Eye Candy Friday 4 U

Friday, June 15, 2007

First Socks that Rock purchase as possible yarn to use for my Sockapalooza socks.

Socks That Rock in Midsummers Night

Socks That Rock | lightweight | Midsummer's Night shaded solids

I had no sock pattern in mind when I bought the yarn, so I picked out a something from my Japanese stitch dictionary. It's got some mini-cables, some 4-stitch cables, and a whole lot of ktog's and ssk's.

Nameless sock: pattern detail

It is quite an interesting pattern. A little fussy, a little whimsical at the same time.

For the heel, I continued the mini-cables and the purl gutter down each side, and knitted a slip-stitch heel using the stitches from the main "wave" pattern. Then I finished it with a square heel.

Nameless sock: Heel detail

This is a fine example of the technique commonly known as Making It Up As You Go Along.

I think I like it. Not sure yet.

Another thing I'm not 100% about is them STRs. I really love the base yarn, love the way it feels in the hand and the way it knits up, but I must say the dye job is completely underwhelming. The colors are muted, unremarkable, doesn't induce me to want to eat the yarn the way Koigus usually do. But it's the pooling, my GOD ALL THE POOLING, that I just can't ignore. Even for a shaded solid it does that icky, diagonal pooling, the unintentional blotchy striping which seems to be its trademark.

Seriously though. What is up with the diagonal pooling. You know of which I speak, I know you do. I noticed it on the first STR I ever knit with, so kindly given to me by Scout. Since then I've seen the diagonal pooling all over flickr. I see it now with the solids. It's so consistent that it drives me crazy, because, wouldn't it be easy to "fix" if you wanted to? Now I say this without having ever dyed a single skein of yarn in my life, and assuming that others want it "fixed" too, which they clearly don't because those things sell out like kittens at the kitten store.

But like, could you paint/dye shorter lengths of yarn in the same color? Dye the each color interval more randomly? Something? Then there won't be so much pooling? Maybe...?

I do wonder a little how these socks have achieved rock-star status. Kind of like Obama. Hmm.

******

Dottie in a bed of frilliness

Has everyone forgotten Dottie, because I sure have! Eeks oops sorry don't hate me! She's been reposing all this time in the office cubicle. Now she's finally enjoying the great outdoors, reposing on a bed of soft frilly peonies. It's one last hoorah before the flowers start fading away.

Comments [41]
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Friday, June 15, 2007 11:44:50 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Despite making it up on the spot, everything seems to flow together so well! Good job!
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:14:50 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I love the pattern(s) that you've knit up in the sock! It looks great! Some of STR can be underwhelming, but many of their colorways are truly striking.
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:16:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I am 100% sure that I like that sock. It, ahem, rocks.

Some people? I think they like the pooling. It's beyond me why.
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:30:14 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
i feel the same way about str - love the yarn, hate the pooling. but i can only assume it's intentional because, as you said, it'd be easy to change if they wanted to. *shrug* but i love the sock, regardless - great work!
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:32:26 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I'm with you. I love the yarn, but I'm not sure why, because I really am bothered by pooling. I think I'm a little out of love with STR since I finished my stockings, which were done in one of their "solids" but were so horrifically pooled that I ALMOST didn't like them when I was finished.

I would really, really (really really really) like to knit those socks. Do you think you'll write up a pattern?
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:39:07 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Yeah, pooling really sucks. I love the socks though. The cables are so awesome you hardly notice the pooling! Really. Truly.
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:48:28 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I think there is a serious love of the feel of the base yarn, at least for me. And, pooling doesn't bother me so much. Which stitch dictionary do you have? I'm on the Knitting in Japan yahoo group, and they all seem to be well loved for their patterns.

Oh, and I love the socks. I'd be thrilled to get them from my pal, pooling or not.
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:52:30 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
i don't love pooling but it doesn't bother me and i just love the color. on the other hand, i have yet to knit with STR and really only pet it.

i wonder if you're like the little boy who tells everyone the king is buck naked ;)
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:53:08 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
oh -- and your socks are lovely. really lovely.
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:56:20 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Severiously, why can't yarns come with warning labels that no matter what you do, it is going to pool in some crazy way that is not flattering? I think it's some sort of delicate balance because, while I love the yarns I've bought from Pieces of Beauty, I think that some of them may be so variegated that you just can't really knit any pattern with it for it will be lost to the colours. Although, my Saucy sock seems to be okay so maybe it has to do more with the shades (e.g. they are more similar than the one's in the Desert Bloom colourway).

Apologies for the ramble... I am slightly doped out (cold remedy dope, just to be clear).
Friday, June 15, 2007 1:43:21 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I think they look fabulous--pooling be damned!
Friday, June 15, 2007 1:43:56 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Those are awesome socks! I recently finished some STR socks in a Nancy Bush Ribbed pattern and I was surprised at how well they turned out. I was really expecting some terrible pooling but it wasn't all that bad. But the colours were underwhelming and quite muddy looking. I have one more skein at home to try out so I'm interested to see how it knits up. And I love love love koigu but I seem to wear holes in the heels of my koigu socks far faster than any of my socks made from other yarns.
Friday, June 15, 2007 2:29:18 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
That is a beautiful sock. I admire the stitch patterns you chose.

As far as STR goes. I LOVE the base yarn. The colors are rich, too, but they do pool horribly. I've seen several Monkeys and Poms out there that have escaped the pooling. Maybe its the stitch pattern.
Friday, June 15, 2007 3:00:19 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I own the yarn, but haven't yet knit with it (or wound it yet). It definitely is fun to play with and pet, I'll say that. I don't really mind pooling in socks but I say HELL NO to it in a sweater. I don't find myself rushing to knit a sweater out of sock yarn these days so I might just be okay, lol.
Friday, June 15, 2007 3:27:07 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
in the skein, the yarn is gorgeous but I see what you mean about the pooling. I hadn't really noticed it before but then again, I haven't really looked @ socks made in str! the sock is gorgeous though!
Friday, June 15, 2007 3:57:44 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
You think you like it? It's gorgeous!
Friday, June 15, 2007 5:18:41 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I think your sock is gorgeous! What a fantastic pattern, and the colours in the yarn are absolutely wonderful. However, yes, it does seem that STR and pooling are synonymous. I was surprised to see it in the nearly solids as well.
Friday, June 15, 2007 6:30:57 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Dear Domesticat: To solve your quandary, I have decided that I will do Sockapalooza whatever it is, simply to let you give me those socks. I won't actually KNIT any socks for anyone else (too busy with the overdue ones for my bro), but I WILL ALLOW you to send me that LOVELy sock and its mate when it's done.

I know, I know, but someone has to make that sacrifice. And it's my good day.


it's GORGEOUS. Pooling schmooling. Get knitting and stop kvetching. :)
Friday, June 15, 2007 6:35:35 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
The sock is gorgeous! I love all the movement going on and the colorway is beautiful. :)
Friday, June 15, 2007 6:40:47 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I thoroughly enjoyed your STR rant. It's deserved--I can't understand it myself. Why ruin such wonderful base yarn? Seems so easy for dyers to dye yarn that doesn't pool like an icky, icky mofo. I've come to the determination that the STR people LIKE pooling. LOVE it, even. What other explanation is there??

The new sock is quite cute.
Friday, June 15, 2007 9:10:24 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I love the socks! I think they are rockin'.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 2:26:15 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Fabulous socks, and Dotty looks relaxed!!
Saturday, June 16, 2007 4:25:32 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Those socks are fabulous - love how you continued the pattern down the heel flap. I'm not a fan of pooling but I don't think the pooling looks too bad in yours though.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 6:45:32 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Pooling or not, that is one beautiful sock.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:43:52 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Love the cabling on the socks!
Saturday, June 16, 2007 9:58:24 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
What gorgeous socks!

And until I used Koigu I would have defended the STR against all comers. But I agree, what is up with the pooling? Surely it can be fixed and all those lovely colors and that fabulous base yarn can really shine.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 11:09:25 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Oh, wow. I absolutely love that sock to bits. I'm just now working on only my second pair of socks ever, so I as yet have no real opinion of sock yarns, other than the belief that I need more of it.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 8:03:46 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
It is a lovely design. Do you plan on sharing?
Saturday, June 16, 2007 10:38:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
That is a strikingly beautiful pattern. Count me among the potential "clientele"! What do you call it? I don't mind a little pooling. The colors here are subtle. If it were glaring and loud, my opinion of pooling might be different but it works here. Good job.
Sunday, June 17, 2007 7:23:01 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Ohhh, now I love that colorway!! But then there's the freaking pooling. What's up with that?

The socks are beautiful and the pooling is really not that noticeable here because the colors are so close to each other.
Extremely jealous of your Japanese stitch book...
Monday, June 18, 2007 12:42:45 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I think I love that pattern combo you created. It just might be super fabulous.
Monday, June 18, 2007 9:04:13 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I love the pattern.....LOVE LOVE LOVE the pattern.....

I'm even willing to sacrifce myself to test the pattern....I know - so selfless of me....
Monday, June 18, 2007 10:04:52 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Your sock is beautiful. I think the pattern hides the pooling quite well. I feel *exactly* the same way about the STR, and I'm sorry to hear the mostly-solids do the same damn thing. I've given away most of my STR stash because of it.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 11:26:33 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful sock!!! I'm in awe and I think it's a good thing, that I've finished my own socks, because they would have died on the needles in pure wonder after seeing your sock!!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 1:04:46 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
How can you not love that sock?! Quit being modest and take a bow I say...it's GORGEOUS!! I wish I was your sock pal... :-)
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 3:53:26 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Beautiful socks.

I love STR, but you are right. Some of the colors are underwhelming. I think the whole "colors vary by montior" comes into mind, because when I ordered a skein of one color it was completely muted, (which I preferred in this case), compared to what I saw on the screen. As for the pooling, I'm a new sock knitter, so I guess I'm not quite sick of it yet.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007 10:30:50 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I love the socks! The stitch pattern is lovely... any chance for a write up so those of us without a japanese stitch dictionary can copy you shamelessly?
Wednesday, June 20, 2007 11:59:53 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Um, that sock pattern kicks some serious ass. Fussy and whimsical is right. You gonna write it up?

I know what you mean about the diagonal pooling. I have one pair of STR socks where i *love* the pool (it's a pair of totally bright jaywalkers), but otherwise, i find diagonal pooling somewhat frustrating. case by case, i guess...
Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:07:28 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I really, really like that sock. I don't think the pooling is overly noticeable. :) The pattern evens it out, I think...

Never worked with STR, but I've seen a lot of people complain about the pooling. Makes me wonder if it's worth the money..
Monday, June 25, 2007 12:01:55 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
GORGEOUS SOCK! I hope you write up the pattern.

I'm with you on the STR - I don't get the hoopla. Give me Sundara anyday - or even my own dye jobs!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 1:37:24 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I'm on sock 2 on my first STR midweight socks. Watermelon Turmeline colorway. Much lighter color in person than it photographs so too light for my tastes. I don't think it is squishy soft as Fiesta Boomerang which the same weight/gauge. It's taking me twice as long to knit them because it's not pleasurable. I have a skein of Pucks Mischief that I can decide whether or not to keep. Or maybe knit some thing else out of it.

No hoopla here either.
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