Patent Pending

I've finished the first Patent Stitch Sock. And it fits -- but just barely.

I confirmed that the first version of this sock's cuff had been knit on size 2 dpns. It fit, but the cuff looked ridiculously wide off my foot. So I ripped back and redid it on size 0 dpns. Nice size, but a little snug getting it around my heel. But once it's on, it fits magnificently. I'll show pictures of it on the hoof once after I've completed the second sock. I'm going to try and cast on today before Second Sock Syndrome kicks in. I don't usually succumb to this horrible disease, but I'm feeling like I might be coming down with a slight case.

Speaking of casting on, I really like the braided cast on that I learned at the same workshop where I learned the patent stitch this summer. It's a regular long-tail cast-on, but with a twist -- literally. Each of the two strands of yarn are doubled before casting on. Then, these two double strands are twisted in the same direction after each cast-on stitch, so that you are alternately casting on the solid and the handpaint color each time. If you can imagine doing a long tail-cast on, you would have the handpaint over your forefinger and the solid over your thumb for one cast-on stitch, and then switch for the next, making sure that each time the two strands crossed each other in the same direction. Very fiddly, but a cool effect. And very stretchy, too.

Last weekend I worked a bit more on the seamless hybrid sweater, but not since then. I did add the inner cuff to the one of the sleeves to see how I liked the contrasting color Jeff chose. I like! But I think I could have been better about tacking it to the inside of the sleeve. It doesn't pucker, but because of the increasing done early on for the outside of the sleeve, there are more stitches to sew down into than there are on the inner cuff. I'm not sure I spread them out evenly enough, and I'm not sure I kept them on the same row. Right now, a bit more of the inner cuff than I'd like is poking through, but Jeff seems happy with it. I think I'll tack the second one a bit higher up the sleeve and then have him tell me which one he likes better.