Mad-Tini Socks

Why is it so hard to finish the Second Sock?


DONE! Fini! Buh-bye!

What I didn’t tell you before is that I promised and pinky swore to myself that I could not, would not start another sock until I finished this one. Despite my well documented Startitis, I have been good. And I’ve been trying to figure out what it is about this sock that made me avoid it. So, ideally, I can avoid whatever that is in the future.

It’s NOT the pattern. Mad-Tini is now available for download from the designer’s website (or see it on Ravelry). The Oblique Rib to start the cuff and Oblique Spiral for the leg and foot have a nice texture, work well with a variegated yarn (since the slip stitches break up pooling a bit), and the repeat is easy peasy and knits up quickly. I did modify the pattern to knit in sock weight rather than sport weight, by simply adding a multiple of 8 stitches.


Portrait of socks off the needles

Now, we’re getting closer to the problem, um opportunity. No, problem. It’s the yarn. I do not enjoy knitting with Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock. Not in a boat, not with a goat, I do not like it Sam I Am. This is purely my preference. It’s a lovely yarn, many knitters love it, it comes in lots of colors. I just, find it, well, stringy. I remember now I thought the same thing knitting those Jaywalkers last Spring.

Anyway, I’m glad they are done! They will be sent off to my sister in Seattle and I hope she’ll like the colors, I know I do. All in all, I’d knit these again, with the sportweight called for in the pattern.


Details:

Pattern: MadTini Socks, Pattern from Sock Madness 2007, by Karin Bole

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, in Spruce

Needles: US 0 / 2.0mm Addi Turbo circs

Gauge: 8.5spi

Started: 3/27/2007

Completed: 1/25/2008

Finished Size: Womens US 10

Main Blog post HERE.

Charade Socks

Done!

Loved the pattern! First off, it’s free. It’s a very easy slipped-stitch rib which looks great in every yarn I’ve seen it knitted in – variegated, solid, wool, Tofutsies. It’s clear, easy to follow, simple, and makes great mindless travel knitting, yet it has a nice texture that looks harder than it is. One comment I will make is that it’s not all that stretchy. So if you need extra foot or ankle room, consider adding a multiple of four stitches. I made no modifications to the pattern, except maybe making the flap a couple of rows longer, and decreasing the toe in my favorite way.

Since these socks started as travel knitting to the UK, both legs were knit with US0 Lantern Moon Sox Stix. I’m still not the world’s greatest fan of dpn’s. However, the shorty blondwood needles were perfect for travel. They went right through security, and the 5” size tucks neatly in a small zip-loc, so no lost needles. I still prefer my two-circs, and though they are pricey, I would recommend the Sox Stix to dpn fans.

The yarn was just plain fun to knit. Now, if you don’t like pooling, these are not the socks for you. But, I find them hilarious. Victoria is knitting another skein that I got from Gypsyknits at the same time, though it's a different colorway, and they seem to be more variegated and less flashy.


Slip Stitch Heels

Details:
Yarn: Gypsyknits, merino superwash sock yarn, color Party Fun, from Etsy
Needles: Lantern Moon Sox Stix while traveling, Addi US0/2mm two-circs at home
Pattern: Charade Socks, free pattern
Started: 6/23/2007
Completed: 8/25/2007
Finished Size: Women’s US11

Amble Socks

Amble Socks, Done!

Pattern: Amble, by Alison Clayton, Six Sox Knitalong, a simple gansey patterned top-down, flap-heel sock

Yarn: Lang, JaWoll superwash wool/nylon, color pistachio, used about 70g

Needles: Various US0, US1, US1.5, Inox and Addi circs, 2.omm, 2.25mm, 2.5mm

Gauge: 8-9spi

Started: August 2005

Completed: May 5, 2007

Finished Size: Womens US 9½ -10 (for my sister)

Notes:
I worked on this pair of socks over a very long period of time and between arm surgeries. Both of these factors meant that my gauge was all over the map. I decided partway down the first leg that I should go down a needle size, which was fine for the rest of the leg and foot. The second sock, started a year later, knit up much tighter. And at the heel turn I had a decision to make.

Though I almost ripped the first sock out and gave up this project, the finished socks feel fine on, and will be a gift to my sister.

The Lang JaWoll, is very soft, nice to knit though very fine gauge, has crisp stitch definition in the pale solid color. JaWoll comes with a matching spool of reinforcing thread which I used at the heel flap/turn and toe.

I found my ability to read and memorize the stitch pattern improved dramatically from start to finish, and this made the second sock knit up a lot faster than the first. I think my intervening lace projects increased my skills in reading the knitting and being able to “see” and knit a simple repetitive pattern like this without constantly referring to the chart.

Jaywalker Socks – Happy Valley

Pattern: Jaywalker, by Grumperina, from MagKnits, September 2005

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces, Shepherd Sock, color: Happy Valley, from emtnestr on eBay

Needles: Addi circs US1 / 2.5mm

Gauge: 8spi in stockinette

Started: January 2007, while taking care of Mom

Completed: April 4, 2007

Finished Size: Womens Large, fits my US11’s


Notes:
I first knit the leg on US0’s, but the chevron pattern has so little stretch that even my skinny minny feet were not going to fit through the sock leg. Re-knit on US1’s which have enough give to make a wearable sock. I find I really prefer the fabric using Shepherd Sock on 0’s though.

In the oops department, I inadvertently knit one heel with plain slip stitch, and the other with eye of partridge. Oh well.

Had less than an ounce/24g or approx 86yds left over from two skeins, so I estimate the socks used about 344yds to complete with a nice long leg (approx 9 inches).

These socks started fast and I like the way they broke up the variegation of the yarn. I would try another chevron pattern before I knit this pattern again as the lack of stretch results in a sort of baggy ankle.

My feelings about the Shepherd Sock remain ambivalent. I think the socks are nice and soft after a soak. I find the yarn just a little thin and stringy while knitting it which I didn’t feel about the Trekking XXL even though it’s about the same gauge. I ordered this color on eBay and it’s a bit pale and pastel for me but I’m planning to give these to my Mom for Easter as they are perfect springy easter-egg colors and fit Project Spectrum too. Interesting too how different the pooling is on each foot.

For the Sock Marathon I used 344yds or two-tenths of a mile.

Monkey Socks

Click for larger

Pattern: Monkey Sock from Knitty Winter 2006

Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Yarn, Plumicious, 2 skeins, from Y2Knit in Funkstown

Needles: Two circs, Addi US0 / 2.0mm

Gauge: 8spi

Started: 2/21/2007

Completed: 3/25/2007

Finished Size: Womens US 11


Click for larger

Notes:
This pattern was a fast and easy knit for me. I found the stitch pattern easy to memorize and knit without full concentration. I knit the pattern as written except for using an eye of partridge stitch for the heel flap and picking up one more gusset stitch each side on the heel. I used six full repeats on the foot before decreasing for the toe.

The Claudia’s yarn was wonderful to knit with. The colors are hard to photograph and are more vibrant in person, ranging from a hot pink through soft mauve to chocolatey brown. Until now, I’ve resisted using a highly variegated yarn with a complex stitch pattern, but I think this combination really worked. The stitch pattern, though bordering on lace, is simple and geometric enough that it holds its own with the yarn.

Claudia uses a Louet Gems Pearl base and I love the tight twist while knitting. A soak and block by just patting into shape really softened and relaxed the yarn.

The pattern is knit top down, and I knit it long enough for a size 11 foot, yet had enough leftovers that I could have done an extra repeat or two on the leg. Leftovers, 20g approx 65yds.

Endless Husband Socks DONE!

Pattern: Simple stockinette, 72st, toe-up, flap-heel from Knitting Fiend, EZ Sewn Bind-off (Knitty article here)

Yarn: Trekking XXL #96 greys/greens, only about 30yds leftover

Needles: Addi US 0 / 2mm

Gauge: 8-9 spi

Started: Spring 2006, set aside many times out of sheer boredom

Completed: February 26, 2007

Finished Size: Mens US 11, 10 inches from heel to cuff

Notes: The colors are muted greys and greens and the Husband loves them. I enjoyed knitting with the Trekking XXL, but next time he gets sportweight socks!