Comments on: Math.

By: Emma

Emma — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 14:35:27 +0000

Ah socks….socks socks socks. I’ve been working on socks for a few months now, just trying different patterns and yarns and such. I’m working on a pair of socks for my husband, whose feet defy any and all patterns, and I entertained the idea for a few minutes of trying to math out the pattern to meet my needs. Once I realized there was no way that was gonna happen, I took his measurements and knitted a swatch with bigger needles and thicker yarn. It so happened that my swatch was about 1 1/2 times the recommended gauge, and his foot was about 1 1/2 times bigger than the pattern, so I knitted one of the socks to see what would happen and I think it worked out perfectly! Basically I wound up with one enormous sock that I think will fit him.
I started my sock venture by working on a thrummed sock from Fleece Artist, and I will tell you that it’s a beautiful sock, but I haven’t yet done the second one because it is such a pain in the arse. That’s actually why I started knitting more socks – just to get the hang of it so I could do a better job with these thrummed beauties.

By: david_demchuk

david_demchuk — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:23:30 +0000

Nicole: You’re crazy.
Amanda: Thanks for the suggestion! I’ve heard of this book, and have heard good things about it, but haven’t picked it up. I’ll have to take a look!

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:17:39 +0000

There is a great book for adjusting sock patterns to fit a variety of feet, men and women. Sensational Knitted Socks. Its full of charts that do most of the math for you. You can plug in the sock pattern of your choice, and let the charts guide you. Still a lot of need for swatching and measuring, but at least it will give you a place to start, so I think its worth looking at, if you haven’t already.

By: Nichole R.

Nichole R. — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 18:45:10 +0000

Call me crazy, but I LOVE knitting math. Sometimes I even do extra knitting math because I’m bored. I wonder if I could make a career out of doing other people’s….Good luck on your socks!

By: david_demchuk

david_demchuk — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 00:34:03 +0000

Hey Brooke–congratulations on the pattern! I can definitely hang on until you write up your enhanced instructions. As for the increases, I’ve tried a few different ones…I’m going to try a lifted increase (bringing up a stitch from below and knitting into that) and seeing how that looks. The other thing I’m struggling with is the wraps on the purl stitches–they always seem to be much tighter than the wraps I make on my knit stitches. I may have to find a way to loosen them up a little. But I won’t give up!

By: Brooke

Brooke — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 22:54:41 +0000

I found your blog through a little ego-google of my own pattern. Multiple people have inquired, so I’m planning on writing up instructions for working the Widdershins heel on a different number of stitches this weekend. Can you hold on until then?

Also, re: holes on m1, just use a different increase that doesn’t give you holes. Knitty required me to give a specific one instead of just saying “inc 1″, but there isn’t any reason why you have to go with that one if it gives you problems. I actually used mirrored increases on my sock, but realized that was a little picky for something that will usually be inside my shoe.

By: david_demchuk

david_demchuk — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 16:14:15 +0000

Anne, I’m thinking you should write a toe-up pattern the same as well–maybe by Sunday?

Overall I find toe-up socks to be much easier and more convenient than top-down ones, not least because you can try them on as you go along. That said, if you like a flap heel instead of a short-row heel, you’ve been crap-out-of-luck until now. I’m going to try turning this heel *one more time* and if I can’t get it to look good, I’m going back to short rows and not looking back.

Gah.

By: anne

anne — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 14:16:29 +0000

i SO hear you! i design every day and use measurements and math constantly, but as i near 50, i am finding that many days, in the afternoon, i come to a point where i am staring at the problem in fromt of me as if it were written in martian.
is it stress, the time crunch, age?? who knows or cares! just give me the numbers once in a while.
i wrote a top-down sock pattern this summer that has 16 sizes from 24 sts through 80, and am considering expanding that to 88. people who have used it are raving about the heel fit, though i don’t have any sort of secret formula.
it’s written for 2 x 2 rib, but you can change out the stitch pattern to suit your taste. i am also thinking i should write a toe-up pattern the same.
i enjoy your blog and sorta wish you would write more! have a good weekend