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February 17, 2006
Sockumcision
Thank you all for your advice on the Tech Guy Socks. After much consideration and internal debate, I decided to rip the sock back past the heel and reknit the heel and foot. And being basically a lazy person, my solution to ripping out the toe was this:
Yep, I cut the toe right off - scissors and yarn together did cause some minor heart palpitations. Margene tells me that's what is commonly referred to as a sockumscision! I just love that. Makes me laugh every time I think about it. The reality was that I'd closed all those holes and woven in the ends. There was no way I was going to be able to rip it out and have my sanity when I was finished (and my sanity is tentative anyway) - so cutting was really the only option.
After the sockumcision, I ripped out the foot and heel and was left with my 9 1/2 inches of ribbing.
I decided that I couldn't let a stupid short-row heel beat me, so I got out my wrapped short-row instructions and reknit the heel. And it looks much better!
I ended up putting 29 of the 60 stitches on the heel needle (so the ribbing worked out right) and did 8 wrapped stitches on each side and 13 unwrapped stitches in the middle. The heel is much wider and fits Travis a lot better. And the best thing is there are no holes! I'm annoyed with myself that I didn't stop when I did the heel the first time. I knew the heel was too narrow and that I wasn't happy with the short rows, but I kept knitting. Why is that? It really would have been a lot simpler to just stop and fix it at the time rather than rip out half a sock. I wonder how many times I'm going to have to learn that lesson before it sinks in.
I'm so glad today is Friday - I was fairly certain it would never get here. The weather is total crap today - it's something like -30 with the wind chill. The only good thing about that is it'll be a perfect weekend for knitting by the fire.
Comments
Good for you! You bit the bullet and made things right. I know the temptation to just throw something like that OUT THE WINDOW is very great. Been there, done that. You pose a very good question about learning the "Quit while it's still fixable" lesson. I have often asked myself, "When will I learn to listen to my first knitting instinct?", the one that tells me "This sucks! Go back and try something else! STOP! STOP!". And yet, have I learned yet? Nope. Nice to know I'm not alone. :-P
Posted by: Tam at February 17, 2006 10:23 AM
Knitters live with a sense of denial. We think it will all work out, or block out. At least we can deal with reality nicely when it smacks us upside the head. You did a great job as 'moyel' on the sock;-)
Posted by: margene at February 17, 2006 10:57 AM
I checked the new book and having 13 stitches between the yarn-overs is about right for man's medium socks. It is an awesome book ... I decide to read through it before I start on my husband's socks again.
Keep working and trusting your own gut feeling ... Margene was right, sometimes it's just denial.
Posted by: Agnes at February 17, 2006 11:00 AM
That's exactly how I do it! Well, I try, usually feebly, to find the woven end and un-kitchener the toe, but almost always I just cut........sockumciscion - too funny!
Posted by: christine at February 17, 2006 11:06 AM
My first short row heels ended up too narrow also. They had little tips poking out the back of my feet--kind of like those aladdin shoes have curly tips in the front?
I ended up sockumcizing the heels and kitchener grafting them after unwinding about 4 rows. That would be the pair of socks where I could definitively say that I knew how to graft after doing both toes and heels (a couple of times).
Posted by: Liz in NoWhere PA at February 17, 2006 11:25 AM
Congrats on your successful solution! I'm also looking forward to a weekend of hiding out from the cold by knitting toasty warm wool in the house (watching the Olympics, of course!)
Posted by: Zarah at February 17, 2006 11:53 AM
thats what i call an instant fix! haha - sockumcision. the term had me laughing aloud
Posted by: j a r e d at February 17, 2006 11:53 AM
Sockumcision, that is funny! Your new heel looks a lot better, I am the same I will keep knitting even though I feel something isn't right and then have to go back and fix it later.
Posted by: Areli at February 17, 2006 12:41 PM
You really went after it! Sockumcision, hehehe...did you tell Travis that? He better treat the socks with some respect!
I've done the same where I just keep knitting although I have a nagging feeling something isn't right. Somehow it's hard to face the fact there is something wrong. We place trust in the pattern or our own confidence and it's hard to admit any mistakes.
Posted by: Lynette at February 17, 2006 1:15 PM
I love that word. I'm going to adopt it into my vocuabulary this date.
Posted by: Rebekah at February 17, 2006 1:18 PM
hi -- i'm a new reader and i loved your post today. i think that's my biggest flaw as a knitter -- seeing a mistake but continuing to knit anyway instead of fixing it. several of my projects have turned out terrible as a result. i'm really working on changing that mindset. your post reassures me that i'm not the only one who does that. thanks!
Posted by: Leslie at February 17, 2006 2:10 PM
I'm in awe...cutting AND short rows! You go, girl! I just ripped out the back of my sweater, getting ready to start it again. Sigh. Denial was what convinced me that omitting all that pattern wouldn't matter so much....
Posted by: Marcia at February 17, 2006 2:11 PM
I did the same thing on my last project, kept knitting even though I knew it wasn't working out. Why was that? I said to myself "Self, you are an adult. Stop knitting now." But I didn't. I would have been scared with scissors too but I bet it actually saved you more time. It's looking good! Have a good weekend knitting. I'm doing the same thing minus the fire!
Posted by: Stephanie at February 17, 2006 4:32 PM
That looks much better!
I just cast on today for these socks so I'll be coming back to read what you did and I'm sure I'll be whining for help as well!
Posted by: Jenn at February 17, 2006 4:41 PM
was it very liberating, cutting off the toe? it certainly looks that way! i much prefer the double-wrapped shortrow heel as well; never had much success with the yarnover one.
Posted by: kris at February 17, 2006 4:42 PM
Sockumcision, I love it!
Posted by: Angela at February 17, 2006 9:16 PM
I want to comment on the lovely sock photos but I'm too busy cracking up on your entry title. You're a riot!
Posted by: Becky at February 18, 2006 2:43 AM
Oh it does look so much nicer now - sockumcision! Oh I'm dying laughing at that!!! hehehe
Posted by: Laura at February 18, 2006 12:20 PM
Sockumcision!! hysterical!
you've made me spray my morning cuppa at the screen!
Posted by: jacqueline at February 18, 2006 5:09 PM
brave! and good short row heel =) I love those things.
Posted by: April at February 19, 2006 6:44 PM
Very impressive that you went back and re-did this. It looks great. Did you finish it up this weekend?
Posted by: Purly Whites at February 20, 2006 12:53 PM
