100 might get made into some Jaywalkers at some point. I'm thinking I might start off with the Colortweed and do Tropicana from Magknits (http://magknits.com/June06/patterns/tropicana.htm). You have more experience with modding sock patterns than I do... I haven't knit anything from a standard pattern before, they've all been general or formula sock patterns. Most patterns seem to fit a women's foot with an 8 inch circumference. I just measured my foot, which is long (no biggie, just knit longer sections) but with a 9 inch circumference. Do you think I could just do the 8" pattern or do I need to modify?

[starsongky.livejournal.com]

Might work depending on how stretchy the pattern is, could be tight. Figure out whatever your gauge is times 9, subtract 10-20% of that number (more if you like a tighter fit), then round up or down to match however many sts you need for the pattern repeat.

Tropicana's a multiple of 11, which is pretty long, so you may not be able to get that to fit. You could try going up a needle size, if that won't make the fabric too loose.

Looking at the pattern, you might be able to make each repeat wider - that's what I did with the Jaywalkers. The repeat forms a wave, increasing in the middle and decreasing on either side. You could add two sts per repeat (multiple of 13) like this:

R 1:* k4 – k 6f/b – k3* [add one at each end]
R 2 & 3: k
R 4: *k2tog (3 times) – k 7 – k2tog (3 times)* [add both in the middle]

In each case, the two extra sts are in the plain K parts of the round.