Stitch patterns / Bind offs

[tautriadelta]

So, at a fiber festival last year, I bought an oz of cashmere from a goat named Deiter.  After I got done laughing and shouting "Touch my monkey!", I decided I wanted to knit something with it, to honor that series of skits.  However, I can't seem to find anything that rings true.  Has anyone seen any lacy patterns that might work?  I'm thinking

Comments

[emmacrew]

Often a bind off that looks sloppy when you finish a sock looks great once it's washed and on a leg... but I really like a tubular/grafted bind off on 1x1 rib for both good looks and stretchiness.

ETA: on the stitch pattern front, maybe a lace pattern that resembles sprockets? Cogwheel came to mind but isn't quite what I was imagining.

[cookiegirlie]

I agree about socks looking better on a leg. However, I use a sewn cast off on my toe-up socks.

[tautriadelta]

What sparked this is I just finished a pair of socks where the cast off looks great on one and awful on the other. I finished the first about a month ago. The second still looks a little sloppy on the leg. And, unhappily, I can't remember what I used on the first sock! I thought it was the K2tog, slip the st back onto the 1st needle and repeat, which is what I used on the second. So now I'm wondering if it just settled in the month, and its not me...

Sprockets! OMG, I love you! I'm gonna go hunting for more ideas!

[veryfineredwine]

After a few too-tight castoffs, I use nothing but Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bindoff on my socks. I've never had it come out too tight, and after a washing it looks and feels great.

[tautriadelta]

I've heard about this one, and was wondering if it was as good as advertised. Will try it out! Thank you!

[uozaki]

Just as an aside, I've always done socks top-down and never had a problem trying them on as I go.

I'm also a fan of the Surprisingly Stretchy for things that need blocking, although I've done only one pair of toe-up and can't really speak to how well it works for socks.

[tautriadelta]

Well, I'll give top down a shot on my next pair. I remember my first try on socks was top down, and was riddled with problems. I blamed it on the technique, frogged and tried again with toe up, and did better. Maybe it was just begginers issues that got worked out on the first try, not the technique?

[uozaki]

Could be, especially if it was your first go with dpns (I assume you use dpns?) - I think I did the same thing, started on a top-down, couldn't deal with the first couple of rows, and switched to toe-up. Never finished the toe-up, somehow, but definitely the first time's a pain. For me it's just easier to figure when to start a toe than a heel, but there's something undeniably convenient about going until the yarn runs out, especially with big feet.

[tautriadelta]

Yeah, DH and I both have big feet. I'm a 11 woman's, he's a 10 mens. And he has really developed calf muscles from decades of back country hiking. And of course he likes long socks. =/ I love the 'go until the yarn runs out', cuz then my socks are always the same length. And being able to tell people exactly how much yarn is in a sock!
It wasn't my first go with DPNs in the round, I had previously knit a scarf that way to get a feel for it. I had heard how much trouble DPNs could be, so I figured I'd practice first on something less tricky. 6 feet of stockinette was more than enough practice!

[cymrullewes]

I like the *k2tog, slip back on to holding needle, k2tog*. There's also a picot bind off that can be exceedingly subtle. *Cast on 2, bindoff 4*.

Make a filet crochet pattern and a stole for the cashmere?

[tautriadelta]

I actually used the K2tog etc on this pair! Like I said above, it still looked a little sloppy on the leg. =(

I totally love your idea! I only bought an ounce, so not enough for a stole, but maybe a scarf, or matching armwarmers!