Wednesday 5 September 2007

Queen of the Ugly Heel Turn

I think it's time I take the title, Queen of the Ugly Heel Turn. My first knitting heel turn is something I look at with a great deal of fondness and then I laugh because its so ugly. My first crochet sock heel turns, were stunningly ugly, and I doubt that the socks will make the winter for the quality of the turn.

I see no reason why the short-rowed heel should be any different.

You know this photo doesn't make it look too bad. I must tell the truth. The holes along the picked up wraps and stitches are huge. E-freaking-normous. I made a judgement call, and kept moving along. They will be wearable and in honour of completed projects and practise pieces everywhere, I will proudly wear them. Besides the next heel will be better.

This is a good kind of heel, but working it, with the needles wanting to go the other way and stitches left on, and things pulling willy nilly where they weren't supposed to go, it was not a really comfortable experience. I felt like every finger was a thumb, and all the thumbs were left ones. I'm sure it is how I felt when I first worked with dpns (see post above) so I am hoping the all thumbs feeling goes away in time. I'd like to like this heel so I didn't have to worry about having enough yarn for the peasant heel, but for now I'm going to hold onto the peasant heel as my favourite till I have done this one a few more times.

On the very bright side, one of my favourite parts of toe up construction is that you can try it on as you go. Just before I began the short rows, I tried it on. Oh me oh my the yarn felt great on my foot. Warmth, softness, and utter comfort. Not too shabby for a yarn that I was initially disappointed in. I think I am going to really love this yarn, and in fact, Robyn over at Red Bird Knits, be warned. I've got warm feet for winter on my brain, and your Romney Sock yarn is in my sights.

River City, you'd best batten down the hatches too. Its September, the yarn budget is full again, and surely its a week or two since I bought anything.

On Rock Lake and camping for GD, there are so many great sites its hard to pick which one is 'the' one. When you get up here to camp, you'll understand. And one of these days I will get you up here to camp!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I agree, the heel turn can be ugly. I've yet to try the toe up version of the sock. I have found, though, that by keeping a tighter tension around the heel turn the "holes" don't appear.