Sunday, August 5, 2018

One Is Not Like The Other

This is what happens when you knit a pair of socks for Bigfoot.  I mean Papa Pea.

When nearing the end of the second sock, I began to wonder if the remainder of skein of yarn was going to be enough to finish.  I knit as fast as I could  (So I would finish before running out of yarn, ya know.)

With only twelve decreasing rows to go, I came to the end of my rope yarn.

I had purchased the yarn on a close-out sale so knew I couldn't find it again from the same source.  Chicken Mama said, "I bet I can find it for you on eBay."

After searching there (and a few other places), she did find a skein.  In Romania.  Or Scotland.  Or someplace else far, far away.  I can't remember where.  The price was about three times what I paid for the skein on sale, and we didn't even go so far as to check out what shipping costs would be.

Papa Pea said he didn't really care what yarn I used to finish the sock.  Who was going to see it?


So I went into my super sized tote storage container of sock yarn and came up with a smidge of what seemed a workable match.  Well, not a match but at least it wasn't pink.  Or yellow.  The piece of yarn in the picture above with the socks is all that was left of the original skein.


This close-up gives you a better look at the un-matching last twelve rows of the toe.  Also a more realistic color of the yarn.


Next up on my sock needles?  This gorgeous orange yarn sent to me by my good friend Linda in New York.  These will be for me.  Not Bigfoot.

11 comments:

Goatldi said...

Well obviously you didn't knit fast enough as you needed more yarn. Good grief woman perhaps some sprint knitting would have done the trick. May I suggest a few training sessions?

I do like the socks and heck the toe looks just fine to this girl. I will be interested in seeing the progress on the yummy orange tangerine Cascade yarn. I still have a pair on the needles in a different color. Will be fun to see how they compare to each other.

Do you have a tried and true pattern you use every time by just modifying the size?

Mama Pea said...

The pattern I use for my socks and others that are kinda sorta that size is from a friend who is the most fantastic knitter (and quilter). I don't know if she made the pattern up or not, but the copy she gave me was one that was typed up rather than copied from a book.

The one I use for my husband, daughter and other well-endowed foot people is from a 1950-60 pattern book of men's socks that I bought at a garage sale about 30 or so years ago.

We had heavy rain again today so I completely fluffed off and put in several hours of knitting to get these socks for my better half done. Wish I could do that every day!!

Leigh said...

I don't mean to laugh, BEEN THERE DONE THAT! Except it was with homespun yarn. No matter how I tried I couldn't finish a sweater. It ended up becoming a vest. :) Glad you were able to finish them as socks!

Michelle said...

Nothing wrong with that finish IMHO, and if the wearer doesn't care, then who else will? Fortunately my guys don't want handknit socks....

Mama Pea said...

Leigh - Haven't we all!! It's such a sinking feeling when you realize there's just not enough yarn to go as far as you want it to. If I had made both of the socks just 1/8th of an inch shorter on the top, I would have had plenty of yarn. But who knew?? :o}

Michelle - And I suppose neither of your guys is interested in having one of those beautiful lace-like shawls you knit either, huh? ;o)

Michelle said...

Yeah, that's why when I DO knit socks, I knit them two-at-a-time-from-the-toe-up; no "yarn chicken" games for me!

Vera said...

I used to knit my husband's socks as well, but he prefers to buy commercially knitted socks which have more stretch so he can tuck his trousers into them so they don't get wet when he is out on the farm. My socks don't have the same stretchability apparently! That's OK. Saves me a job!

I think the different coloured yarn on the toe of your sock looks cute.

Susan said...

The women in my family are the ones with the biggest feet! Except for me. I have started tracing everyone's foot onto cardboard and putting together an album. This way, I can just match the yarn to the foot. I can't wait to see that orangey wonderfulness in a sock! We've had torrential rains, too, but there is high humidity with it, so knitting is a sticky affair.

wisps of words said...

Really, who cares about the toe of a sock?

Thankfully, Papa Pea is a wise and reasonable man.

Actually, I think most men, are more so, than a lot of women. Sure there are exceptions. But down-to-earth men, are used to using common sense.

Can you tell? I'll never be a leader of any kind of Sisterhood? -smirk- I happen to like the difference between men and women, too much. To join the man-bashers.

Hmmmmm.... What an interesting, winding tour, I have taken, here in this comment!!!!!!!! LOL

Lynne said...

The socks look great! Papa pea is right , nobody is going to see them. Good job. I just finished three pairs of socks. One for daughter, one pair for granddaughter and one pair for my son. I like knitting socks. Been busy knitting a sweater for my older daughter. It's all Xmas knitting. THe wine sounds good made out of the Hasps berries. That orange yarn is pretty. What a nice gift. Must be a good friend.

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - That's the way to knit socks. Unfortunately, I've not been able to learn that way. :o( Tried to do it from a book and got hopelessly lost. Someday I'll have to check out videos on the Internet which I'm sure will be much better.

Vera - I can see where the commercially made socks would do a better job of holding your hubby's pant legs in place. As you say, one less job for you!

Have gotten started on the ribbing with that gorgeous yarn, but as you know, the ribbing goes soooo slowly!

Susan - I can handle sock knitting in this weather but I sure wouldn't want to do anything bigger. Ugh.

wisps of words - You know I always enjoy your train of thoughts. Even though your caboose may be loose at times. ;o)

Lynne - Go ahead and make me feel like a slugga-bed! You're knitting Christmas gifts already?? I am so envious of your on-top-of-it-ness. You go, girl. More power to you!