Knitting

I thought I'd share my most recent completed socks.

These socks are from Cookie A's "Sock Innovation" book. It is a fabulous treasure trove of socks. And an incredible bargain when you consider that her sock patterns cost $5 or more each. Because I have small feet, I probably won't do too many of the cable socks (I tried one and even below gauge it was huge) but I plan to make all the lace ones, since the stretch is better for small feet.

One of the few socks in the book I didn't care to knit at all was Kai-Mei (raverly library link). The giant holes on the feet just didn't interest me. But a knit-along I participated in chose it this month and I thought I should give it a try. It turns out, I LOVE it. The holes don't feel holey, and they aren't bulky in shoes. I chose a yarn with nylon (Knitpicks Kettle Dyed Essential) so that I can wear them on carpet with a bit more confidence than a 100% merino wool. These will be my going to friends house socks- for those times I know I have to take my shoes off. They really are perfect I think. I'm so glad I knit them.

The yarn was an experiment. Knit Picks had a lot of complaints about the kettle dyed yarns not being the same colors, and they only sold them in 50g skeins, so you had to use two to make a pair of socks. They've changed the put up to 100 gram skeins, hopefully the color will be more even. But that wasn't the only complaint. Some of the kettle dyed skeins were turning out solid. No variation at all. Since they cost more than a solid skein, you would expect variation.

Well, I got 4 different colors of the 50g skeins when they were on sale (they cost less than the solids). I knew I was taking a chance that colors wouldn't match and I'd get solid skeins. To my bare eye, in the skein, all the colors seemed to match, and wine (the color above) was the only one that looked solid. I knit the sock that is on The Loopy Ewe blocker first. I was THRILLED to find that it had very lovely, subtle variation to the color. I was slightly disappointed when I did the second sock and found no variegation at all. Aww well. From a distance I don't think you can tell.

I am currently knitting with the yarn I bought from Dibadu. Shopping in German was worth the hassle, as the Wild Funnies pools beautifully. I originally made Kai-Mei with this yarn, but it was too busy for the design, and I frogged after one sock. So now I am just doing 3x3 ribbing cuffs with a stockinette foot and a short row heel. I am much happier with this decision and hope to post the socks soon.

However, now I have to do some writing, so there will not be much knitting today.