K'done: Chasing Snakes Socks

Also known around these parts as the Saints Socks.



Pattern: Chasing Snakes, by Mercè Janer Olives
Yarn: A Tree Hugger's Wife Soft Sock, in Star Gentian
Needles: 2.25 mm / US 2



This is an awesome pattern - one I will definitely be knitting again! I was thinking I might cast on for another pair of these right away, but I may have been distracted - more in another post. This is a fabulous pattern for semi-solid yarns, which I love. The yarn I used knit up a bit more variegatedly than I would have liked - I sort of worried about that right from the moment I decided to use the yarn for this and halved the skein, and I worried about it off and on as I knit them up, but I'm happy with the end result, as I can still see the cabling nicely. I think it'll pop more in a true semi-solid.

I knit the socks over 66 sts instead of 64 sts as called in the pattern - based on my own experience knitting socks at my preferred sock gauge. In plain stockinette, or with stretchy lace patterns, 64 sts is good for me, but cabling results in some loss of stretch, which means I will likely need more stitches to compensate. I only went as far as 66 sts because most of the sock is in stockinette, so I figured it would be okay - and it is. I hit a Baby Bear with these socks - they're just right. I also used Jeny Staiman's stretchy cast on instead of the tubular cast on, and I completely ignored whatever instructions might be given in the pattern for the toes - I just went with my usual top-down toe.



I had a bit of an issue with the placement of the cable pattern on the left sock, because the pattern has you establish a k1 p1 ribbing pattern right from the cast on, but the chart as given doesn't sync up with the established ribbing. I adjusted by moving the cable panel one stitch closer to centre, so that the ribs lined up properly. I also never got the chart memorized - after all, it's so long that you only knit it maybe twice per sock! That being said, I found I could go for fairly decent stretches without having to consult the chart by keeping track of how far from the chart's edge I needed to end up in the cabling. So, for example, I could tell myself to do side-by-side C3L until I had two stitches left between the cables and the end of the chart before switching to side-by-side C3R.

Next time I do a pair of these - because there will be a next time, at the very least for my sister, who has expressed interest in having a pair - I'll switch the k2togs for SSKs in the heel turn, and I think I'd like to try the tubular cast on too. I have nothing against tubular cast ons - no longer remember why I chose not to do one with these socks.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have no socks in progress at the moment, which means I need to do some thinking and pick a pattern and some yarn to correct that.

Comments