Saturday, June 02, 2007

Kiss My

sock goodbye...
She's off to the frog pond for the second time. I really wanted to do a short row heel because I love the way the colors are striping but I can't seem to make it work without getting some awful holes in the corners. This is the second heel I've used and while I'm much happier with the way my wraps worked out I still hate the corners. Colin uses a Sherman Heel which looks really great. I want to try it so badly but I just don't know that I have the heart to do it on this sock. If it doesn't work out the way I want it to I'm going to be really pissed when I have to rip it out and do the damn heel flap that I've been trying to avoid. I hate picking up the stitches on the flap and I hate that it totally screws up the pretty striping pattern you sometimes have going. Like on this sock. And this sock is really special because it will be part of a pair going to my Aunt Noreen. I love her to pieces. She's an amazing woman and she totally deserves a pair of hand knit socks. The yarn is lightweight STR Scottish Highlands. We are Scottish. My Uncle Frank (Aunt Noreen's late husband) was so Scottish that he owned a kilt which he proudly wore to all the tattoos. He was so Scottish that he owned bagpipes. (I'd like to tell you all what a wonderful player he was but he really wasn't. He sure did try though and I loved him for that.) Aunt Noreen misses Uncle Frank alot. I hope these socks remind her of him and that they feel like a nice big warm hug every time she puts them on. Of course that's never going to happen if I can't find a heel that is worthy of being part of these special socks.

8 comments:

Maureen said...

The sock was looking lovely. Sorry to hear the heel is giving you grief! Love the lastest bow-wow cables too! I might have to look for the minnowknits bk. Have a lovely weekend!

Leslie said...

Humph! I hate it when the heel doesn't work. Have you looked at Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks? She has something called a forethought heel in her pattern for knitting w/self striping yarn (pg 71) that would keep the same pattern sequence as you have going on and give that bullseye effect. You'd just ignore the f&f pattern she has for the leg. Hope this helps and that you get the problem worked out. They're lovely socks and I'm sure your Aunt Noreen will love them no matter what heel you use.

hugs.

E to the M said...

I'm sorry about your heels, it happens to me too sometimes. Have you tried the misocrafty tutorial? It may help.

staceyk said...

What about knitting the heel with the other end of the ball and the continue on after the heel is complete with the original yarn? It would keep the stripes going.

Sue H said...

Don't give up, I'm sure you'll find the right heel method that suits the sock and is worthy of you aunt.

Shelby said...

Good luck! I'm sure you'll get it to work out one way or another. I really love how the striping is coming out! I'm sure your aunt will be thrilled to see that you put so much thought into her socks!

Teri S. said...

Whenever I have holes in the heels, I just sort of sew them up. It's not perfect, but it works and the "mend" holds up. The other thing to try is picking up a stitch the row below and then knitting the picked up stitch and the next stitch on the needle together. The yarn is a lovely color...kind of like the heather in the Scottish highlands (snicker)!

Anonymous said...

I hear you loud and clear. I too love the short row heel. I like the look of it and the fit on my foot. I've tried several methods, including the Sherman Heel and Patricial Gibson Roberts, and it doesn't seem to matter. I get holes regardless of the method I use. When you manage to do one without holes, please remember me and let me know what method you found worked. LOL