Waste of Time

Do you ever spend a few days knitting something and then, when you're all bound off and ready to weave in the ends, are simply unhappy with the project? This stocking is like that. I just finished knitting the Aran Stocking from Handknit Holidays. Some people have made a beautiful stocking. Like Sknitty, I want to adapt the contrast color cable--okay, so I'm not quite finished--but I don't know if I like the stocking at all. The foot is too short and the top is too wide. It was a pain to knit the crazy cables. Here's an example of the written directions for just one part of one cable:

"Slip 2 stis to cn, hold to front, M1p, k2, k1 from cn, slip rem st from cn to left-hand needle, k2tog-tbl."

TBL!!!! Oh, why? Wouldn't a regular k2tog look just as nice? The size 13 needle is quite difficult to shove through for a k2tog-tbl that isn't just a k2tog-tbl, but part of a cable, too. Even the simple cables couldn't be simple. Why didn't Teva Durham do a 4-cross cable? Instead, it was 3 stitches crossing over 2. Again, somewhat difficult on the big needles and double-stranded Lopi.

As for the edge, I tried the pattern, I tried a simple 4 cross cable, and I tried to do an attached I-cord. I may end up with the I-cord, if this project doesn't end up in the Never-to-be-Finished basket. By the way, I bought enough yarn for two stockings.

Enough complaining. I'm going to get back to knitting that second Badcaul sock. That pattern is easy and working.

I have a new plan. I am going to think about it for a couple of days, then I'm going to finish the stocking because there is no reason to let it sit. Maybe the contrast color is all it needs. If I really don't like it, then I am going to explore using a regular old sock pattern and the Lopi yarn on the recommended needles to make plain, maybe striped, stockings. Or maybe I'll try the other stocking pattern in the book.