Video: Let's Talk About Socks - Lessons Learned From A Summer of Sock Knitting

 

Have you wanted to make socks, but you don't know what pattern, heel, cuff, yarn, etc to use for best success? I've made 8 pairs of socks since July and in this video I break down al the particulars about each pair - what went well, what didn't, and lessons I learned. I'm linking all the particulars for each pair below - both patterns and yarn - so you can find all the things if you want to make any of these up for yourself. So head over to You Tube or click the video at the bottom of this post to watch it for yourself :)

• Jaywalker Socks Pattern
  
• Premier Yarns Fruits
  
• I'm So Basic Socks Pattern
  
• Regia Arne & Carlos Yarn
  
• Hobbii Silly Sock Disco
  
• Film Reel Sock Pattern
  
• Knit Picks Stroll Hand Painted
  
• Hobbii Black Friday Sock
  
• Chrysanthemum frutescens Sock Pattern
  
• Twizzler Sock Pattern
  
• Hobbii Summer Sock
  
• Lang Jawoll
  
• Scatterby Sock Pattern
  
• Knit Picks Muse Hand Painted
  
• Little Sprouts in the Rain Pattern
  
• Hobbii Halloween Sock
  
• Basic Socks No. 1 Pattern
  
• Knit Picks Stroll
  
• Colorwork Cuff Club Pattern

FO: Hockey Socks

 

It feels like a miracle to be typing this, but I finished my hockey socks at long last! This poor neglected project sat around in my sewing room a year and 2 months, but now they are finished and I can stop feeling guilty about them, lol.

This is the Jaywalker pattern by Grumperina, which is free on Ravelry. I've made this pattern once before, but those do have some issues that I set out to correct with this version. I love this pattern for self striping yarn because it just makes those chevrons stand out and look very impressive. This yarn is Premier Yarns Fruits in the Dragonfruit colorway, which is 100% acrylic, but I just couldn't stay away from the fun print. I used this yarn for my Watermelon Socks as well and it's held up great, so I wasn't worried about using it again. 

The story of these socks makes them probably the least planning for a project I've ever done. I was going to a Solar Bears hockey game at the arena and I wanted to bring some knitting, but I didn't know how particular they would be able bringing in knitting needles plus they have a bag policy. I had less than 10 minutes before I  had to leave to pick a project and grab the supplies, so I grabbed a pattern I already had printed out and had used before along with some cheap dpns and this yarn. I stuck the needles in my small purse and put the yarn in my pocket and went on my way. I cast on at the game and got just beyond the cuff done, then I quickly lost interest in the project because I had others I was more excited about at the time. This year, I decided I wanted to make myself more socks, but being the responsible individual I am, I couldn't just abandon this project and start yet another. So I set out to get these done, which took a whopping 2 weeks to complete. Craziness.

When I started the first sock, I just wanted the pink at the top edge. Once I got to about where the heel should begin, I noticed I was just starting the pink again and I could get it to line up just at the beginning of the heel flap, so I went back a few rows to make that happen. I knit the heel flap and as I reached the end, I was absolutely shocked by how the stripes in the yarn lined up around the gusset and foot. The first time I made this pattern, I changed the heel to an afterthought style because I wanted to make extra sure the stripes in my self striping yarn lined up. This time I deliberately threw caution to the wind because I've learned that heel flaps just fit my feet better, so I was willing to accept that the pattern might be thrown off after the heel. Lo and behold! It lined up so well that I couldn't have made this happen if I actually tried. There is no extra spacing on the top of the sock and the heel is framed perfectly by the pink and yellow stripes. Absolutely amazing lol.

It seems that my second sock came out a smidge shorter than the first one, which is odd because I really thought I started the toe in the same spot. By that time, I was just wanting to finally be done and it's just the toe so I really didn't mind it enough to go back and change anything. In the end, I do wish I had used a smaller needle for the cuff at the top as they kind of bunch up since this yarn is acrylic and have no natural spring. Lesson learned! I will still wear these and think they are ridiculously cute.

So that's one more sock project for my drawer - just in time for it to be too hot to wear socks, lol. At least now I am free to dive into other socks that I want to make without these making me feel guilty. Love that for me!

Summary:

Yarn: 2 skeins of Premier Yarns Fruits in Dragonfruit - $11.67

Pattern: Jaywalker by Grumperina - Free

Time: 1 year 2 months

WIP Wednesday: Blocking, Decisions, and New Projects

Friends, I have finished the Mohn Cardigan! I managed to finish this in less than a month, which is still pretty shocking to me. I got it completely knit and seamed Sunday night and it is currently blocking. Now I just have to make my ribbon button bands and she is totally done. I finished the knitting on Saturday night, which left me with only a sock project to knit and I just didn't feel like it - so I cast on a toy!

Between Sunday and last night, I knit up this adorable bee project. Every time I look at this pattern, I smile, so I just bit the bullet and knit it up. Now I smile when I see it in person too, lol. This project definitely served its purpose of cheering me up in a hard time. I'll post all the details about it soon, but I definitely love this one :)

After my deliberations in the last post about all the projects I want to cast on, I have finally decided to go with my original plan for my Rose Street Cardigan. It's really a toss up between the two yarns I was contemplating (Knit Picks Stroll in Duchess Heather or Knit Picks Felici in Dragonfruit). I tried looking through my collection of sweaters that still fit me to see where I had a gap, but that didn't help. In the end I really go for more cool toned clothes, so I decided to go with the purple for that reason. The Dragonfruit color would go as well, but I just need to start this project, lol. Purple it is! I still need to knit a new swatch last night and get the calculations going, so this will be my main sweater project now.

With finishing my bee, I also grabbed my Jaywalker socks I cast on in December of 2022. I'm just mentally determined to get these done so they can stop plaguing me. I'm honestly not sure what it is about this project that has me never reaching for it. Is it that I've knit this pattern before? But I've knit the same vanilla sock pattern several times and that has never been a problem before. Is it that I'm not thrilled by the yarn? I just really can't say. Either way, I want this project to be done, so I think this is going to be my main focus for a short while. That's the thing with socks - when you actually hunker down and focus on getting them done, they really do go fast. I'm also knitting this with a heel flap and gusset as the pattern is written - last time I changed for an after-thought heel to avoid disrupting the striping pattern. Since then I've discovered that I really prefer the feel of a heel flap and gusset when wearing the socks, so this time I'm just letting the chips fall where they may on the striping. I'm thinking it will work out fine in this sock because the speckled sections are so wide.

My New England dress is still hanging out on my dress form thinking about what it's done. I need to finish that one too so I can move on with my life, lol. But knitting is going very well!

How are things with you this first month of the new year? Getting anything made up?

WIP Wednesday: Back To What I Want

With my Christmas gift knitting finished and on its way to their recipients, I can finally focus back on my favorite makes: things for myself, lol. I've been plugging away at the Belladonna Cardigan this week in hopes of finishing it before the end of the year, which I think is pretty do-able, honestly. I stopped last night with just 1 more ribbing row and the bind off for the body, so next up is the neck and button bands before moving onto the sleeves and then int will be finished. I'm hoping the length turns out good - I'm kind of on the fence about where it stops, but I'm holding out hope for after it's blocked and has sleeves.

I really like the shaping on this sweater - instead of having shaping at the sides as usual, this one places them like front and back darts and they are hidden in the lace pattern. See how the plain sections angle down at the waist? That's the shaping. So cool. I'm very excited to see how this looks when it's all blocked out.

I'm also realizing I have a lack of neutral colored socks. I only ever wear socks in the winter and before now I had always only worn them with tall boots, so the socks were always covered. I just got some ankle boots and realized I need some socks that can be seen without being crazy colors. I have wound up a ball of a beautiful skein I won in a giveaway years ago - Morning Bright Organic Merino/Nylon Sock in the Moonlit colorway. I remember being a bit underwhelmed with it when I first won because it's a very neutral light gray color, but now that I need actual practical socks I'm glad I had it on hand. I want to use it to make a textured sock like the 2 Hunter Hammerson designs I have in the picture. Jury is still out on which design I choose, lol.

But being a person who does not like to have a bunch of WIPs at once, planning those socks made me feel guilty about not working on these socks from literally 1 week shy of a year ago. I started these at a Solar Bears hockey game because I needed a small enough project to get into the arena, but shortly after that I got very into my sweater projects and stopped making these. These are Jaywalker Socks, which I've made before, and this is Premier Fruits yarn in the Dragonfruit colorway. Isn't it so fun? This yarn and pattern combo gives me very "Dragonfruit Goes To College" vibes. Part of why I haven't worked on these is that needle. I got experimental earlier in the year and decided to try knitting socks on a shortie circular needle. Guys... I absolutely hate this needle, lol. I need to pull out my trusty carbon fiber double pointed needles and just blast through this project. I'm trying to decide if I need to make myself finish these before starting the gray pair...

So that's what's going on with me this week. I'm doing all the Christmas things with my kids and working a lot but I always make at least some time for my hobbies to keep me sane. How are things going for your holiday this year?