The Next Socks

I had planned to cast on the next pair of Six Sox KAL socks when I got back from North Carolina. But I've run into a snag. I have wide feet and my ankles tend to swell. So I take 0 to 5% for negative ease instead of the more usual 10%. Therefore my socks tend to measure about 9 inches for a thick sock in worsted to about 8.5 inches for a fingering weight sock.

That's good. I know this about myself. The problem is that the new 6SKAL sock is 66 stitches and a gauge of 8.5 st/inch. Those numbers just don't multiply out to a sock that will fit me. The only 'up and down' sizes are to change needle for a greater or lesser gauge.To get those 66 stitches to go around my foot, I'll need a gauge of 7.33 st/inch. And that gives WAY to loose a fabric in fingering weight yarn.

OK, I figure my options are 1) go up to a sport weight yarn where 7 st/inch is a good firm fabric 2) add a pattern repeat (or two) and have the hassle of recalculating a heel that's done in a technique that I'm unfamiliar with - short rows from the top down.

Either way, I'm not casting on those socks this week. I need either a trip to the yarn store or some serious design time.

So instead I'm stash diving. I have in the stash three balls of gold Cleckheaton wool and so I'm casting on the famous Blueberry Waffle Socks. But since these are yellow, they will be Banana Waffle Socks *G*.

Since I don't own ANY sport weight socks, I figure this will let me know if I like this weight of sock. Then I can make a more informed decision on the KAL socks as well.