Cast On BBS
I’ve already mentioned I’ve joined a group knitting socks for the men and women fighting this god awful war.
Leisure socks are accepted, but most are asking for hand knit boot socks. Boot socks are required to be black and extend above the top of the boot, thus BBS (Big Black Socks). I’m looking at a total calf lenth of 12″.
These will be toe up starting with my favorite start, Aloha Cast On (PDF). It’s part of the Crazy Toes and Heels Book. About men’s size 10, so about 82 stitches around foot and calf and increases instead of decreases for toe and gusset. I’m using a paired lifted stitch - picking up a stitch from the row below and knitting into it - and it’s been fun. Black yarn, 9 stitches/inch on US#1. I’ve been holding the toe directly under my Ott lamp along with my reading glasses to be able to see the stitch to pick up. That said, the straight stitch portions are dead simple and once I get past the toe increases, I’ll just breeze along. Well, until I hit the gussets… 
By the way, these needles are KnitPick’s new circulars and so far I love them. Nice join, cables that don’t kink (at least at 24″) and nice points. They’ve been overwhelmed with orders and it took nearly two weeks to receive mine on backorder. Still, if they can catch up, these are cheap and nice.
UPDATE: Discovered a dropped stitch in the middle of the side increases this morning that has dropped farther than it’s worth the effort to fix it back up. Reset and restart.. 
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Rachel wrote:
I’ve been using my knitpick circulars on a sweater i’m kniting with bulky wool. The place where the tool to tighten the joint goes seems to snag the yarn a little as it passes over. Have you expereienced this?
Posted on 19-Jul-06 at 8:53 am | Permalink
linda wrote:
Very cool!! I am a compulsive sock knitter and appreciate so much the links, too. I will perhaps attempt these. Bless you for doing this!
Posted on 19-Jul-06 at 9:11 am | Permalink
Jerry wrote:
Rachel — So far I haven’t had any significant snags with this sock yarn on US#1.I *can* feel a bit of a ridge at the join.
Posted on 19-Jul-06 at 9:22 am | Permalink
Molly Bee wrote:
Hey Jerry! Try laying a white or light colored towel on your lap or table under your knitting. The contrast makes it a little easier. Great work on the sock! Good for you for joining such a noble cause!
Posted on 19-Jul-06 at 11:40 am | Permalink
Laurie wrote:
This picture is kind of an illusion. I looked like two pieces of denim, one cut and arched over the other. It took me a while to be able to see the sock. Kinda cool.
Posted on 19-Jul-06 at 12:52 pm | Permalink
Jerry wrote:
Laurie… Hmmm..? Just now, walking across the room with the posting on the monitor, I caught your illusion. I understood what you were saying but didn’t see it until just now. Very strange.
Posted on 19-Jul-06 at 9:05 pm | Permalink