Attack of the chompy sock

Today I curled up with a pair of in-progress socks and a fluffy mystery movie. It's been so hot lately... too hot to turn on a light after dark to count rows, and the daytime heat kept slowing me down so much, sockfesting wasn't an option then either. Still, I was due for R & R & K(nitting). It was taking me ages to get past the heel flap on my current sock project, and that's just not right.

I mean, one time I knit an entire fingering-weight sock in one day! nonstop movies, bottomless cup of tea, snacks for meals... we're talkin' bliss. I can't spare the time for that kind of thing now, but surely I can get past a flap.

Probably the slowdown was because I was debating a tweak to my go-to sock pattern - a slightly wider gusset, so there's less tension across the top of my foot. It's an easy change, just adding a couple of rows to the heel flap and an extra stitch to the pickup for the gusset, but I couldn't decide whether to do two rows or four. Me + Decisions = Paralysis.

Finally I settled on two rows (if it's not enough, I can try four rows next time) and got through the heel turn. 

WHEW. Progress!

I always like this part of a sock. You start off with a tube and end with a tube, but the heel flap and gusset is so cute and innovative and functional. 

It's also where you run into the most dangerous stage of Sock: chompy sock.

 

You have to be so careful of your fingers, because this is when socks are at their most hungry and aggressive. Fortunately this one was appeased by a long stream of radish slices.

Otherwise, I might not have been able to get this cuddly photo of the two socks together. Aren't they sweet?

I won't have to struggle so much about the second heel flap, now that I know exactly how long I'm making it. Where I'll have to think hard is when I get close to the toe decreases. Should I make the sock two rounds shorter to accommodate the extra rounds in the gusset, or not?

Probably the sensible thing is to stick with my usual, try them on, and graft the toe two rounds early if the foot's long enough. But you know I'm gonna agonize anyway.

Hope you get a little time for yourself this weekend - I've sure enjoyed mine.

Thanks for dropping by, and I'll see you next Saturday!