More Socks

The exploration continues. Since the last post I’ve knit Marcelo’s Seven League Boots for my grandson (but I think they look like Robin Hood boots). When I showed them to my mom she said, “they’re cute.” Then I asked her, “where are the gussets?” Gone! I think mom will stay a traditional sock knitter. And, there’s nothing wrong with that – it is mom who’s responsible for just about all the sock samples in our sock room at the shop. Her latest was knit with Crystal Palace’s new Panda Silk. When someone asked her how she liked the yarn she gushed about how nicely it knit and how she enjoyed working with it. And that from someone who has knit with LOTS of different kinds of sock yarn. I’m sure she knits at least 30 pairs a year (on top of mounds of prayer quilts, grand kid quilts, etc.). Pretty special my mom.

The next sock I tackled is full-size following the Cedar architecture – Ocean Toes. I learned a lot and confirmed at least one thing: I don’t follow a pattern well because I go on my merry way where I think the pattern ought to be going. That’s not usually where Cat is going! This sock was a sample. Notice I didn’t say “pair.” I actually used sock yarn with a pattern that calls for larger yarn because I wanted to start NOW and I didn’t have other yarn at home. The sock is too loosely knit to really be servicable. However, it will look just fine hanging on the wall and it told me what I suspected: I need to make a larger size than her standard pattern in the book. That means I need to do some math following her formula at the end of each of the chapters to make them fit me. The Ocean sock did “just” fit my daughter who has a narrow size 8 foot.

My next sock is going to be following the Upstream architecture, will have a patterned inset of my own design and will fit me. I’m looking forward to it and will keep you posted.