One Sock Down

Yeah that sock from last week?  Done! :D  Still in shock over finishing a fingering weight sock in a week. That's a record for me!  I don't know how or why I zoomed through the knitting, but I'm betting the second one doesn't go as quickly (does it ever?).  My guess: sometime 'round September--but here's hoping I'm so wrong.

Finished Toe-Up Sock

While working on the leg and cuff , I kept an eye on the ball of yarn.  Would my sock be long enough?  Patons Kroy's yardage isn't what it used to be.  Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised.  The leg with cuff ended up being almost 7” long (5” leg plus 2” 1x1 ribbing). My advice: two balls should be sufficient, but get a third ball if your pattern uses a fancy stitch or your recipient has big feet.  Yardage could be a problem, although the feel and subtle colour changes are very nice. 

Stretchy Cuff?

As to cast-off, I had planned to use Jeny's super stretchy bind-off, but then found another easier bind-off.  One of the gals at knit group uses the decrease bind-off (she discovered it through the Yarn Harlot).  Not quite sure if its more or less stretchy.  (Incidentally the decrease method is the cast-off technique my mom initially taught me when I first learned to knit).

To compare the "stretchiness" of each bind-off, I'd have to use both methods in swatches and then compare (with pins and ruler).  But I'm not so ambitious at the moment.  Besides, whichever method is stretchy for me may not be as stretchy for another knitter 'cuz tension and such varies from knitter to knitter.  My advice: experiment to see which one works best for you.

Happy crafting :)