Stoichiometry

Hello:

I substituted today for a Chemistry teacher at Skeinherder's school.  I am a Math and English teacher.  I can probably make it through Physics, but ... Chemistry?  I really don't remember any of the one semester of Chemistry I had in college.  Yet, I have either tutored, or subbed in Chemistry 3 different times in the last 4 weeks.  It is not easy.

The funny thing is that each time, I was teaching Stoichiometry.  Stoichiometry is the calculation of relative amounts of reactants and products in chemical reactions.  Luckily for me, it's mostly math.  The two important things are to take the reactants and break them down to their elements and to make sure the equation is balanced.

This got me to thinking about the socks I have been knitting for Round 2 in Sock Madness, the Rainbow Pipes and Linen Stitch socks by Aurelie Colas.

I always knit my socks 2 at a time.  Otherwise, they never come out the same size.  I can't explain it, it might be tension, it might be that I can't count rows.  Whatever the reason, I need to knit socks together if I hope to get the same size socks.

This was a bit of a problem with these socks because of all of the colors.  And this was especially true when I was knitting the heel flaps.

Each heel flap used three of the seven contrast colors.

I had all 6 colors of yarn twisting and tangling with the black main color strands.  It was a bit confusing for a while, but I managed to keep it all together and finish the flaps together.

The next part of the heels, the heel turn, used the seventh color.

I just love these heels.  The flaps use the linen stitch.  The different colored bottoms really set them off.  And everything stands out so starkly against the black main color.  You can really see each element of the socks.  (See how I tied that back to the chemistry...)

I've finished the gussets, too.  But, since I just finished them, there won't be photos until tomorrow.  I feel like I am always posting photos the next day.  I need to knit at least 3 inches of the feet tomorrow, and then knit the final design element.  I think I am in pretty good shape to finish everything on Easter Sunday.  I hope so. I checked the finishers spreadsheet for my team, Tenacious Tadpoles, and no one has finished yet.  I should be in the top 5 again. 

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with balanced socks.