Starry sock dilemma!

My starry socks are finished – but I have a dilemma!  

It’s not about the yarn.  I loved knitting with the Sparkleduck yarn and am looking forward to starting on the other skein that I bought from Yarndale.  I love the subtle variations in the pink and the silver sparkles which run through the whole sock.  I don’t know how clearly you can see that so you’ll have to take my word for it!

It’s not about the heels, tiny stars which I thought would make an interesting change from heel stitch.  They still create a nice cushioned heel and I’m very pleased with the way they’ve turned out.

It’s about the stars on the main part of the socks themselves.  

I took them up to Skipton with me on Tuesday to consult the knit n natter ladies. (Someone asked me once if it was worth the drive to get there.  With mugs of hot chocolate like this one waiting for me and the chance to talk yarn all afternoon – yes, it is! J)

I had an idea, you see.  Something that I’ve never done before but thought I might try on these socks.  They’re my socks, after all, and I can do what I like!  I consulted, and the knit n natter ladies agreed that it might indeed work very well.

The problem, you see, is that I don’t think you can see the stars very well.  If you look closely you can spot them, but I wanted something a bit more obvious – so my idea was to outline them in a different yarn.

Once the edge of the stars has been highlighted in a variegated yarn they are much more noticeable, and you can also see the purl texture as well.

Left foot …

Right foot …

I was feeling pretty pleased with myself until I got home and asked my husband what he thought. He liked the plain sock better.  “The other one’s a bit flash,” he said.  A bit flash?  That is the effect I was going for so my plan obviously worked – but perhaps he’s right and the socks should be left au naturel?  

What do you think?  Flash or not flash?  To outline or not to outline?

I’ll be posting the pattern for these socks very soon, and it’ll be entirely up to anybody who might want to make them whether they outline their own stars or not.  In the meantime, my socks are gazing reproachfully at me from my knitting bag, waiting for me to outline the second sock or to take the stitching out.  I think I’ve made my decision – but I want to know what you think too! 

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14 Responses

  1. Lilly's Mom says:

    Oh my, this is a hard question to answer. First of all, congrats on completing these amazing socks! I really like both designs. As to your husband's comments, I think husbands are like that; not too flashy..haha. If I was going to wear the socks, I would chose the plain ones, but the outlined ones are so pretty too. I'll be waiting to see what you decide. And, there's lots of warm sunshine in this comment to you; it's only 10:30AM and it's almost 90 degrees outside! Enjoy your weekend.

    • Winwick Mum says:

      90 degrees at 10.30am! We don't often hit 90 degrees at the height of summer! Thanks for your lovely comments and the sunshine, I shall bask in the warmth 🙂 xx

  2. Jo says:

    I'm going for flash. No point having a pattern if you can't see it, and hand made socks are pure luxury anyway, you want them to get noticed. Have you embroidered the outline afterwards or used the variegated yarn whilst knitting? You're very clever either way.

    • Winwick Mum says:

      Thank you! They're embroidered afterwards, Jo. It's not something I've ever done with socks before but I like the effect xx

  3. Wainwright and Wright.Co says:

    Hi, now you see I would choose the flashy one – just because they are flashy, why not be different? Especially as you have used sparkly yarn too. Boy, that hot chocolate looks good, definitely worth the drive for that, love how it spills down the side of the cup – ummmm.
    Look forward to seeing what you decide to do sock-wise!
    Caz xxw.

  4. Christina says:

    I like both. I guess it depends a little for whom you are making the socks. In any case, it is a lovely pattern. My husband always asks why I am knitting socks with holes (lace). Men are just hopeless. Happy Mothering Sunday. x

    • Winwick Mum says:

      Thank you! And as for the lace socks … some people just don't get it! Happy Mothering Sunday to you too xx

  5. Debbie says:

    Wow, I wish I could knit! I would be making some of those – I've never seen socks like those before! I love the starry pattern, and I think the flash is best too. The variegated yarn you picked compliments the sock colour really well, and it makes sure that you can see those cool stars that you went to the trouble of making! Socks should be fun! 🙂

    Dx

    • Winwick Mum says:

      A late resolution for this year then! YouTube is a great place for videos for beginner knitters, and I'll be putting up tutorial photos too when I post the pattern. Thanks for your lovely comments! xx

  6. Unknown says:

    I think I would go for the non-flash for myself although I like both, I did buy some sock wool at the weekend so am going to have a go at making socks following your pattern, when I can tear myself away from my crochet that is! xx

  7. Angel Jem says:

    Flash. Always flash. It is just so much better to have the stars show up than to be hidden in a cloud of pink. And the blueness of the yarn is lovely against the pink.

    • Winwick Mum says:

      We are of the same mind! I have decided to be flash and there'll be a pattern to prove it very soon! xx

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