Doing the right thing
Remember my cartridge-rib-turned-twisted-stitch-turned-NIGHTMARE alpaca pullover? In a burst of virtue I picked it up again a few nights ago, determined to complete it before the weather got too hot. I have finished one sleeve, the body is done in the round to the armholes, and really, the other sleeve and the yoke should not take that long (yes, yes, I know the perils of saying that). I had knitted the sleeve in the round too, with size 3 metal dpns for the ribbing, and then bamboo circulars. I realised with irritation that one of my Susan Bates metal dpns is missing, so I have only 3 left. So I went to the store (my neighbourhood LYS) and bought another set, this time of Takumi bamboos (don’t know why I didn’t pick the metals again). I cast on, knit an inch or so and am worried that the Takumi 3s are somehow larger than the Bates 3s: (3.25 mm as opposed to 3 mm? am not sure) and are producing a larger fabric. The photo is lousy, sorry, but can you get an idea of what I’m talking about? I’m tempted to let it go, because it’s going to all stretch anyhow, and I’ll be transferring to takumi circulars in a few inches anyhow. Or should I use just one of the bamboo dpns and use the other 3 metal Bates for the ribbing?
I actually went to another store in the area to see if they had Bates DPNs in size 3. Would you believe it, they had all this gorgeous yarn, a fun knitting group that it might be nice to join sometime, lovely space to browse in and just far enough for me to make a brisk weekend walk out of the trip, and all sizes imaginable in needles but NO size 3s in Bates! I took that as a sign, and did the only dignified thing I could. I bought some sock yarn.
I haven’t bought any in a long time, plus there was this Trekking yarn that I’ve never tried (the grey stripey one, which is brighter looking in person), or the luscious blue Claudia Handpainted that totally took my mind off the fact that the store has no Koigu (wtf is up with that?). The lilac Louet gems in the middle, I’m seeing these gorgeous flowers all around me… there’s no way I could leave those skeins there.
It’s probably no use, this virtuous return to UFOs. All I seem to want to do is knit socks. I cast on for the Trekking, and am currently on the lookout for a good pattern that shows off variegated yarn. For all the lovely handdyed sock yarns on Etsy there are remarkably few patterns for them, no? I thought of Jaywalkers and others like it, but am still holding out for something else. Any suggestions?