A Tiny Twisty

Work progresses on the Twisted Hourglass Socks. This pattern is just different enough to really keep me on my soon-to-be-grafted toes.

One thing that’s a bit different is that after getting the gusset reduced, the stitches aren’t divided evenly between the front and back – there are more on the front. I assume this is to accommodate the cables. And even though this was clearly stated in the pattern, it took a while for my brain to process it.

Cleverly, the 7-stitch cable along the side of the sock splits into two 3-stitch cables, one running along the top of the gusset, and one running along the heel flap. They don’t exactly look the same, though. I think that’s because I’m knitting into the back of the knit stitches on these cables. In cables twisted one direction, the twisted knit stitches work with the cable, but in the other direction, they work against it. Still, it’s really a neat way of designing this.

The main hourglass pattern is pretty easy to follow. Out of the 16 rounds in the pattern, stitches are flipped in only 6 of those rounds. The twisting of the knits really makes these lines pop – almost a 3-D effect if the light is just right. And although I was worried that the extra stitches and the US1 (2.25mm) needle I’m using (I usually use a US0) would make these socks too big, it seems to be fitting just fine. Oh, and I love how the travelling stitches and cables grow organically out of the ribbing at the cuff. So much to love about these!

One thing that is always the same, though: anxiety over whether I have enough yarn for the second sock…