See that? That’s a sock. Just a plain, ordinary 3X1 ribbed sock for Dale. And yet – it’s kicking my ass. I swear, I knit around and around and around on this thing and it just simply refuses to grow. The other day I measured, knit for an hour, measured again and it was shorter. I am not kidding.
Truly, this sock is the black hole of sock knitting.
I can hear you laughing, you know. Stop that. This is serious.
Man socks. Ugh.
Oy. L wants socks. I am resisting.
Is Mason frogging back and quickly putting the needles back in when your back is turned? 😉 *snicker*
How big is his foot??
I have had yarn for another pair of socks for my son sitting in the stash for over a year and just can’t bring myself to cast on for this very reason. The sad thing is, the kid really loves handknit socks.
Laughing, yup. Quit stretching the damn thing when you measure, grrl. And keep it away from the lace, so it doesn’t get more shrinking ideas.
Mansocks just seem to take FOREVER, don’t they?!
p.s. I love you little stitch marker
Sounds like the trouble I have with scarves. It’s pretty yarn, though!
That is because you don’t really want to knit it. Brown socks just don’t float your boat. Tell him to pick a color YOU like.
well you know what they say … big feet …. big socks.
So basically it’s my term paper, only in fiber.
We’re in trouble.
I’m not laughing. It’s happened to me. Put it down and knit something else for a day or two.
Maybe his foot is growing. Or he doesn’t really want the sock and rips it our when you’re not watching. Just sayin’…..
I am working on a sock – your favorite picot edge plain stockinette sock – and it has the same problem. Maybe we need to give them socks some growth hormones.
I think men’s socks are like that in general. Especially if they have long feet. Don’t remind me that my dad’s socks probably won’t be a Christmas present this year. It’s ok though, his birthday is in March, it’s not that far off. 😉
I’d check into buying a new ruler. 🙂
I know what you mean! I am on my third man pair in a month and still have two pair to go. They never seem to grow. I’m saving the largest until last and it will take forever, a size 15 foot.
Ken wants some new socks ……..um, once a sales clerk told him he had oar paddles for feet. (that didn’t go over to good, btw).
can see knitting socks for him being a black hole too…
The yarn is lovely so maybe knitting that sock forever won’t be so bad…
The black hole of socks has been well documented by the Yarn Harlot. However, it was known to hover over Toronto. It must have blown down to you by the Canadian Clipper cold front that came through.
Just keep knitting, it’s supposed to be warmer tomorrow. Perhaps the black hole of socks can’t tolerate southern weather?
Been there. There now actually: cast on koigu (on 2s no less!) for a quick pair of socks and they are stuck in the same black hole.
Kinda like eating spaghetti…
I love my men in the family but I sure hate knitting socks for them…big feet!!
I think we must be traveling in the same time warp, I too started a pair of man’s socks (we’ll see if we get that far, a pair hah!) and it is taking FOREVER, have barely made any progress. I’m trying to think of any excuse to drop this dreaded project, maybe the sock would be better in another yarn such as Lorna’s Laces, he has a large foot and this is never going to end. Oh I long to get back to a cowl (I love the instant gratification). I will slyly ask him if he likes the yarn, perhaps there is hope yet and I’ll have to shop for something else and thicker yarn that will knit up faster.
I guess that black hole thing will let me off the hook for Hubby’s Christmas present of socks – besides I have a quilt to finish!
It could be a wormhole sock – you knit, it gets shorter, and someone else’s sock is getting effortlessly longer.
I so feel your pain. I am knitting a pair–toe-up, 2 at-a-time. I call them my neverending socks. I know you’ll finish yours. I’m not so sure about mine.
Here’s a pic:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dkdykstra/3080145696/
(I love Chris’s comment.) You have my sympathy. To divert you, have you seen the new Berroco Sox Metallic? I’m warming up the charge card right now.
I too love Chris’s comment, and am starting a sock immediately to see if I can take advantage of this.
(This is why I put cables in all my socks. The sock knows it can’t pull those cute tricks on me when I can see the cable growing.)
After Chris’s comment, I think I need to go check my own mansocks-in-progress (3×3 rib)…perhaps they’ve gotten longer since I put them down!
Christmas socks? I know the feeling.
Good luck!
I don’t think I’ll ever make socks for Larry on anything thinner than sport-weight yarn. I’d go crazy.
Stop mocking me, sock!!!!
The only thing you can count on is that when you come out of the other side of the black hole, knitting will seem to just FLY off your needles. (In a good way.)
Let me know when you want me to crank out a pair for ya… ;op
That happened to me, too, when I knit my husband a pair of beaded rib socks (no, the bead is not a bead, but a stitch). It felt like they took 6 weeks. As opposed to the stockinette socks which I just finished in 1 week. Maybe we should knit the patterned socks for ourselves only.
*stifling laughter*
Ahem.
Hey, I shouldn’t laugh…I go my arse kicked by a STOCKINETTE sock…and not just in a “this isn’t growing” way, but in a “I totally screwed this up” way. Talk about embarrassing….
Are you sure you measured the real sock and not that teeny tiny stitch marker? ::runs for cover::
You know, if we could get physicists interested in this bending of the space-time-fiber continuum, it seems like there would be grant money in it somewhere.
I’ve been working on a pair of black socks for my husband for more than a year. One is finished. I feel your pain.
LMAO. I started a gauge swatch the other night on size 9 needles. Measured 18.5 stitches over 4 inches. I decided I wanted a tighter fabric, so I went down to a size 7 needle.
Measured again. 18 stitches over 4 inches. ?????
Are you jumping to the left and stepping to the right?
Whatever the cause, it’s catching! My mansock is making reverse progress, too. 🙁
It’s happening to me on a sweater. No one in my family believes me, they think I am nuts, but I know better, just like you do!
Are you remembering to bring your knees in tight?
Ya know, I think Dale would like some house socks made out of a nice worsted weight yarn. I’m just sayin’…
And I do feel your pain. I’m knitting the same socks and it’s taken my will to live. xo
sounds to me like true love. why else would you torment yourself?
At least the yarn is pretty…
I feel your pain, I have 2 pairs of man socks in progress.
LOL – it was shorter? I think you need to make him socks from at least DK weight yarn from now on!!!
Oh, I hate it when you knit and knit and the thing doesn’t get any bigger. Maybe you can put it away for a while?
Ha…………I’m thinking that maybe there are some martinis involved in your knitting time?