Sunday, August 29, 2010

Holiday knitting

Well, what can I say? I was going to get sooo much knitting done whilst on holiday. I was going to catch up with the Mystery Blanket. I have been sent yarn and patterns to get it up to this stage...

But sadly mine only looks like this.


In my defence I did manage to complete 5 squares in Wales, but sadly I am still 14 squares behind and of course with September 1st only a few days away, I am likely to be 19 squares behind before the week is through. I am not enjoying this blanket anywhere near as much as last year's. I'm not very keen on the picture squares (there is an option to do something different, but all the 'different' squares are just stripy and I felt the whole thing would just be stripes) and some of the colours are not nice at all. That ghastly coral pink makes me want to heave! However, I live in hope that by the end, I shall love my blankie, though I doubt it!

My other holiday knitting was the August Sock - Nutkin. I went up a needle size, knitted the entire top section, tried it on and nearly cried. It was tighter that a really tight tubigrip. So the only thing for it was to pull it all down, cast on 4 extra stiches and start all over again.

The yarn is gorgeous - Martha how I love thee! - and I really like the way it's spiralling, BUT, Nutkin, I do not love thee. The pattern is great to remember, nice and mindlesss, but it twists like mad, I have really had to tug this to get it remotely straight on the sock blocker, heaven only knows what it will do on my foot. Oh, and short row heels? Not for me. It was lovely and quick, but I wonder how strong it will be. Unsure if these will last much more than a few wears.

In fact I now wonder whether or not to even carry on with these socks. Do I waste such gorgeous yarn on a pain in the bum sock that will be worn out in a few weeks? Or do I pull it back again and knit a sock that I love, with a harder wearing heel? What do you think?

Pull it down or carry on. Answers please...

Hmm, think I'm already guessing the answer there

11 comments:

wonderwoman said...

be ruthless - frog it and knit a sock that you will love as its such gorgeous yarn!

xx

Anonymous said...

frog it and knit something you enjoy knitting and will get some use out of
jenny

Quinn said...

Maybe you are not happy with this blanket ONLY because you set the bar SO INCREDIBLY HIGH with last year's! It was a marvel!

There was a thread on ravelry about the nutkin twist and how to minimize it, but it seems to me there is a spiral inherent in the design. It would make me quite peevish for my socks to feel twisty all the time. No-Purl Monkeys are my nutkin substitute. :)

trash said...

Frog. Frog! Frog! you could probably make a pair of mittens for, say, a hilltop dweller or something instead ;-)

marit said...

Rip out the socks! The yarn is too lovely to use for something you don't really enjoy!

Mary deB said...

I agree with everyone! Frog! Sometimes lovely sock yarn needs a super simple pattern -- at least that's my excuse for knitting lots of plain socks!

My secret word here today is trapatee -- make up a sock pattern and call them Trapatees!

Locket Pocket said...

Hmmmmm, Missus Moogs was telling me t'other day how nice Nutkin was! But if you're not loving it and you really love the wool then I would definitely recommend unravelling it and starting again. Locket xx

Mrs Moog said...

Mmm....I can see what you mean about the mystery blanket and having seen it in real life, although it's beautifully knitted and some of the designs are fab some of the colours are a little odd. Mind you, I bet it'll look gorgeous when it's finished and all those colours will work together.

As for those dratted Nutkins, I think I might agree. I'm at heel turn stage on my first and even though I've gone up two needle sizes there's still not much give in it and it's twisting like a twisty thing. I'm not loving them.

Shall we both frog?

xxx

busybusybeejay said...

This is the first year I have done the mystery blanket and I have been a little disappointed.I decided to do it having seen last year's.I am frantically trying to catch up before next weeks parcel arrives.I havn't sewn any ends in or blocked any squares(I have some rectangles!).I am just hoping it all comes together in the end.I am sure it will.Will I do next year's?Maybe.Good luck with yours.

Elizabeth D said...

(1) Rip the sock back and start over. You know you've already made up your mind.

(2) This year's blanket is so much less appealing than last year's. I had written for information, and the subscription cost to do it from the U.S. was so outrageously high that I didn't consider it any further. I would have been very disappointed too.

(My verification word sounds like something from an old comic book - powhit)

Susan aka paintermom said...

My short row heels hold up just fine. I wouldn't frog it for that reason but if the twist is bugging you now, I'd frog it. It would probably drive you batty to wear them.