Still Talking to Socks

Can I just start by saying I love Hubby's size 9 feet?

Boy, howdy, knitting socks was not top of mind when I was husband shopping (actually, I didn't know how to knit at the time), but it really worked out well!

Anyway, the socks for The Guy in the Art Department are starting to show progress (not that I have an updated picture for you).

I wasn't able to work on them during my trip. For the flight I had them on my long US1 needles and there was turbulence in both directions. I was concerned about impaling myself so I went with the Brainless Bamboo Shawl instead. Then at the conference I was to busy to knit anything.

I was able to work on them over the weekend when we were at the in-law's.

As I mentioned, I'm going toe-up so I can use every scrap of yarn (we only had the two skeins in this color, so when I run out I'll have to stop), but I'm using a free pattern from, um, Skacel as guide. The pattern is for cuff-down and says for a size 11 shoe to work the foot for 23 cm from the picked up stitches. The entire foot length will be 29 cm.

Well, in my wisdom, I held up my tape measure and scoffed because how could a foot be that big?

Anyone who has knit for size 11 feet before it probably pissing themselves laughing by now.

Because of this, over the weekend I stopped when the sock was, oh, 6 or 7 inches long, around 19 cm, since I didn't want to knit too much.

Then on Tuesday I saw TGitAD and showed him my progress. He pet the sock, which is an instinct you have to appreciate in a non-knitter. (For the record, Hubby will both pet and nuzzle yarn for his projects.) Then TGitAD plunked his foot up on the little red chair outside my cube and I measured it.

30 cm. gulp.

Now, that was the shoe and not the foot inside, but obviusly the pattern was not lying to me. (Unlike my coworkers all week with their alligators, missing innertubes, and public speaking assignments. sniff!)

I got back to work. The sock is now 23 cm, which is about 9 inches. I had him make a fist and wrapped the sock around it, and I think I can safely work the heel. I'm going short row to make it easy on myself. I informed him that after I work the heel a little of the leg he'll have to try it on to make sure it fits properly.

I'm also going to throw in a lifeline at this point so if it is too small I'll be able to rip back easily.

Of course, I'm making careful notes about row count, etc., so the second sock will just fly along.

Alchemy Juniper
In case you're wondering...this is the first time I'm using this new yarn. I would agree with all the positve chatter you've been hearing online.
However, I have found it a bit splitty. Especially when I first started, but I wonder whether I'm working against the ply and the motion of casting on opened the twist up a bit. It's been fine since then. I've felt or saw the one or two I have split and been able to fix them, so it's no big deal.

Summer of Socks 09
And, for anyone keeping count, these won't count for Sos09 since I started them before June 21.