The wonderful Bron should have arrived in Boston yesterday and we have a day planned on Saturday. I am looking forward to this very much as we have been corresponding and reading each others blogs for years! There will be pictures so, I suppose I will have to behave myself and not make faces at the camera :) Welcome to Massachusetts dear Bron! I hope you’re having a wonderful time.
I ran across a pattern for socks last night. It’s called Rib-Bits, based on a nice simple and very pretty lace pattern.
That was first :)
Second, as I was rendering the chart for the above lace pattern on graph paper, it occurred to me to flip the chart and work that right over the unflipped version to yield an eyelet-outlined oval or lozenge. Cool, right?
As you can see, my chart musings are anything but neat as I try to count consistently - something I was having real trouble with last night! Also I have issues with trying to keep my mind focused on what I’m doing instead of rambling several steps ahead and doing its usual what happens if I do this? shtick.
I noted that the lace pattern was worked across seven stitches with the addition of a purl stitch to either side. And I remembered that there was a seven stitch leaf pattern I’d seen…where the heck was that?...aha - in Stanfield and Griffiths’ Encyclopedia of Knitting. So I retrieved the book from the pile of knitting books and magazines under the coffee table - yep! - there it was (in the picture above, the leaf chart is the upper right of the three). And just as I remembered, the leaf is seven stitches across at its widest point. This is where I got into trouble :)
I then reasoned that I could alternate columns of lozenges with columns of leaves (and wouldn’t it be cool to stagger them?). Would that be a pretty sock? So I sat down and tried it, figuring 7 stitches of each of the two patterns with a two or 3 stitch purl gutter between them. Eh…but the leaf should sit on a reverse stockinette background to get the most out of it and…well look at this! It isn’t seven stitches wide at all! All those leaf stitches are worked from one stitch, increased out in the beginning and decreased back down in the end! Doh!
So I scrapped that effort and cast on for another swatch. Warning, the swatch is as messy as the charts :)
At the left is the lace lozenge which is only okay. I want to fool around with that some more and see if I can’t get something a little more feminine looking. Of course using Red Heart and size 9(US) needles doesn’t contribute to a delicate appearance either :) In between motifs there are pairs of twisted stitches with purls on either side. I couldn’t make those work (that is I couldn’t get their appearance to suit me) and eventually abandoned them, as I abandoned the lozenge.
The leaves were another matter though - those worked out beautifully. Well, the first on did (the bottom one). The second two suffered from my desire to mess with the pattern. They look sloppy and they are - but I think I have it out of my system now. The leaf pattern will be used as is…probably :)
So this is my thought as of 10:12 AM. I’m not sold on the lozenges but they’re still possible. If not them, then some other simple, not too wide, lace pattern to be worked in stockinette. Columns of this lace pattern would alternate with columns of leaves on a reverse stockinette background. Together, they would function like ribbing to give the sock some staying-up power. The difference is that instead of the standard purl gutter just sitting there doing nothing but drawing the fabric in, it would be decorative as well. Think that would work?
I’ll continue to look at lace patterns (and play with them, no doubt) until I find something I like, but I like the idea.
And I’m off to do the shopping. It’s a beautiful day, reasonably dry and with moderate temperatures so shopping shouldn’t be too onerous a task. I will probably break out the sandals though :)
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oh, enjoy your outing with bron- what fun, two ‘thinking knitters’ together- i’m looking forward to the photo session-
stay happy-
Barb - I promise to have a drink in your honor :) And that’s good because I don’t even know where we’re going yet!
Hope you and Bron have a wonderful time together! I, too, can’t wait for pictures.
Hopefully I’ll remember tomorrow night! I tried last Thursday but there was no-one home around 8 o’clock.
Sheri in GA 
Sheri - I was late
I will be on time tomorrow, promise. It will be nice to see you! I hope you’re doing okay :)
I love leaves on socks. I made a simple baby pair a while ago but was shamed by a stunning sockapaloooza paid I saw on someone’s blog (I’ll try to find it) where the leaves grey out of the ribbing. Your idea sounds great.
Hope you have fun with your get together. Good luck with those socks.
Nope, can’t find it. Will keep an eye out though.
Maureen - Thanks on both counts :) Hope things are finally drying out up there!
Abi - Well, I’m getting ready to cast them on so we’ll see what happens. I would love to see the sock you mentioned. If you should run across it, let me know?
