My friend Dan drove Boy 1 to school all through middle school. I offered to make him something as a thank-you after the kids finished sixth grade. He chose socks and got these yummy bamboo-patterned beauties. 
So I wasn’t really surprised when we talked again earlier this summer, and he wanted socks again. He knows the drill by now, so he rummaged through my sock yarn cabinet to see what he liked. He chose this handsome skein of Cascade Yarns Heritage Paints. The colorway is “David’s Eyes” (a favorite of Kris’s) and I got it at Knitters’ Day Out waaaaayyyyy back in 2010. Score one for #ProjectStashbust!
Then we hit the stitch dictionaries and he was drawn to Diamond Seed Brocade in my Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary. I put a post-it in the book and left for Bali. When I returned to the book later, I realized that the stitch pattern was repeated over 12 stitches. I usually cast on 64 for Dan… maybe 68 if the yarn is especially thin. 12 doesn’t divide neatly into 64 or 68… and I knew 60 would be too small and 72 too large. So I cut the pattern down to repeat over 8 stitches, and I swatched to see if it would work. It didn’t, really. There wasn’t enough open space between the diamonds to show off the pattern.
So I went big instead, and enlarged the pattern to repeat over 16 stitches. I didn’t swatch again but just cast on.
I think this is going to work out quite well.
Posts
The colors seem to contrast much more in the skein than in the knit fabric, where they blend beautifully and the brocade diamonds look great. I love the sock and the barter system you and Dan have!
ReplyDeleteI still think you're getting the better end of this bargain -- a kid taken to school every day and you get to knit this fun pattern with fun yarn! It has been FOREVER since I've finished a pair of socks. I need to get back at it. Later. Thanks for the inspiration, though!
ReplyDelete