26 June 2006

FO: Norwegian Stockings...

Finally!



Pattern: Norwegian Stockings from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush.
Start/Finish: April 2006 to 23 June 2006
Yarn: Dale Baby Ull in neapolitan ice cream (ha!); approx. 2 skeins brown, 1.5 skeins pink, little bit of cream.
Needles: Clover bamboo DPNs size US2/2.75mm
Mods: Used tubular cast-on, shorter than called for (my leg isn't 15in. long), yarn sub, and grafted toes instead of drawing the yarn through the stitches.

Notes:

I technically made three stockings. The first had been ripped out so many times that the yarn pretty much wore out. I decided to just leave the first stocking as is (I'll probably have to throw it out or use it for tiny projects) and start over. I found that my stranding worked out better by knitting the main color (brown) English style (my preferred method) and the contrasting colors continental style.

I really didn't like the way the heel was worked--so much cutting and joining (not to mention the ends I had to weave in later). I found purling in the stranding technique to be quite difficult although this may be because I have trouble purling continentally. Next time I make these (and yes, I'm sure there will be a next time!), I'll try using an afterthought heel. I didn't know how to make one until the stockings were almost done. The pink is also darker than I'd like, but I suppose that's the problem with ordering online. I would have preferred something paler but they still turned out okay.

Overall, I love my stockings. So cute and comfy. I found, on the second stocking, that it only takes me a few days to make one. I guess my struggles with it were a combination of getting my tension right and second sock syndrome.

More photos:

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