Finished: 8/30/2015
7/6/2015:
I seriously suffer from second sock syndrome, so I've been looking at various ways to do two socks at a time. I tried casting two side-by-side on the same circular needle, but hated it even from the cast on. So I found a double-knit method that creates one sock inside the other. There's an inner sock and an outer sock, and you work one stitch of each, alternating, all the way around. Perfect!
Except I've never done double-knit before. So first I had to learn that. And since you're using two balls of yarn simultaneously, and you don't want to cross them (or you get conjoined socks, which probably makes walking more difficult), I am trying the two-handed method. That is, I'm knitting continental with one hand, and English with the other hand, dedicating one hand to each sock. So it's "work a stitch with the right hand, work a stitch with the left hand, repeat until your hands cramp". The concept is good. And I did practice a bit before starting my actual socks. But I'm not very proficient at continental knitting, and so my tension isn't the same. In other words, my socks won't be the same.
But to make it more exciting, I'm using self-striping yarn and gave up on trying to find identical points of color change in the two balls. So the stripes are also going to be different. I'm hoping that hides any visual discrepancies in the gauge. (I'll just pick my smaller foot to wear the tighter sock, and nobody has to know. I hope I do have a smaller foot.)
Another interesting point about this method that I'd failed to consider, is that when you knit 5 rounds, you've actually done 5 rounds of each sock, so you've effectively accomplished 10 rounds... but since one sock is completely hidden inside the other, you only SEE 5 rounds of progress. In other words, you work really hard and get a lot done, but it looks like you're only half as productive as you actually were. It's a little demoralizing. But I just keep reminding myself that when I'm done, I'll be DONE. I won't still have a whole 'nother sock to knit.
So without further ado, here is the sock so far. Yes, I haven't gotten very far, even accounting for the "only half the work is visible" excuse. And yes, when I spread the layers out so you can see them, they look... well, my more outspoken friends have already noted that they look... well... ahem... yes.
P.S. I did get more done since that last picture was taken, I just hadn't taken more pictures. But now here they are:
Here's a hopefully less suggestive picture of the two layers, as seen from the cuff-side.
7/8/2015:
Conjoined twins! Damn. But only one stitch, about 5 rounds back. Around the inside sock. So I dropped the top stitch, laddered it down, and built back up with the crochet hook. Easy peasy.
So my ribbed cuffs are done, and I'm ready to work the legs in stockinette (purl the outer sock, knit the inner sock).
7/12/15:
I'd used circular needles because I don't purl well on DPNs when I hold the yarn in my left hand. The inactive needles get in the way. Since I was doing 1x1 ribbing, that was a problem.
But now that I'm in the unribbed leg of the sock, only my right hand purls. The left is knit. And my sides are severely laddered from doing magic loop. So I've switched back to DPNs. (In the process I dropped a stitch, and had to go back to circulars to properly turn the outer sock inside-out to reach the crochet hook in and rebuild the column. Then go back to DPNs again afterwards. Ugh.)
So now I'm flying through the leg and it's going very smoothly. My corners are good and I'm rotating the stitches around the needles to ensure they stay that way.
I have definitely seen a difference in my tension between the outer sock ribbing and the inner sock ribbing. Plus the laddering was worse on the outer sock. Next time I think I'll do the ribbed cuffs on each sock separately, then combine them and continue in double knit. It's a learning opportunity.
But here's my progress so far:
Wrong side of outer sock.
Right side of inner sock.
The colors should start showing up in the outer sock soon. (I'm getting tired of white and purple.)
7/18/2015:
I'm finally getting colors in both socks! Here's the inside view of each.
Outer sock (private side):
7/19/2015:
I got another inch done, then realized I'd managed to switch yarn for two stitches. I tried to rescue it, but gave up. I didn't like the cuff on the outer sock anyway, right?
So I've ripped the inner sock back a couple of inches. And I've frogged the outer sock entirely. I'll knit the outer sock alone until I've matched lengths again, then put them both on the same needles and continue.
And from now on, I don't put the needles down every few minutes. Obviously distraction and knitting are a bad combination for me.
7/30/2015:
After a few days of sulking, followed by a few false starts, I've entirely recreated the outer sock (all by itself) to the length of the inner sock (which is now all by itself). The next task *should* be to put them both on the same needles again. But, not being a complete idiot, I think I'll put in some lifelines in each sock before I go any further. I've learned a lesson, I promise.
Here are the two socks ready to be rejoined to their life mates... or something like that.
8/2/2015:
I put in lifelines, fed both socks onto the same needles... and then realized that I'd *knit* the outer sock instead of *purling* it, so now that it was inside out, the yarn was on the wrong needle. So I did a wrap and turn. (No, I was absolutely not going to rip it back to the ribbing. Are you crazy?)
I've knit almost two inches since then, and both of my yarn balls are back to center-pull, which means I've reworked everything I'd ripped out. So I've moved my lifelines (after checking that I didn't fuse the layers again) and I've got about 1.5 inches to go until I start the heel.
And I finally figured out that I could show both socks at once (wrong sides). So here they are!
8/4/2015:
Let the heeling begin! I've knit a bit over 6" of leg (including cuff) and I'm ready to begin the heels. I've decided to try a wrap & turn heel (mostly because that's what the double-knit-two-a-time instruction video shows, and so at least I have an example to watch). I've never done a W&T heel before. And so of course the first time I do it, it'll be in double knit, because if you're going to do anything you should do it the most complex way possible in order to ensure you'll screw up a lot of stuff... or something like that.
I'm scared of this, but I'm going to do it anyway... as soon as I move my lifelines again.
8/9/2015:
And the knitter said "Let the socks be heeled".And lo, after many days and much swearing, and after several missteps and multiple episodes of tinking, and after vowing never to try this again,
the socks were heeled.
Now to knit the feet and toes.
8/17/2015:
I'm making slow progress through the feet. No more mistakes so far (knock wood).
8/24/2015:
Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
I'm almost ready to decrease the toes. I think. Maybe. How the hell should I know? I do understand that socks should be about 10% shorter (and smaller in other directions) than the foot they're made for. But I don't really know how much space (length) I'll want for the toes themselves. I guess I'll have to stop and plan those out soon. Like really soon. Like as soon as I'm done with this post. Because I'm almost there. I think.
8/30/2015:
I'm on the toe decreases! I started yesterday, but had to tink back three attempts so I put it down for the day. This morning I've completed a round of decrease, a round of plain, and successfully tested that my layers aren't fused. Yay!
And... DONE!!!
