I shouldn’t have to ask this question. I feel very dumb that I have. to. 
I am working with a new sock yarn called Regia. It makes these very distinct stripping patterns and it is simply a joy to work with. Now, with my socks, I am following a basic pattern. CO=64 stitches (ndl 1=24, ndl 2=24, ndl 3=16) and am working on size 2 dpns. As I’m working, the pattern isn’t that distinguishable. Would it say somewhere on the yarn how many stitches I can CO for the pattern to work or does it matter? Right now, 64 seems to be too much.
If it is too much, what would you recommend to CO, with size 2 needles? The yarn is, obviously, fingering weight.
What is the pattern you are working? I find for my taste that at least in photos that an intricate stitch pattern in self striping yarn does not show well. I have made a couple of pair of socks in self striping and went with much simpler patterns and was happy with the look.
Are the socks too big? If so then you need to cast on fewer stitches. How many stitches does it take to 1 repeat of the pattern? You will have to cast on in that multiple.
The pattern is very simple: only a rib 2. So the repeat is 64 sts.
You can do the k2,p2 ribbing in any multiple of 4. If the diameter is too big then you need to cast on fewer stitches. I find 60 stitches plenty for my own socks on that size needle. I have muscular legs and that is a great fit for me. If you are small, thin etc that my be still too large. The best bet is measure the diameter of your foot. Mine is 8 1/2" and multiply by how many stitches to the inch you get in the rib pattern and round down to nearest number divisible by 4 if that is the pattern you are going to continue for the whole sock.
http://www.thedietdiary.com/blog/lucia/530
This is a link to a sock calculator to help you figure out how many stitches you need.
I think she is referring to how many stitches to work with so that the self-striping yarn is making a beautiful design.
I would say that depends on the yarn and the needles used. I have seen some very beautiful designs with self striping yarn but I haven’t managed to get it that way.
This may also sound stupid, but does it matter where you start with the yarn? As in, if you start part way through one of the colors, will it throw the rest of the sock off?
Ah, I found the issue. It’s much harder to see the pattern with the rib 2 on the cuff. When you get to the stockinette, it’s much clearer. Thanks for everyone’s help!
