Best foot forward
March 14th, 2004 by Donna
I worked so furiously on my Broadripple sock that I neglected to take a heel flap or gusset pickup picture, but if you need an illustrated gusset pickup tutorial, that’s the one I used. 
Here is the sock now, into the foot and mere inches from the toe. Inches, I tell you. This is a multi-state sock, having traveled with me to Baltimore and Washington D.C. for work - I KIPed, but less than I thought I might, so I made up for it as soon as I returned home.
So here is my knitter’s dilemma, which I’ve now encountered at some point with every project: by the time you reach the end, you know what you would do differently and have to resist frogging to make improvements and remove mistakes. My lace pattern is not perfect.
I decreased too many stitches when gusseting (I have no idea how, but I think it has something to do with trying to count and carry on a conversation), and even though I picked up extra stitches, there are tiny holes in the corners of my heel.
To fix it all, I’d be frogging back to the cuff.
Thankfully, Fixation is a forgiving yarn. I’ve also mastered the invisible increase, which allowed me to add back in the stitches I over-decreased out. I’m knitting faster, which is good - I’m “steady” up from “slow”. But I have no idea how knitters avoid working endlessly on the same projects, driving them to perfection…without becoming the kind of knitters who make ill-fitting items sans gauge swatches that fit no one but their imaginary friends. I exaggerate, but it’s a serious question. As I learn more, I’m looking for a happy medium between obsessive and sloppy.
Links this week are all about the Critter Knitters Knitathon 2004. I have a boxful of acrylic yarn I’ve been thinking of donating to charity (it’s royal blue and gold - eep!); why not knit some of it up first? The Critter Knitters Pattern Library should help wth that, and I love Liz’s Super Duper Simple 18″ Square Knitted Critter Blanket - surely I can get one of those done before the end of July?
6 Responses to “Best foot forward”
For those gussett holes, you could run either the first instep or first sole stitch on both sides back to the gusset (whichever one isn’t involved in the patterning stitches along the way). Grab a crochet hook, fiddle with picking up stitches to fix that hole - if you pick up more than one, just crochet them together to form one stitch before knitting back up that ladder you created when you let that stitch run back in your work. Always try to twist the picked up loop before knitting it to help close the holes. I do this all the time - in fact, this works so well that I usually pick up one stich at each gussett corner without much concern for holes… knit an inch or so and then look for holes and fix them accordingly. I’ve found that sometimes the holes don’t show themselves very well until you have gotten past the gussett an inch or so and can stretch the fabric around that gussett to see what will happen to it under stress (like when you wear it).
If I haven’t explained this very well and its confusing, feel free to e-mail me.
The sock looks beautiful.. great work !!
Fran
Thanks for the Critter Knitter shout-out! I and all the critters really appreciate it!
Pretty, pretty sock! Sad to see it go, but perfectionism is an urge we all give into sometimes. You’ll love the socks that much more when you’re all done!
silk
silk
silk
silk
see, it’s calling out to you
I’ve got a pair of socks worth of fixation in my stash. I had forgotten until you mentioned it! Dare I become a sock knitter???? (I mean, I do knit booties.)
Sock is looking grand, Donna. Thanks for the link to the tutorial.
I too made a broadripple sock, but I couldn’t get the guage to be consistent with the fixation, soi I have to back and start again. I will be stretching it more this time. I love this lime green color.
I love the pattern though. I want to guage moutain colors supermerino to knit a pair in that too.