Admit Defeat?

Sometimes knitting has built in stumbling blocks. Or maybe "humbling" blocks is a better phrase?

I have been working like crazy on my LOTR Socks (Rivendell Socks).

I read a lot of other raveler's comments on their projects before I started. One that I can't get out of my head is the lady who only knit one sock and then sold it to her LYS because she felt like it was "inside out" the entire time she was knitting it. I must admit, I have never purled this much on a project before.

Another comment (which I saw many, many times) was that the socks came out a little small. With all that purling and those twisted knit stitches, the calves seemed to be coming out a bit tight for most knitters.

"Well," I thought. "I am a loose knitter. This really shouldn't be a problem for me."

Yeah. Uh-huh.


When I was knitting the cuff, which is only on 63 stitches btw (and I decided to use size 0 needles, because I knit "loose" and the yarn is pretty thin), I thought, "Hmmm. That does look a bit small. But look.....when I stretch it out, it's pretty big. Yeah....knitting stretches. Duh." And, I just kept on knitting.

I am enamored by this pattern and this yarn. I have coveted the pattern for a long time and finally bought it once I found the perfect yarn, not too varigated, not too plain, light beautiful colors that smoothly run together and won't over power the pattern. (This one is called Beach Fog, and is a bluish color with a faint teal and little bits of light purple and orange woven through.)

I just kept knitting, even as my mind said, "Ya know, it looks a little small." "Shut up!" I told myself. "That's just silly. You're almost done with the first chart. Keep going."

At the end of the first chart, I tried it on. I could get it over my heel. And it was pretty. And it didn't feel that tight on my calve. Keep knitting.


I knit the second chart. Cabling, twisted stitches. I love it. It's soooo wonderful, even though historically I will do almost anything to avoid purling.

"It's going to be too tight," that little voice in the back of my head said.

"SHUT UP!"

Knit. Knit. Knit.

I love this pattern. I love this yarn.

I just finished the second chart and set up the heel. I have knit about an inch of the heel flap. The heel flap construction has pros and cons. Pro - It is back & forth knitting without slipped stitches so it gains height faster than most other heels I have knit. Con - It is ktbl (knit through the back loop), p2 ribbing.....and on wrong side rows it's k2, ptbl ribbing. That is a PITA.

I decided to try it on again. Notice the photos in this post are of the sock on my arm. Why is that, you ask?

Well. My calves just aren't as dainty as they used to be. I can get the sock on and over my heel (without too much trouble even). However, up by those wrapped stitches at the top of the cuff, it's a little tight. Really, it looks silly. Like I have fat legs sticking out the top of the sock.

"That doesn't look too bad," the knitting part of my brain said.

"Shut up! It looks weird!" the little voice in the back of my head said. You know the voice, the honest one?


My dilemma - do I just keep knitting it?

I could keep knitting this to specs (the pattern) and then make a second sock with adjustments, AND THEN rip the first sock and fix it??? (Can you tell I am really liking knitting this pattern?)

Or I could rip it now, and try to figure out how to "fix" it right away(the pattern is 3 repeats of a 21 stitch chart, so I cannot just add another repeat, it would be huge, I'll actually have to think about where to add some stitches, I've got some ideas)???

Do I just make the socks to pattern and wear them a little tight, probably pushed down around my ankles so no one can see how tight they are over my calves??

Do I Admit Defeat?