Latterly (plus giveaway)
Half the trick to knitting is balance (balance knits with purls to keep things from curling, balance cables with plain stitches to keep things from squinching up too tight, balance increases with decreases to keep things from changing size). Latterly are a perfect balance between lace (fairly entertaining lace at that) and lovely, quiet ribbing. I’m delighted to have them back out.
I love balancing lace with ribbing. It works especially well here as this lace has you changing your stitch count from row to row. If you have too much of that all on the same row, your sock can get a bit unruly. But the ribbing keeps the lace nicely contained and marching along in a lovely, orderly fashion.
And we all know ribbing makes for a comfy, well-fitting sock. But if you’re anything like me, you can’t quite bring yourself to manage a whole sock with nothing but ribs. That’s not nearly interesting enough, no matter how great it feels! So throwing some gorgeous lace on there is a grand way to keep things interesting.
And this really is lovely lace. You do a whole bunch of increases all at once, then spend then spend the next few rows carefully whittling them back down to your original stitch count. Then you do it again, with a slightly different set of decreases. Playing with the stitch count like that often produces beautifully organic stitch patterns (it’s a really easy way to get lovely curvy lines), and this is no exception. And of course, the ribbing marches along on the sides to keep everyone on their best behavior!
It’s a perfect way to show off a solid or semi solid yarn (the lace is involved enough that you might lose some of its impact if you used a more variegated yarn). So of course I reached for Vice, because they do marvelous solids (these use Carnal, now sadly discontinued, though Paradigm is a great substitute). I know Vice is a bit hard to track down (you have to ask your LYS to carry it, but it’s totally worth asking for). So I’m going to help someone out there fall as much in love with it as I am. I’ve got a skein of Carnal to send home with someone. Just leave a comment telling me how you feel about ribbing. Secretly love it? Only just tolerable because it’s so handy? Isn’t happening no matter how useful it is? There’s no right or wrong answer, I just like knowing how you guys feel about stuff!
And while I can’t quite manage to send yarn to everyone, I can give everyone a discount. You can use the code BALANCE to get a dollar the price between now and Friday. Just put Latterly in your ravelry cart, click on the ‘use a coupon code’ button, and type in the code BALANCE. You’ll see the change in price reflected right away.
Comments left between now and the end of the day (eastern time) Friday, June 24, 2016 will be entered to win. I’ll pick a winner, contact them to get their addresses, and arrange to send yarn their way. Be sure to use a real email address so I can contact you if you’ve won (I won’t do anything with those email addresses besides notify the winner). If I do email you, I need to hear back from you within 72 hours or I will pick a new winner and contact them. Sorry, but I can only ship physical prizes to US addresses.
P.S. For anyone keeping alarmingly close track at home, this was initially out (a long long long time ago) as Once More With Feeling (and if you bought it way back then, you’ll already have the new version in your rav library, don’t worry). It was one of my very first patterns, and I hadn’t yet fully committed to the One Really Awesome Word For Titles thing. But along with adding new sizes and better charts and prettier pictures, part of the fun of re-releasing old patterns is that I get to change the name if I want, so I am!
I love ribbing, and it is perfect in these beautiful socks! Thanks for updating and reissuing!
I do love how ribbing comes in handy due to its stretch, but I’m not the biggest fan of knitting rib. This pattern looks like it has just enough to remain interesting 🙂
Gorgeous socks! Ribbing has it’s place, but can often be monotonous and slow.
I don’t mind knitting ribbing; as a continental style knitter it is just a little flick to alternate between knits and purls. Love the design!!
I love ribbing now that I’ve switched to continental knitting.
I don’t mind ribbing (as long as it isn’t 1×1!). I especially like a twisted stitch rib.
I like knitting any ribbing except 1×1 ribbing. I appreciate how the ribbing adds to the design of a piece. I like how ribbing helps in the fit of a piece.
I’m good with ribbing on socks. Think it gives a nice, crisp look. Love your patterns. Thanks for chance to win this yarn.
I love ribbing, and think socks are the perfect “vehicle” for using it. I agree about containing lace or cables withing ribbing. Just enough the right amount of interesting pattern.
Ribbing for me is “meh.” I would never make a totally ribbed sock–too boring and annoying to knit, with all the flipping the yarn back and forth. But yeah, it’s definitely useful!
I love the look of and better fit provided by ribbing… Though ribbing-only designs can be tedious. Your sock pattern looks perfect!
I don’t like garter, but I love ribbing! My cousin is just the opposite, so we give each other a hard time about it. I find garter stitch tedious, yet love the repetitive back and forth of ribbing. I don’t quite know why.
I don’t mind ribbing, and I love these socks! Just added to my queue.
I love love love this pattern and so appreciate its return. Can’t wait to start this sock pattern even though its almost 100 degrees outside and the sun is blasting. I’ll turn up the air and knit.
I love how ribbing on socks helps them fit just right (and adds a tiny tad of forgiveness to sizing – so great for gifting!)
This yarn looks scrumptious!
I love ribbing and twisted ribbing especially. It provides a great fit in socks, prevents curling, serves as wonderful contrast to lace, and,most of all, it using it in the heel makes for strength and durability. Which is why this pattern has all the elements of a wonderful sock pattern. I need a project for traveling and I think I just found it!
Julie
2 x 2 ribbing is my go-to for socks as gifts for people whose feet I wasn’t able to measure. I’ve learned to appreciate knitting it.
I love ribbing! Thinking you have inspired me to add a bit of lace to a pair of plain socks i have been planning.
Love the look of these socks. I have never tried the yarn you have on offer but I love to expand my repertoire!
I LOVE THESE SOCKS!!! Nice ribbing, nice lace. I think best is ribbing is twisted.
I tolerate ribbing because of its function, and I believe it can look nice (as we can see here on this lovely sock). But, I hate knitting long stretches of it. It starts to make knitting feel like a chore for me when that happens, and I love knitting so I never like that feeling.
Can’t wait to get started on these fabulous socks!
Beautifully balanced socks. I can not wait to start knitting them.
I find ribbing (2×2) can be very relaxing. The lace on these socks reminds me of one of your Curls patterns–very pretty!
A gift of hand knitted socks is appreciated by my knit worthy friends and family. Ribbing contributes to a good fit.
I like a pattern that has some, but not all, ribbing. Latterly looks perfect. Thanks for the reissue, and also the yarn give away..
As usual, a beautiful pattern. You never fail to design something interesting. ?