A Major Design Dilemma...or is it?

The last few days I have been knitting away on CeCe.  I noticed that the shaping on the body was creating a pretty good size band of stockinette on each side.  I thought about changing it and incorporating the stitches into the lace pattern like some others have done on their cardigans.  'Thought' being the key word...didn't do it and now I'm thinking maybe I should have done something about it.

Sleeve- too much stockinette?

My larger problem has now occurred while I'm knitting the sleeves...actually when I was checking to see to what length I needed to knit after finishing ALL the increases.  I saw the little instruction I did read, but obviously didn't do..."working new sts into lace pattern".  Oops...BIG problem.  I now have a sleeve that's almost complete with a band of stockinette that was really supposed to be lace.  What to do? 

I did what I always do...sit that piece down, pick up needles and cast on for the second sleeve.  Figured I'd think about it a bit before I do anything 'rash'...like rip it back to the ribbing.  I'm temped to let it go because it does match the body after all.

I'm still thinking, I believe the Knitting Gods have struck once again.

American Footsie Socks

Does it count as a sock if it only goes up to the ankle?  It has all the components of a sock- toe, instep, heel, leg and cuff.   Since I turned a heel I'm counting these as socks even if they are a little on the short side...really short ans super quick.  I finished both in under 4 days...including blocking.  I like instant gratification.

The yarn was something that my Mom bought quite some time ago, but I cannot remember from where.  She loved the patriotic colorway...red, white and blue.  The yarn has long runs of red and white which stripes much like the Flag.  The blue is mixed evenly with white so it reminds me very much of a blue field with white stars once knit.

A few days ago while I was looking through the stash for this month's yarn I realized that this particular colorway was screaming to be knit as a graduation gift to Ms S...graduating from American University on Sunday.  The colorway screamed her name and the choice was made to knit her a pair of socks in her school colors. 


Details:
Pattern:  simple sock recipe...toe up using 2 circular needles

Yarn: Fortissima Colori Socka Color by Schoeller+Stahl;  Fingering / 4 ply

75% Wool, 25% Nylon; 459 yards / 100 grams.  I evenly split the skein into 2 separate balls.  After measuring the length of the repeat I wound each ball in such the way to have matching socks.  Ended up using only 46 grams of yarn for these.

Needles:  2- US 1.5 24 inch cable needles

Gauge: 30 stitches over 4 inches of stockinette stitch

Matching stripes

Modifications: Rather than knit a full size sock I stopped after a couple of inches ending with a ribbed cuff of 1 1/2 inch.  The one cool thing about these socks is that the stripes match perfectly...my first time accomplishing that feat.  I've managed to get it close enough that few others noticed any difference between the two, but never as well as these ended up.

Another first for me is that I'm not thrilled with the finished socks.  I think it's the yarn...too much nylon for my taste.  It was rough on my hands and my needles...this time it was the cable breaking rather than the needle.  My husband told me to get metal needles.  Yes, he actually said "buy some other needles"!  Addi here I come...

The other odd problem with this yarn was the white isn't very white...it is more pink.  Weird because it looks white as I knit it, but quickly looks pink or "dirty".  I cannot quite figure it out.

I hope Ms. S enjoys them..congrats to her on this special day.  I'll do better on her Montana State University Grad School socks.  She'll need those this winter...especially for the Undie Run!