Just Call Me Stumpy-A Plea to My New Socks

I have almost finished yet another pair of socks (need the close the toe and weave in ends) and I'm crossing my fingers that after blocking they will not be too tight.

Yup, again.

It's the same two reasons...always the same two reasons...I'm a bit peeved and I have the feeling I may have ranted about this before, but I'll do it again as it doesn't seem to be sinking in:

#1 - I may have underestimated my ability to knit so tightly that these socks could double as tiny buckets and actually CARRY water.

And of course, the primary reason I decided to knit socks in the first place:

#2 - I forgot, again, that I really don't have ankles...my legs kinda just end with a foot. No delicate anything down there. My tee-tiny "ankle" measures 10.5" around... that would be the smaller of the two. No I'm not 6 foot 5... I am, however, descended from good solid ranching stock. I am the runt of the litter at my 5' 3.75", but my arms, wrists, bust, butt, waist, and especially the aforementioned ankles don't seem to realized this. They are delusional. I wear a sized 8-ish shoe, my feet think I'm fine, thanks. Everything else sees itself as the amazon that I should have been -- from my dad's side of the family (width-wise), and not the "delicate flower" tendencies (length-wise) I got from my mom's side. (At her tallest? She was all of 4'11"; her heaviest? 112lbs. We shall not speak about how heavy my bones are...or I'll sit on you.)

Why why why why do I do this to myself?
I must get it into my head that I am not a pixie with delicate features. I have very strong legs. Mostly due to the grand amount of muscle that really belongs in someone about 5 inches taller than me. My calves start pretty close to my non-existent ankles. One of the reasons I make kinda "short" cuffs and legs of socks is that THEY WON'T FIT ANY HIGHER unless (as I finally measured and did the required math for the, ick, gauge) I start casting on almost 100 stitches...(14" of solid muscle, baby--the fat happens a little higher :).)

So why don't I? Cuz I'm delusional. That must be the reason. Add to that my lack of swatching, and the fact that I got a perfect fit with 72 cast-on stitches using Fleece Artist Merino Sock yarn. PERFECT! I wear the same two pairs of socks over and over and over and am love love loving them to death...holey death.

Lana Grossa, Sockatta, Wildfoote... whatever my first pair was made out of.... they're all at my mom's house now. Learning curve, or something. The Lorna's Laces footlets fit...because they don't go past my ankle!!!

So now, I beg of you "Too Bright for the Supermarket Cantaloupe Ribbed Socks," after I graft your toe shut and give you a nice LOOOOOOOOOONG bath, please please please forgive my simplemindedness and don't cut off the circulation to my toes. I swear if I ever get the chance to knit with your kind again, I will swatch.

Did you see what I'm doing with the Socks that Rock that I won on January One's blog? Yup, that would be me casting on 80 stitches and swatching a full-sized cast on. How about the Lana Grossa for my mom? (Cuz I do knit things for her on purpose too.) That would be me frogging the too tiny SWATCH and trying again. I am learning, slowly, painfully learning.

From top left: Fleesce Artist cake for "computer waiting sock," footlets under "knit check" ruler, 80 stitch "swatch" for STR, my (I hope) forgiving lovely Cantaloupe colored socks with what was left of the yarn, the "computer waiting leg-in progress" under the Lana Grossa and what's left of it's too-small "swatch."