sock designing woes

Hey, look! My Rogue is as big as a TiVo remote!

I'm almost done with the repeats for the narrow part of the waist. I know a gajillion other knitbloggers have said it already, but I love how waist shaping is accomplished solely through the cables.

In less productive news, I'm starting over again with the sock I'm knitting for a sock exchange. I'll post the picture below. Even though the recipient doesn't want to see it, I'm almost positive that I'm going to choose a different pattern and start again, so this isn't actually her sock.

The first problem with the sock is that it's going to be too big. I didn't build enough negative ease into it. Even though the circumference is a bit less than it needs to be, it's not as much as it should. Secondly, I'm just not wild about the lace pattern, anymore. It looks good on paper, but I don't like how it's turning out. Thirdly, I kinda forgot to account for the fact that stockinette curls. (Yes, I realize the irony, as the motto of advanced_knit is "We know that stockinette curls". Yes, this sock is for an exchange run through that LJ community. *headdesk*) The lace pattern is only on the front of the sock, and there is no ribbing or garter stitch or anything on the back of the sock to keep it from curling down. I'm so stupid.

So what do I do? The dilemma is that the person I'm knitting for has a wider than average calf circumference, and a relatively large decrease from calf to ankle. She wants a sock with a lace leg, and one that is calf length. I think that the solution to this problem is ribbing, but ribbing and lace aren't necessarily good cousins. I feel kind of in a bind. I can think of a commercial pattern that does combine ribbing and lace, although it's not as lacy as I was hoping for. I would still have to alter the pattern to fit her, but that wouldn't be a huge deal. I really had my heart set on designing something for her from scratch, but the constraints are a bit much for this first time sock designer.

Does anybody have advice? I can think of one lace/ribbing pattern, which I alluded to above. (I won't mention it by name, because the sock recipient might be reading this, and doesn't want to know what she's getting.) Do any of you have patterns that you think might fit the bill? I have a feeling I might get suggestions for the pattern I'm already thinking of, but that's okay.


edit: I forgot to add that I saw the most amazing socks at the knitting group last night. They were made from a pattern from Classics in Kroy. Moss stitch, twisted stitch ribbing, gorgeous wavy shaping. It's hard to describe them, but get your hands on that book, and you'll know which ones I'm talking about. Half the people there were all over the book, so I think our LYS owner is planning on ordering a bunch of copies.