Recalculating Destination

Yesterday after the photo shoot of "Arlington Sunrise" and "Arlington at Dusk" I immediately cast on for the Slip Stitch Delight socks. The pattern originally calls for a medium weight yarn and size 2 needles. Sounds like a dream to me. I like knitting my socks with size 2 because they go faster and I'm usually a tighter knitter anyway. Although lately I'm finding that not so much the case. The pattern also has a CO of 60 sts and claims to have a cuff diameter of 8". Being that I have high arches and need a wider cuff to get over my heal, I resorted to adding 12 stitches to the cast on hoping that would give me the extra room I needed. However, after knitting the first 8 rows of the cuff ribbing, I was saddened to realize the fabric created was a little too loosy-goosy for long wearing socks. So a-frogging I went and re-cast on with size 1 dpns. The X motif was exciting to see emerge but that excitement was quickly squashed as I realized the limited diameter of the cuff. I went on a little further to check out the body of the leg pattern and to see what the give of it was. Again disappointment and then evil flashes of the possibility of 100 stitches on size 1 dpns with a two row repeat pattern that is kind of tight to knit began to make my head spin. My stomach did somersaults. I wiped my brow of the sweat beading up there. Would my beautiful yarn and the perfect pattern for it be tossed aside to never see the light of a knitter's hand for a decade or more?

And then by some miracle of the knitting gods, as I was fondling the piece staring in disbelief, my fingers slid through the completed fabric and the world began to shine again as the yarn and pattern called out it's new destination. "Arlington Sunrise" doesn't want to be a pair of socks to be hidden away beneath a pair of slacks or jeans and stuffed into some sweaty shoes. No, no my friends. "Arlington Sunrise" wants to be adored by all as they are flashed around. They want to be as energetic as a simple pair of socks would be but with more flare, more finesse, more exuberance. And who am I to not give in to the yarn's deepest desires?

And so Slip Stitch Delight fingerless mitts they will be!!!