Friday, June 27, 2008

You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)


STR Mediumweight in Pride
Apparently I don't have a conference talk to be writing, childrens' suitcases to be packing (they're going to Ireland for a month. A MONTH.), or affairs to be gotten in order before my own journey abroad, because I seem to have a lot of free time...how else can one explain spending an entire day and a good part of yesterday evening figuring out the Socks That Rock Mediumweight 'Pride' Pooling Dilemma of June 2008™?

See, I ordered this little lovely several weeks ago and it has been burning a hole in my stash ever since. Everything about this skein was just screaming GET IT GIRL and CAST ME ON, GIRLFRIEND. The colors, the smell (you know the smell I'm talking about), the fact that I am probably a gay man trapped in a middle aged woman's body, the disproportionate relationship between numbers of socks already on the needles and the somewhat maniacal need to cast on for more sock projects. All these things meant that I was destined to wind 'er up and start the gears turning.

Pattern-wise I went to a tried and true stand-by, the Garter Rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. Alas my first attempt (size 2.5 needles, 56 sts) left me deflated and dejected by the hideous pooling and creepy blotching that we have all come to despise. Blech.

After a peanut-butter sandwich and wine-gums break, my resolve had redoubled and I was ready to attempt the same pattern but on size 1.5 needles and with 64 sts. This iteration was indeed an improvement, but sadly the result was somewhat toward the piss poor side of things and certainly not worthy of my Gay Owned and Operated Skein. Back to the drawing board!


This is where it suddenly dawned on me that I had a legion of experts with fingers poised at their keyboards, constantly refreshing their screens on the Ravelry boards, waiting for a question such as mine. These cognoscenti did not disappoint: they ultimately led me to the pattern I should have been trying all along, the RPM (cue sunbursts and the sound of angels singing). Thanks, Ladies.
STR Pride RPMs...
Yes, these are the socks that Pride was meant to be. No horrid pooling, no unsightly liver spots, just luscious, queer-friendly spirals. And the fact that the pattern on Knitty has a quote from Dead or Alive's 'You Spin me Round...', well Sylvester herself couldn't have scripted this any better now, could she?




28 comments:

Sarah said...

Work it, girl!

sko_G knits said...

omg, i LOVE that colorway!!

Sourire11 said...

That was a really fun post! And that colorway is squee. I need to try some Socks that Rock one of these days...

Unknown said...

I'm glad that all that experimenting came to a positive conclusion! (Yes, I have half knit socks hidden away in my apartment). Fantastic colorway :)

Ashley said...

Wine gums! Online! Available to me! My life is complete.

YawnOver said...

Wow - *really* amazing what the right pattern can do. I'll have to keep that one in mind, assuming I ever break my sock fast...

KeanaLee said...

They look great! I now that so many people hate pooling & wven though it's the ugly stepsister of the knitting world, I like it. So I was ok with your first go round.

Janet said...

Wow, RPM to the rescue!

But, please stop it. You're making me want to cast on for my billionth single sock, and I will never have another PAIR at this rate!

Anonymous said...

First you crack me up, and then Nicole cracks me up more! Dude, they really are... Like Doug Henning exploded into a sock yarn.

I cannot believe you had that kind of patience. I would have given up and let them pool.

Sonya said...

Ditto what Kim said. But you have found the perfect pattern for great yarn!

Yarnhog said...

I think I just wet my self a little laughing.

My (gay) brother and I decided one day that our genders were obviously switched at birth. I had gotten a new handbag and couldn't for the life of me figure out how to work it (trust me--it did require working, even though it was a bag). He picked it right up and showed me exactly what to do.

And although I totally agree that yarn was just meant for that pattern, I really like the rainbow effect in the second picture!

Amy said...

Make it work!

(Gotta try that pattern the next time I want to make a voodoo doll out of some pooly-ass sock yarn.)

Jennie said...

Oh how fun for you lil' ones. Ireland, wow!!

And dang that is one gorgeous skein of STR!! You've got so mad sock skills girl!

Anonymous said...

That is absolutely the best pattern for that yarn!

Anonymous said...

now thats the way to work that yarn! Whoohooo!

Anonymous said...

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3! Thanks for replying to my Blogger Ravelry thread. It looks like I can use my name and URL on yours just fine! Love that STR too. Very colorful!

Anonymous said...

I tell my husband all the time I am a gay man in a woman's body! I'm not quite sure what it says about him...and thanks for the video , I was transported right back to my 80's gay club days. And those socks, well... they rock.

Unknown said...

That's a terrific colorway! I've had that pooling problem too...now I know what to try!

WonderMike said...

Aija rules and this reminds me that I need to knit an RPM, too!!!

Happy Happy Pride!

Anonymous said...

Oh! That smell! I know exactly what you mean. It's the first thing I do when I get a package from them in the mail...open the bag JUST a little so that that vinegar aroma doesn't escape. hmmmm!

Beautiful socks...perfect pattern!

Kim said...

I'm embarrassed as I love hideous pooling and liver spots. But I gotta say RPM is the best! I love your gay socks!

Valerie said...

The persistence, the sticktoitiveness, the commitment in the face of...um, you know--Well, it's just inspiring. (I see that the ADD meds are working for you.)

I really liked the rainbow-cast-on in the first iteration. It was purty.

Joy said...

10/10 for perseverance. I've never seen STR yarn, but understand the passion and the RPM is now on my ever growing to-do list.

See you at the weekend for Le Tour.

Olga said...

Ahhh lovely! You are the 'queen' for today!!!

Emily said...

Lovin' the socks. The pattern you finally chose is perfect.

Jessica said...

You definitely found the right solution sister. They look fabulous!! ;)

Knittymuggins said...

SO digging your new pattern choice. Amazing what a difference it can make! Funny, but I seem to remember you recommending this pattern to me for some Koigu I received in a sock swap ;)

knittymuggins

g-girl said...

wow. now I want to go off and find some yarn for that rpm pattern which I've been meaning to try for ages now!