August socks? February socks?

I don't know what to call them. Since I started the #12socks project back in July, I have only completed one pair of socks (yet started five pairs). I was totally uninterested in knitting socks throughout the fall, in favor of other things that appealed to me. Well, as of Saturday, I finished three large-ish knitting projects in one fell swoop, freeing up much knitting time to get back into socks. I *must* get back into socks because

1) I want more socks!
2) Cookie A is coming to lead a sock retreat in Tofino in April
3) I'm way behind on this 12 Socks challenge
4) I have lots of sock yarn I want to bust through
5) I received Sock Innovation for Christmas, rounding out my Cookie A pattern book collection (2). 

My plan of attack is to knit seven single socks in advance of the retreat, which is now less than seven weeks away. Seven different Cookie A socks, seven different yarns. I'll offer up all these socks for display at the yarn shop so people can see what Cookie A designs are like and what the yarn looks like knit up! I'll knit their partners after the retreat and have seven new pairs of socks in the house just in time for summer flip-flop wearing weather. I'm rambling... on to the main feature.

This is a pair of toe-up plain vanilla socks out of Austermann Step. It has aloe and jojoba in the yarn for extra added softness. My husband has narrow heels, so the short row heel was the perfect thing. The socks I have knit for him in the past have been on the roomy side, so I'm getting closer to getting it right (I only started doing socks a year ago).

The self-striping of this yarn lined itself up just right, they are symmetrically balanced!

Phineas News Socks Finished!

They're done! Two days early in fact. First off, the yarn is super squishy and fantastic. The pattern was fun to knit, not as boring as stockinette, but not horribly complicated either. This was a nice break from all the crazy complicated things that I've been working on.

The Specs:
Pattern: Phineas by Rosemary Waits
Yarn: Knit Fit Knitting Footapy in Daily News
Needles: Addi Lace US 0
Measurements: It was a 72 stitch pattern, I ended up with a 7 inch leg+cuff and about 6 inches for foot length
Modifications: I did a slip stitch heel using the formula from Knot Another Hat, and had to do the foot a little shorter to accommodate the 72 stitch pattern, so it would stretch a little more, and fit my foot better. I did do the twisted stitch rib.
Thoughts: This was the perfect pattern to work on while at work. It was not boring, but also not complicated, so it kept me entertained. I like how the pattern is just a hint with this yarn (yes, yes, it would have been more obvious on a more solidly colored yarn, but this is perfect for me)

Phineas News Update

Hello! I have made progress. While I was at work on Saturday, I did the heel turn and heel flap on my Phineas News socks. Now I just need to do 4 more inches of pattern and then the ribbing for the cuff. Do you think I can get these done before the 30th?

The pattern is Phineas by Rosemary Waits, and I used the Knot Another Hat formula for the slip stitch heel that I love so much. (which, btw, is probably the best way for me to do math for slip stitch heel fun. I like formulas. They make me feel scientific)

August Socks Update-Phineas News

Well, I have completed one repeat of the chart (ahem. 33 rounds times two socks, toe up.)

Okay, so you can't really see the cute lil diamonds on the socks, due to the nature of the yarn, but I think it's still spiffy. The yarn is Knit Fit Knitting Footapy in Daily News (Pardon, but she is taking a break until September. Trust me, her stuff is amazing!) The pattern is Phineasby Rosemary Waits. (non Ravelry Link)

I estimate that I need to do another half of a chart before starting the heel turn work, but it is going fast enough to be done in plenty of time. After all, it is purse knitting, which means I do take them everywhere with me.

This is also a very special project, because this is the first pair of socks that I am actually knitting for myself. All the other socks on my Rav Page were done as presents for my mother. Yes, people, I am actually doing something for myself.

July Socks are Done

Okay, so they've technically been done since July 24th, but since I finally have pictures for you, here's the first pair for the 12 Socks Project


Pattern: Adaptation of Kalajoki by Tiina Seppälä, and also Fingering Weight Toe Up Sock with SlipStitch Heel by Wendy Johnson

Yarn:Rio De La Plata Sock Solid in Medieval Blue. This is a now discontinued yarn that I had picked up on the Puget Sound LYS Tour 2009.

Thoughts: The patterns were great, and I liked the yarn alright. Unforunately, through my own doing, as I was working the bind off, I actually ripped the yarn at the top (see the blob on the right hand sock at the cuff?)and ended up having to pick back up 8 stitches and redo the bind off after I had already bound off all the other stitches. I used the Elizabeth Zimmerman Sewn Bind off, which gave me a super stretchy edge. Would I knit these again? Sure. If I had the desire to knit for MYSELF for once. :) Great instruction, and a really pretty pattern.

Coming soon: Phineas socks by Rosemary Waits, August 2010, which are also being done toe up in my Knit Fit Knitting Footapy in Daily News.