How to fight Hiccups

Yesterday, I ran into some problems with knitting socks on my addis. The only cure to my sock fever was to go back to my double pointed needles. I am working on some vanilla cuff down socks using the basic sock recipe (rav link) from Knitting Rules! by the Yarn Harlot. I using knitpicks Stroll Tonal sock yarn in the Canopy colorway. Cheers!

Hiccups

Good News: I figured out my gauge for the Opal yarn. That would be 6 stitches per inch.

Bad News: One of my addi size #3 circs has tarnished. Yes tarnished.

Why is it that whenever I get the inspiration to start a new project I am faced with hiccups such as this? I tried to clean the needles with toothpaste (recommended by a fellow raveler), but that did not really work. I’m really considering buying a new set tomorrow at my LYS, but I am strapped for cash.

Other good news: I stood up for myself today at work. My kindness and eagerness to help had been misconstrued as weakness. Today I set the record straight(in the most respectful and tactful way) with my boss. It felt really good.

Gauge Swatches

Like most knitters I usually just jump into a new pattern and I don’t give the gauge swatch any consideration. One of my biggest pet peeves, in general, is wasting my time.

I’m trying to change my ways. I’ve noticed that every time I’ve knit a pair of socks, they never came out the way I expected. Guess what? My gauge was off. I couldn’t wear the socks and ended up giving them away. I have one pair, out of 6 that I have been able to keep for myself. I’m sure no one else sees a problem with this.

 

I’ve been thumbing through the Yarn Harlot’s Knitting Rules book and I’m going to try her basic sock recipe with some sport weight yarn. I’m also doing two at a time from the toe up. So there are some conversions that will happen with that, but the biggest thing is getting to know my gauge. With the help of the Yarn Harlot’s book and this article from knitty I am going to give it a shot.