Let's Talk *Clean*

First of all, I am extremely excited to try out my "Ginny Weasley" skein I dyed up not too long ago! I'm already on my way to designing "Simply Ginny," an anklet sock that is easy, elegant in simplicity,....and refreshing. You get a wonderful mix of great portions of stockinette to just show off your colors, and that extra little edge from a common cable and ribbing on the cuff & heel. What a breath of fresh air.


...But, let's talk clean, shall we? I am a firm believer that 2x1 or 3x1...especially 2x2, 3x3... or anything higher than a simple 1x1 rib looks messy and stretched out on socks. (Yes, there are exceptions, as in full body ribbing on the leg.) So, should you never use those kinds of ribs on the edges of other projects? Heck no. They look great on hats and other such knitted items. However, what does happen to 2x1, 3x1 or other such ribs is that the cuff gets stretched out...and ugly. After wearing it over and over again, your sock probably won't spring back like it should. Not only are 1x1 ribs pretty, and has much elasticity, there is also another option in that family: K Tbl's (knitting through the back of the loop). If you *K1 Tbl, P1* across every round, not only will your cuff be very elastic, it holds the integrity of the knit stitch to the fullest. Look closely at my cuff. When you stretch it, only the purls are being stretched, thus keeping the knit stitch intact and not stretching in that ugly way it does with other ribs. Those little V's stay V's. Period. Isn't that a beautiful thing?
I highly recommend you try this rib, if you haven't already, on your next socks. You won't be disappointed.