More sock stuff

 I'd tried a couple of times to do the toes and heels different colours but had a few issues along the way.   I watched a video which mentioned a hint on a way to do this, just in passing.  I tried it and poof, success!   Well mainly success.  The socks were supposed to be navy with pink heels and toes.  I'd grabbed both the pink and purple bits from my scrap bin and for some reason wound up the purple instead of the pink.  I didn't really pay attention to it until I was doing the toe of the first sock.  By then, it was navy socks with the purple because I wasn't redoing the sock just to change the colour to pink.   They worked out beautifully though, so I was happy enough with them.    I have more navy for another pair of socks, so no worries there.

Then I knew a friend from out of town was visiting, so I made a pair of socks for her.  However I wanted to make a pair for her kid too, so I changed out the 72 cylinder to the 54 needle cylinder.   This is what I started with and I remember thinking that the 72 was a whole new game when I switched them out the first time.   This time though I had huge issues.   It's like the cylinder is just a smidge bigger than the 72.  It cranks differently and pushing the needles up is stiff and doesn't feel the same.    I did a test tube to check tension and it was fine, but lifting needles and going backwards was definitely different .  It took me 3 tries to get 2 kids socks, but I got the socks done.

Then I tried to make a pair of socks for my daughter who has tiny, skinny feet.   Stitches kept dropping and then the whole machine seized up.   Because I'd changed out the yarn carrier for a pretty, new slotted yarn carrier, it meant that I had several possible issues.   The most likely was that I had a bent needle or two causing the jam though, so I pulled all the needles, and replaced them one at a time cranking several times around for each needle.  I found one which pinged, so I pulled it because it shouldn't ping!   I readjusted  the yarn carrier and tried again. 

 The nice thing about this new slotted yarn carrier is that when there is an issue like this, I can just lift the yarn out, instead of cutting it and having to join the pieces together.   But all my fussing and readjusting didn't stop this from happening, several times.   Now I'm just beyond frustrated since this 54 slot cylinder is still working slightly differently from the 72 slot cylinder and while I've ordered a new, made to order 60 slot cylinder, it won't be here until after Christmas.   I'm hoping to have these socks made for her for a present.  I still have a few days to play with them though, after a big cup of tea!