The Knitting Fiend

A long, long time ago, I wrote an Argyle Sockulator. I was going to test knit with several socks, but I’m afraid stuff happened. (I don’t remember quite what. I think it was a blend of my old url got slammed, I was having trouble describing things and a home server I used to develop and test my perl scripts blew up.) Anyway…I test knit the program, but not fully. The result is the directions are, well, less than clear!

Test knitting this pattern is strangely difficult for this pattern. One reason is that the knitting technique is one I haven’t actually seen anywhere; I unvented it. It’s actually not to difficult to actually do, in fact, once I have the technique in my head, I generally “automatically” do the right thing. Unfortunately, that means forcing myself to read the directions can be tough! The problem: To test knit, you really, honestly do have to read and follow the directions as written!

Ok, but even though I never properly test knit, I kept the program in place, always planning to “get around” to test knitting; (it’s here: Seamless Handknit Argyles. Though I don’t chat up the program, it not actually hidden, and it is “findable”. Stitchay woman found it. Then, StitchayWoman arrived at my forum and asked some questions (which is a good thing.)

Unfortunately, it has been so long since I knit an Argyle, I just didn’t know the answer!

So it sounds like I’m just doing this for StitchayWoman, right? Sort of, but I suspect I have created a worse problem. When I wrote the program, I didn’t blog. Maybe 20 visitors a day came to my whole site. Then I began to blog. I get about 700 visitors a day to the blog. Most get here by way of google. People see things, click, and since the sock pattern isn’t hidden, the say “what the heck”. Some may be casting on, knitting, getting frustrated, and they may be too shy to ask. Still, I think I can someone cursing “Dang the directions for these seamless argyles to heck!” in Turkish, Finnish and Aussy accented English.

Not good.

So….. I am now test-knitting an Argyle sock! (I’m also finishing up the shawl. I’m just pausing while I make a “creative” decision– that is, what type of edging trim to add!)

Ok, so as far as blogging goes, here’s the plan: I’m going to show the “general idea” while knitting the first sock. I won’t get too much into details because I may find I need to step back and redo something. But, I will point out obvious mistakes.

Then, while knitting the second sock, I’ll show operations in more detail, and rewrite the “sockulator” in php (because that’s an easier language to maintain on the web than perl.) Then, the “corrected” program will be available.

Will the corrected program be perfect? Beats me. But, I’m going to try.

Ok: Since I said I would reveal “the general idea”. The first “general idea” is the diamonds for an Argyle are formed by working “short rows”. I have a special wrapping technique designed to prevent holes. I do not know if this technique is the easiest possible way to do this. It’s just the method I unvented, and it works. (It’s also poorly described, so part of this test knit process will involve describing the process better.)

If people want to knit along with me, start thinking about your yarn. I’ll be fresh and ready to answer questions when I hit my second sock. (I’m slow, so that might not be for about two or three weeks.) Warning: I’d love everyone to knit an Argyle, but a) the technique is not horridly difficult, but this is not a first sock project and b) the frustration level may be high not because the sock is stupendously difficult, but the directions are miserably confusing unclear. Ripping may be required.