more sockens

sockina on 2.25mm dpns

i just finished these mindless socks the other day, and am itching to cast on something new. problem is, i don't have full access to my stash right now ... and i can't decide which yarn i do have can be "sacrificed" to just a "plain" sock. perhaps, i should just pick one and a sock pattern with an easy to memorize pattern.

i know it's ridiculous, but sometimes these sock yarns seem too precious to knit. i know!

we caught a break in the rain a little earlier today, and i used that time to snatch up some socks for picture time. my hands were full, and i "lost" a sock on the stairs on the way out ... therefore, there aren't any pictures of my first finished marlene.

but, i did get pictures of a couple of other in progress socks.

knitpicks bare superwash merino/nylon on 2.25mm dpns

these are the chalet socks by nancy bush (from _folk socks_). there's a tremendous amount of chart chasing with this pattern. i have a post-it that i move up after every round to keep track of where i am. the knitting is much faster on the foot, now that i am only patterning on the instep.

i also decided that i'm going to rip back on the first sock. i think there's enough space to fit in another repeat of the chart before the toe. the way it's knitted now, it looks kinda incompete.

cascade heritage on 2mm dpns

milo (from _sock innovation_) is progressing nicely as well, but it's another one that's going to need a rip-fix. i was not paying attention to the pattern and forgot that the instep has more stitches than the sole. of course, i didn't realize this until i was almost finished decreasing the toe and noticed that i had more stitches on the instep than the sole. whoops.

blue baudelaire

i finished my blue baudelaires. the fit is really nice.

sockotta is one of my favorite summer socken yarns. it knits like cotton, so it's not about the knitting experience. i like the crisp stitch definition, and the hardly noticeable tonality of the yarn. and, the price point is very nice too (cheap!).

it can be a challenge finding the right pattern for sockotta. the yarn has no stretch, so you have to find a pattern that will provide that for you. the baudelaire pattern is semi-ribbed (there are 3 purl stitches on either side of the cables, and two purl stitches down the center of the lace panels).

i did enjoy knitting these. and i love the results. i will have to resist knitting another pair with a different yarn. there are so many socks in my queue right now there's no time for repeats.

almost a pair

i'm thinking i have too many incomplete socks on the needles, and am beginning to grow my orphan stash. that's why i'm knitting as fast as i can on these socks.

this is knitty's baudelaire, yet another cookie design. it's knit toe up with a gusset and heelflap. what's made this sock more challenging is the yarn choice ... it's sockotta, a wool, cotton and nylon blend. it is like knitting with pure cotton. i started the foot with a 2.25mm needle and then switched to a 2.5. the sock doesn't have a ton of stretch, but it has just enough.

i just started the leg of the mate, so i'm about 75% finished. i'm going to try to stay on course and finish the pair, though i am quite distracted by wendy johnson's new _socks from the toe up_.

i have to tell myself, "finish these first then you can start a new one." though, i also need to finish my chalet socks, and my sockina socks, and my marlene, and ......

the reason why i think i have too many socks on the needles is i want the needles to start new ones, but they're all tied up with wips. i might have to put in a knitpicks order so i can do some more magic loop!

another orphan in the making?

have you seen? the new spring/summer knit 1 is on the newsstands. i saw the preview a few weeks ago, and was pretty excited about one of the sweaters in the magazine. i also knew it was going to feature four sock designs. but, the preview page has smallish thumbnails and no information about any of the designs or designers. it seems that this magazine has just been getting better and better, and i think this issue is better than the current IK.

anyhow ... i got this wild hair yesterday to dye some yarn to make a pair of sock from this issue.


i have several hanks of knitpick's bare fingering in the superwash merino/nylon blend. i also have various cake icing dyes. i was shooting for a nice icy blue. clearly, i didn't get it. i was too impatient to read about the proper procedure and just winged it. one thing i did do was not stir it around too much so it would get that nice kettle dyed look.


i've actually gotten past the heel now ... and it fits !

by the way, this is cookie a.'s design poppy socks. it's knit toe up. the picture in the magazine is over saturated and it's hard to see the details, but it does have a short row heel, and it has a wee gusset on the underside of the foot before the short rows begin, and then decreases afterwards back to the original number. as far as i can tell so far, there aren't any errors in the pattern.

regarding the yarn, i will use up what i have in stash, but i won't be buying it again. it's crazy soft, but it's getting fuzzy even as it's knitted. though it is superwash, i don't trust it. these will be handwash socks for certain.

seis de mayo

so, i stopped at the grocery store yesterday on the way home. they were out of the two things i wanted, wonton wrappers and mexican beer. so, i got some lima beans and belgian white ale instead.

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and today, i finished my first chalet sock. this is my entry for ska's may challenge, in the category of cables or traveling stitches. i've been wanting to knit this pattern for years, even tried it once, but never got far with it (the charts on this sock confused me).

this time, armed with post-it notes and determination, i got through it. there was some ripping involved, here and there. i repeated the instep chart 4 times (vs. 3 the pattern calls for). i could had added a 5th repeat, but i didn't want the pattern right at the toe decreases. it seems to end abruptly though. i did change the toe to a round toe.

this sock, and more, are in nancy bush's _folk socks_. i've had this book since its publication in '94 ... and i think this is the first sock i've knitted from it, other than the basic sock. BUT, it has always been my greatest learning tool. i refer to it time and time again, and my copy is quite worn.