Finally! I’m free! I’m free!
Or at least that’s what it feels like.
Half way into November, the Socktober socks from hell are finally finished.
OK… I’ll admit it. I actually like them. Now washed and ready to go to their intended recipient at Christmas, they are incredibly soft and luxurious. I love the colors and how the zig zag in the Jaywalker pattern fits in with the African theme of the yarn color. This was a very happy marriage of yarn and pattern, and I am glad I listened to the yarn when it whispered knit me into Jaywalkers.
I will definitely knit with this yarn again.
I will probably not knit Jaywalkers again. I like the finished results, but I didn’t have a great time in the heat of battle. It just seemed like a fight all the way to the finish. I am sure that was an issue with the knitter, and not the pattern.
Please pardon the on-my-chair picture. The best only light in the house in the winter is through my dining room window, and the handiest flat surface is a chair. The colors are pretty true, at least on my monitor.
The Particulars:
- Yarn: Regia Silk Color (55% wool, 25% nylon, 20% silk / 50gr 200yds per ball) in colorway 189, Nairobi — most of two balls.
- Needles: Knitpicks Classic circulars, US#1 (2.5mm).
- Pattern: Toe-up Jaywalkers.
- Where I deviated from the pattern:
- I used the Magic Cast On.
- I knit my standard heel rather than the heel in the pattern.
- I used Eye Of Partridge stitch on the heel flap.
- Other techniques: I used the free end of the yarn to knit the heel so as not to disturb the color pattern on the rest of the sock.
Next up: The class socks. I have about 1″ of the toe done. Guess what I’m doing the rest of this rainy November day? 
feed for comments on this post.
Brilliant job on the Jaywalkers. I’ll agree, not my favorite pattern either, but the combination of yarn and pattern really worked well for you.
1Remark from KarenK from the OR coast — Monday, 11/13/2006 @ 11:54 AM
The Jaywalkers ARE great. I’ve learned something today, reading this post. I made another chevron patterned pair of socks and after the heel the yarn went crazy. I’ll try your method the next time. My jaywalkers were made with the all time favorite magic cast on as well, no other toe up cast on for me! I’ll not be making the jaywalkers again either. It’s the chevron pattern, there’s no flow in it (as was it with the other chevron pattern i’ve used).
2Remark from Monika — Monday, 11/13/2006 @ 5:22 PM
They look GORGEOUS! I understand why you disliked making them though. I tried the toe-up pattern 3 times & HATED it. It’s not you .. it’s the toe-up pattern. It wasn’t until I switched to the cuff down pattern that it all worked very easily. Is that weird?
3Remark from ~Kristie — Tuesday, 11/14/2006 @ 4:29 PM
Thanks for the comments everyone. “Flow” is a good word to describe what this pattern didn’t do. They just didn’t flow. And that is a little odd. I’ve knit other chevron or wavy patterns on socks that flowed fine. I don’t know what it was about these.
Ah well… glad they’re done and happy there’s a nearly inexhaustible supply of stitch patterns that can be used on socks.
4Remark from Judy — Thursday, 11/16/2006 @ 7:03 AM