My elbow downwards is still playing up and aggravated by gripping normal straight needles. So, I thought, lets try some socks.

The latest issue of Knitty had some fantastic geeky Space Invader socks.

Ben – being a retro gaming, console collecting Geek – just has to have a pair of these! He even checked that the invader characters were faithful recreations and was impressed that the bottom row was authentic green!

The pattern is given for one size only on 2mm needles – mens medium- so I knew I’d have to scale it up a bit for Ben’s flippers I mean, size 10 feet.

I diligently knit a tension square and decided that the Regia Silk, normally knit on 2.5mm should be on 3mm needles.

Tension squares lie. They are evil. 👿

I got as far as the second row of invaders before I thought – hmmm….Ben’s legs aren’t this big! The leg was measuring 24cm (10″) circumference – WAAAAY too big!

Here’s where I got to…

I wasn’t too upset to start again as this was a good practice to get me back into Fair Isle. I use the two handed method – main colour in left hand English style and contrast colour in right hand continental style. I’m not terribly experienced – I’ll post my first Fair Isle socks next!!

I love the corrugated rib at the top. I’d never seen this before but according to my Alice Starmore book, it’s a traditional Fair Isle technique. It’s a 2×2 rib but the knits are one colour and the purls another with the floats carried at the back. (Purl yarn in right hand, knits in left) Not as stretchy as normal 2×2 rib but I like it.

I wasn’t happy this attempt anyway – I was pulling too tight when weaving in the left hand yarn and some of my floats at the back were “dodgy” and too loose.

I’ve started again on 2.5mm needles, a bonus because I have a 30cm (12″) Addi I’ve been dying to try with socks. The really good thing is that the Addi doesn’t seem to to aggravating my hand/arm problem so I can knit! I think it must be to do with bracing the needle with my ring finger with normal knitting…

Here’s attempt No.2 on the Addi..

And for those of you cruel, heartless and nosey enough to want to see the wrong side…

It has come out a LOT neater than 3mm version.

Look at the difference 0.5mm makes!

Watch out for my next post – my original, preblogging days attempt at Fair Isle socks…