I should be called "SmallFoot", as opposed to BigFoot. I am frustrated that (almost) all sock patterns are for bigger feet than mine. I am a woman size 7 and I feel that the rest of the planet is size 8!!! Most (non-cable) patterns call for 64 sts and my personal number seems to be 56. Yes, even with fingering weight yarn and 2.5mm needles. And, even if I am a thight knitter.
So, that means that a significant part of my knitting a sock involves adapting patterns to a 56 sts, which is not always possible without altering the pattern itself (sometimes majorly) and knit/rip apart/start over again and again, which is frustrating and not as productive as I want. (sigh)
Any small feet knitters in this room with a word on this? <:-)
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6 comments:
It is sad that occasionally your sock-engineering requirements exceed my abilities!
You do a great job dear. Together, we are a good team!
actually, 56 stitches are not too frustrating. most patterns are for multiples of at least 2.
56 is a very good divisible number so all you'd have to do is to divide it by the pattern repeat and that's the only change you would have to make. for divisions by 5 or 10 you could go for 55 or 60 stitches, depending on the type of pattern.
the only problem is that even with all the math, it might not fit because there is that thing called gauge. it doesn't just depend on your ability to divide or do math, it also depends on your ability to knit consistently-- sometimes i knit tighter when i'm stressed, or sometimes i knit too loosely when i'm not paying attention (i.e. watching tv). it's all about muscle memory. or as someone very wise said, "gauge is a b*tch."
For most pattern, I'd say that it is rather easy to adapt to a 56 sts pattern, such as when it is a 2 st repeat. The problem I am facing often at the moment is about patterns with repeats of 8 sts.
If you do the math, 64 sts is 8 repeats, whereas 56 gives 7 repeats... It is fine until you face the separation for the heel... Sometimes it is fine to cut a repetition in half, sometimes it is not... :-( I just had a case in which it is not fine (repeats of 8+2). I decided to modify the pattern by removing 1 st from the repeats, so giving 8 repeats of 7 sts, intead of the opposite. It'll be easier to split for the heel.
good point... maybe you should have a 'standard' heel formula regardless of pattern. most devoted sock knitters have a formula of how many stitches to cast on, favorite heel, and favorite toe. the only thing they vary is the pattern on the ankle and foot.
btw, you forgot one advantage of having smaller feet. you get to knit socks faster because you have less stitches to knit than most of us bigfeet. (and especially when the socks are for size 13 (US) men. the socks take forever!)
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