Don't change horses in midstream.

(Or, don't switch from English to Continental in the middle of a sock project.)

I decided to teach myself Continental knitting in an effort to speed up gift making. Little did I know it would slow me down.

I knit the first man sock English. I swatched it first, got the correct gauge, and knit away. While making the man sock, I also taught myself Continental, and finished making a pair of armwarmers. Feeling a bit chuffed with my new found knowledge, I decided to knit the second man sock continental. Right hand, left hand, it's all the same, no? They're connected to the same body, it should be fine.

Yesterday I finished the cuff, and lo and behold, it was obviously thinner and shorter than the first sock's cuff. It then dawned on my that my tension for Continental is a bit tighter than my English. Fuck me. All 68 beautiful rows, gone? I considered continuing with the 2nd sock in Continental and then frogging my first sock and knitting it Continental as well.
Then I realized how stupid that was, and that I should just frog the 2nd sock and knit it English. I just...I just need a glass of wine....or two...or a bottle.

I showed this to my boyf and he couldn't tell the difference. Typical. He even suggested making them as they are and then sending them to my dad. And give my mother the satisfaction of pointing out that my handknit socks don't match in size??? NEVER!

Addendum, January 7, 2008: I wrote that almost 2 months ago and was too lazy and insecure to post it. I ended up just saying "fuckit" and knitting the rest of it in English, with the smaller cuff. Noticeable to a knitter, but probably not to a dad. Of course I haven't sent it yet. Will do. Soon...ish .