New Yarn for Alice Bell's Boyfriend Socks

Hi Knitters,

You may remember a few weeks ago that I was very disappointed with the pair of socks on my needles at the time.  The further along I got the less I liked them.  Here is a great instance of how a wonderful pattern and a wonderful yarn are not necessarily compatible.  I should have been quicker to pull the plug on this one but you know how it is when you have already put several hours in a project.  I guess I thought if I kept at it long enough the poor pairing might magically transform into something more pleasing to the eye.  Wrong!  I finally pulled the socks off my needles and made it one of my missions while in Michigan to find a yarn that would renew my desire to make my first pair of Alice Bell's "Boyfriend Socks."  Here's the yarn that reenergized me.

It's hard to go wrong with a subtle combination of greys and blueish lavendars.  It's that kind of misty moor combination that I am always drawn to.  I found this skein within a few moments of entering the first shop I visited.  I was a happy camper.  It's amazing how your knitting slows down when you have doubts about the outcome of the finished project and how it speeds up when you feel you've got it right.

Here is my first attempt at the Boyfriend Socks: Not so pretty, right?  The color was too dark for the cables to stand out and the dramatic contrast and pooling of color didn't just look ugly, it masked the intricate design. 

Here is my second pair of Boyfriend Socks with the Cascade Heritage:

Better, don't you think?  The lighting is a little off in my photo but I think that you can tell how much better this yarn pairs with the pattern.  The cables pop and you can appreciate how they travel and intersect one another.

Pretty socks....

Not so pretty socks....

Here are the valuable lessons I learned knitting this project:

1) Dark yarns do not show off cables to their best advantage.

2) If you want to choose a painted or self-patterning yarn for an intricate pattern choose one with subtle color contrast.

3) Quit while you are ahead. Your time is too valuable to invest on something you don't love.   If your knitter's intuition is telling you that a yarn is not working with your pattern, trust yourself.  Cut your losses early, save yourself further time wasted, and head back to the knit shop.

Lesson learned.

Happy Knitting,  Josey