A Bit of Progress

I am following the pattern. From the first repeat, I was unsure, and I continue to be, but I am following the pattern.  (Reminder, this is the HUGO sock by Stefanie Bold.) 

It's a simple one. First—the directions are needle neutral, (and presume you know how to knit in the round), and are slightly biased—in favor of magic loop/2 at at time, on 2 circ's. I love that! It will make the heel and keeping up the pattern (which morphs into the gusset) so much easier to do.

Secondly, it is slightly un-even. You start with more stitches in the back of the sock than in the front.

There is a small amount of shaping done, (8 decreases over 8 inches of the leg).  These give the sock some shape, and extra ease over the lower calf. The slightly larger back of leg to begin with makes this shaping easier. 

Those are the good things I have discovered so far. But the bias element? It is created by making increases   and decreases. M1R and M1L for the increases—and OK, I broke from the pattern here--and did my own version of a make 1--see how nice it looks? Can you see the M1 at all? Or just realize it must be there because the stocking knit is biased?  That is it.  the only change I have made. 

 But they are not the expected every other row—rather every 3^rd row, (Make a “Pattern row”, work 2 rows plain) The Biased panels have a softer slope as a result. I think I would like a steeper one better.

With just a little more than 1 inch knit, it is almost impossible to really evaluate, (and the photo image does look good!) but I think I would like the socks better, with an ever other row a pattern row, better.

Still its nice to report more than an inch done—a lot more than an inch. (but I am still far short of 2 inches!) I have knit enough of the sock to see the pattern.--You'll note the markers have been removed--at this point I can see where to make the decreases, and don't need them.  that might change at some point (the heel gussets) but for now, I can manage with out them.  

Since I am making the large size, I started  with 80 stitches in a round--(a lot more than my usually 60!) so more than an inch over night is nice progress! I have made my first set of decreases—and now have a grand total of 78 stitches in each sock—Though I am never going to whittle theses socks done to my average number—big feet mean 72 stitches for the foot—which in the grand scheme of things, is still a lot more than my average.

It's a dull grey rainy day—So its a perfect day for doing laundry-- And I have plenty to do. Spring was cold, so I still haven't really completed putting away long sleeves shirts, and pulling out short sleeved ones—These loads of wash should finish up all getting all the winter stuff clean--(and relocated) but it won't be long till they are needed again.