One step forward, two steps back

Not much more than there was a week ago, is there? But looks can be deceiving. This is now the fourth attempt at finding the right stitch pattern for my Cherry Tree Hill yarn with it's lovely, very short color repeats. First I tried this pattern, noting how nicely the multicolored yarn looked broken up a bit. This turned out badly, I think because the darker colors in my yarn hid most of the pattern. Then came the rash moment when pure, simple stockingette seemed like the perfect answer. What better to show off the ever changing yarn? Went happily along for a few inches, then s l o w l y drifted off to other things, yawning slightly. OK, bad idea. Then I tried slip stitches, remembering my rainbow socks and how well that worked with small color repeats. And they were promptly hidden completely by the darker colors in this sock.

Finally pulled out my Vogue Knitting book and thumbed through the stitch patterns, looking for something that might work. Aha! Berry Stitch looked like it might fit the bill. Some quick figuring to turn it into a pattern that worked in the round and I was off. Hard to see, but it shows off the subtle color changes well and isn't mind numbingly dull to knit, either. It did require a completely different stitch count, so I frogged, then cast on and did another twisted rib section before starting. This stitch is somewhat bumpy, so I won't continue it down the foot. I'm picturing berry stems travelling down front and back, probably in the form of twisted stitches so they stand out nicely. We'll see when I get there. The yarn colors remind me a lot of raspberries and blackberries sprawling in a sea of leaves. Thinking of calling these "Berry Patch" socks and making another pair for myself. Now to actually move forward on this pair!