Not-Even-Remotely-Related Socks

I'm usually very anal about getting my socks to match *identically*. I fret if a striped pair are even a millimetre out and I spend hours trying to get handpainted sock yarn to match. (rolls eyes)

Now, these socks aren't remotely alike, even though they're from the same skein which didn't have any breaks or knots in it.

BUT I DON'T CARE!

I love this yarn so much I don't care that there's an obvious change in the colour. This is Fleece Artist Sea Wool sock yarn and I can't wait to get some more. :-) It's gorgeous to knit with and feels like silk slipping through your fingers.


The colours are wonderfully vibrant IRL. It may just be my crappy monitor, but these pictures really don't do the colour justice.

I used one whole skein of Sea Wool, 115 grams/350m, for these socks on 2.75 mm circs. This fits my UK size 6 foot which is approx. 8.5 inches around the ball of my foot, approx. 9 inches from heel to toe, and the socks have a leg length of approx. 10 inches. I used Wendy's generic feather and fan sock pattern (http://wendyknits.net/knit/featherandfansock.pdf)

I admit I was a little dubious about increasing from 60 sts to 72 sts for the leg. I thought they would be way too baggy. But they fit perfectly. :-) The yarn knits up very quickly, with great stitch definition and has a lovely sheen to it. I'm really looking forward to using more of this in the future.


Guess what I'll be wearing to work tomorrow ..... ;-)

Just to prove I've cast on for the second sock .....

These are knit on 2.5mm circs with the very soft Fyberspates 'Ocean Forest' sock yarn with a Double Eyelet Rib pattern from page 168 of The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches (a Harmony Guide). The pattern has been modified slightly to knit in the round

And finally a picture of the finished Falling in Love socks.

Lots of Goodies in the Post Today :)

My first parcel contained luscious sock yarn - many thanks to Valerie in Canada for having a yarn swap with me. :-) She sent me the most beautiful Fleece Artist Sea Wool sock yarn. It's a gorgeous colour and has a lovely sheen. I can't wait to get knitting with it. I can feel my resistance weakening and those knee high socks being stuffed into a corner pretty soon! ;)

My next parcel contained a wool winder from Texere. I've been meaning to buy one of these for a while and finally got around to it. What fun!! I wound 1,100 grams of cobweb laceweight in about 5 minutes flat. I just need to buy *more* skeins now to have the fun all over again ;-)



And this is the gorgeous Sea Wool sock yarn being wound. I can't wait to see how the colours knit up.

Lost in knee sock black hole!

I suddenly realised tonight that I haven't blogged much lately, the reason for this being that I've been sucked into the black hole that is my current sock WIP! I (stupidly) decided to knit a pair of knee high socks. I've been threatening this for a while, but each time I get to a leg length of approximately 6 inches, I chicken out, do the rib and cast off! ;) So some time last week (I have no concept of time since I've started these socks) I had some lovely Fyberspates yarn arrive from Get Knitted and cast on straight away for a pair of lacy toe up socks, with a double eyelet rib pattern taken from one of the Harmony stitch guides (modified to knit in the round). Well, the foot whizzed by, then came the leg. It went on, and on, and on ......... and I have to say my legs are really not that long by any stretch of the imagination. ;) I'm 5ft 4in in heels ;) I eventually finished the first sock and it was a real struggle not to put this one sock away and start something else. But, I perservered and once again the foot whizzed by and I'm now on the leg. Again. I'm getting a feeling of deja-vu! I think I've got approximately 200 rounds to go .................. If I'm lucky, they'll be finished this weekend and I can get a pic posted. (Then you'll see just how short my lickle legs really are!) Betcha can't wait ;)

There is someone there! :)

Thanks to Teresa for leaving me a message on here and also thanks to Valerie in Canada for e-mailing (she will hopefully be receiving the sock yarn soon). It's nice to know I'm not waffling on to myself!

Some finished pics of the Falling in Love socks will be coming soon, along with my current WIP - a pair of pink/orange/cream striped socks. It's unusual but at least I won't lose them in my sock drawer!! ;)

Anyone out there?

Sometimes, from the lack of comments on my blog, I do wonder if anyone reads my offerings. Okay, I'm feeling like a billy-no-mates today and feeling really sorry for myself today. ;) Altogether now, awwwwwww .....

So, there's a ball of sock yarn - Inox Sox 4 Color (and it's bound to be stripey! but unfortunately not the pink/orange stripes because I'm using that at the moment!) free to the first person who e-mails me their address at ygymraes@hotmail.com .....................

... and knit socks ...

Here's another one. All details the same as before, except for a change in colour ;)

Nothing to do but knit socks :)

It's been snowing here since 7.30 this morning with no sign of stopping. We have about 10 inches now so there's no chance of getting out anywhere today.

Which gives me plenty of time to knit socks. YAY!! I finished these for DS yesterday. He's almost 5 years old and has size 10 feet so they knit up pretty quickly. The yarn was from a German seller on Ebay but I can't remember the name, sorry. It's Inox Sox 4 Color, knit on 2.5 mm circs, toe up with a stretchy sewn cast off. I didn't particularly like the colour in the ball but I'm happy with it now it's knit up.

I'm now onto the second pair for DS (just turned the heel) and he's already picked out which colour he wants for his next pair. Good job I have nothing else to do today! :)

Snow Day

These were the scenes of snowy loveliness awaiting me when I got up for work this morning. It finally stopped snowing at midday. Needless to say, I didn't get to work and my son's school closed for the day. So he had a day playing in the snow and pelting his dad with snowballs while I snuggled by the fire knitting socks. Bliss! ;) The main roads are now clear but the Council 'don't bother' gritting our back road so we're still unable to get the cars out. Whether I'll get to work tomorrow remains to be seen .........

New Discoveries

I've finished my Falling in Love socks and gorgeous they are, too! ;) Unfortunately, I can't post a picture today because hubby's photo-taking skills are non-existant *rolls eyes* so it will have to wait until someone with a bit more 'nouse' comes along. (Not sure if 'nouse' is a word anybody but me uses, but I know what I mean!! Maybe it's just a Welsh thing.)

On the new discoveries front, in the past week I've discovered toe up socks and am really enjoying them. I've just started a pair for my son and they're simply whizzing along. :) Mind you, it does help that he's only 4 and has very small feet ;) Another discovery was Elizabeth Zimmerman's stretchy sewn cast off, which is much more comfortable on my calves than my normal 2-needle cast off.

In the post today I had 2 parcels from Heirloom Knitting, a fab company who give excellent service and very speedy delivery (see www.heirloom-knitting.co.uk). I decided to order a set of dressing/blocking wires which will come in very handy when I start on a shawl from Victorian Lace Today in the next week or so. I also ordered their book on Shetland Hap Shawls, and although I haven't managed to have a read of it yet (cooking tea and washing up got in the way *hmmph!*), I did have a peek at the beautiful old photographs in it. I'll hopefully be able to have a good look at it in bed later. Plus, if the 6 inches of snow that's forecast for tonight does actually arrive, I won't be able to get to work tomorrow so can spend all day reading it! :)

Falling in Love with Toe Up Socks

I've just finished my first toe up sock using Anni's Falling in Love pattern - see previous entry for pattern/yarn details.

I used 2.75 mm circs and added a 2x2 rib at the top - I just feel naked with a rib at the top of my socks for some reason *blushes*!

I just love toe up socks now - they seem so much quicker than top down. And the short row seemed to knit much quicker than my usual eye of Partridge heel flap too.

Second sock cast on and raring to go ;) .....................

Sweetshop Socks

I finished my Sweetshop socks today, knitted in Posh Yarn's Emily sock yarn, which is 80% lambswool, 10% angora and 10% cashmere, and is the softest, most luscious yarn I've knit with to date. The socks are bog standard top-down in a 3x1 rib pattern knit on 2.75 mm circs.

And earlier today I cast on with Posh Yarn's February sock club yarn "Kiss Me", which arrived yesterday. This is the Lucia sock yarn, 70% merino and 30% cashmere and, again, is gorgeous to knit with.

I
I thought this yarn would suit Anni's "Falling in Love" sock pattern from this month's MagKnits

(http://www.magknits.com/Feb07/patterns/falling.htm) and it's going really well so far. It's a very clear pattern and easy to follow. And, after knitting 23.5 pairs of top down socks, I really thought it was time to try toe up, which is going quite nicely at the moment. I'm not sure how I'll cope with the short row heel, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. ;)