Trying to Knit Marlene

When a sock is 72 stitches around I assume I can knit it on 2.5mm needles and it's going to end up big on me, even if it has cables.

This assumption did not work for Marlene. I knit five inches of cuff and tried to try it on. It refused to go over my heel. This stitch pattern is the most inflexible stitch pattern I have ever used for a sock.

Since I had the stitch pattern memorized and was finding it pleasant to knit, Marlene got one more chance. I frogged back to the ribbing, changed to 3mm needles, and knit a second cuff trying it on often to make sure it was still wearable.

This picture shows the front of the sock with the heel tucked under. The gusset decreases have just been completed and there are 40 more rows before the toe decreases begin.

I didn't notice how little yarn I have left until I picked it up for the photo shot. I could have made the cuff a little shorter - it's seven inches. Since I've never before come close to running out of yarn when knitting a sock for myself, I didn't know enough to be worried.


Pattern: Marlene by Cookie A. from the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of knit.1 and available online here.

Yarn: ShiBui Sock, 100% superwash merino wool

Color: Chinese Red

Needles: Options 2.5mm circulars for ribbing and stockinette, 3.0mm for fancy stitch pattern.