Polka Dot Socks

So started to knit polka dot socks and using Paton's pattern from Socks in the City. Have found that it is a pattern not written very well or at lease I have have problems with it. The first thing I noticed was the problem with the size....not too clear on how to create size increases...I basically knitted a little on it and it really was a bit too tight so increased the pattern stitches. I have gotten to the heel and I believe it is a Fish Kiss heel but every time I have done this heel I have open gaps in the side of the heel...so simple solution was to try to do something different on the heel. When going back and forth on the heel and not picking up the stitches on the ends, instead of knitting them I just slipped them then on the return of the heel foot side I would k tog and pu a stitch between the gap. Sound confusing????  Led to a really nice closure of the seam. Stay tuned....

Polka Dot Socks Finally Finished

The pattern base was from Patons but never again...Finally finished this pair of socks and took much too much time…but probably because i had knitted them and took them apart 4 times. The pattern is not great for many reasons but first and foremost it really doesn’t really have size changes. You really have to figure it out for yourself. Instead of casting on 64 stitches i had casted on 72 for the cuff and then added 5 more stitches for the leg to accommodate for the pattern…which was crazy too. Not enough room here to tell you why but I really did the pattern differently because my first attempts following the pattern ended with a not so perfect placement of the polka dots. They were not evenly dispersed in the pattern. Adjustments and more followed as the heel was really not written well and went to another source to do the short row heel!! Would love to try this again but not for a long while as was not fun to do…but for what it is worth I don’t like to not finish a project before I start a new one and I did finally finish this one. Would not recommend this pattern to a novice knitter! Well I guess my husband's happy he has another pair of socks. At lease they are warm and I can recommend the Berroco Ultra Alpaca yarn...beautiful to knit with and so soft and warm.   Can't wait to start my next pair...back to cables for me I think.

Short Row Heel

So I have tried for the last week to knit the "Polka Dot Socks" by Paton and can't seem to get it right. Have knitted to the heel 4 times and have taken the stitches out only to try again. The problem is the size and the heel. I have worked the pattern using 2.25, and 2.75 needles and have used sock yarn as well as a finer yarn and I am now at the point of loving the polka dots but hating the basic sock pattern from Paton.
I have just gone to  Short Row Heel   and was delighted to see how to do this heel visually. I have now gotten a renewed understanding and will once again attempt this sock. Truly a great looking sock...just not written very well. So I am going to increase the stitches and do this short row heel and keeping my fingers crossed will have knitted a pair that will work! Stay tuned.