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Socks

Not Just Boring Dude Socks

By Sheetar 25 November 2014 18 November 2014

A friend was back at the sock designing board and needed another test knit, this time for socks for men. The husband has repeatedly refused my offers to knit socks for him, but let’s be fair, he wears t-shirts all year round and is ALWAYS too warm. Knit socks are not really what he needs, but he did request an awesome pair of mittens that I’ll get to in another post, soon.

Anyway, on to the Dude Socks! I had to figure out who to knit for, so I opened up a post on Google+. A bunch of guys responded, willing to be test subjects (and enthusiastic about hand-knit socks which was SO neat to see), so I random-number-generatored a winner who just happened to be friend and almost-neighbor, Steve. Steve gave me his foot measurements and I set off knitting the large size. After quick test-fit when the first sock was almost done, I managed to finish the pair in 8 days! Super quick knit, really squishy and stretchy, and the sizes fit anyone from a small woman’s foot to a large man’s foot with plenty of ease. Steve has already worn them a bunch of times which of course made me happy because every knitter wants to hear that their hard work is much appreciated and loved. The pattern went live on Ravelry recently, and the details are below.

Pattern: Not Just Boring Dude Socks
Designer: Corrine Walcher
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm)
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential in “Sarge”
–Ravelry Project Link–

Socks

More Socks!

By Sheetar 23 October 2014 18 October 2014

Because one post wasn’t enough to catch you up on all the sock knitting I’ve been doing, here’s another one! These were from way earlier in the year, but I finally got photos and notes together to put on Ravelry. Don’t worry, there are still more to come even after this post. Yep, backlogged just a little.

Pattern: Jaywalker
Designer: Grumperina
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)
Yarn: Zwerger Garn Opal Feelings in “1701”
–Ravelry Pattern Link–
I have a problem with Jaywalkers in that every striped yarn I find, I immediately think, “OH, this is perfect for Jaywalkers!” It’s more interesting than doing a straight, plain sock, and I love those chevrons. I will admit though to specifically buying this yarn to make Jaywalkers, so that’s okay, right?

Pattern: Jaywalker
Designer: Grumperina
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)
Yarn: Snallygaster Fibers Lindy Hop Sock in “When Doves Cry”
–Ravelry Pattern Link–
See what I mean? OH STRIPEY, must be Jaywalker material! It’s neat how the pooling changed up so drastically on the legs as opposed to the foot. I still get my chevrons, but also neat tie-dye swirly craziness. Really love these colors.

Pattern: None / Basic Sock
Designer: Me
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)
Yarn: dkKnits Technicolor Dream Toes in “Galleria Glitz”
–Ravelry Pattern Link–
Just your basic plain vanilla socks. The colorway did some neat pooling, and I love what happened on the heel turn with the individual stripes of color. It’s kind of a hot mess in terms of the bright colors, but in a good way, I think. They sure are fun, even for being simple socks.

Pattern: Nutkin
Designer: Beth LaPensee
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in, “Rare Gems”
–Ravelry Pattern Link–
Really easy pattern to knit, even if it doesn’t quite show up that well in the image above. The colorway had a little bit too much contrast for the pattern to show up well, but it’s still got more interest than just straight stockinette. The yarn was purchased at Rhinebeck years ago, and it was finally time to go ahead and use it!

Pattern: Hisuiiro Socks
Designer: Claudia Eisenkolb
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)
Yarn: Cephalopod Yarns Skinny Bugga! in “Mr. Nancy”
–Ravelry Pattern Link–
These were a bit of a slog and took me almost six months to knit. Mostly, the delay was because the pattern involved charts and a good deal of concentration which I don’t always have time for when I knit. I am glad I finished them because the design is really lovely, and that heel is so neat and fits in perfectly with the design but is still a slip-stitch heel (my favorite).

Socks

Summer Test Knits

By Sheetar 14 October 2014 10 October 2014

The blog is slowly sliding away from One Local Summer as winter draws ever closer, so I thought I’d fill in some space with knitting and spinning updates! For those of you unfamiliar with knitting, when a designer whips up a new pattern, he/she typically will want to have a friend test knit it to make sure all potential errors are worked out before officially publishing a pattern. It gives the designer another set of eyes on the pattern which can be really helpful. On my end, as a test knitter, it’s really fun to be the first person to have a go at a new knitting pattern and help out a friend at the same time. So, that’s what I did this summer (among other things).

Pattern: Barrel Riders Sock
Designer: Corrine Walcher
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)
Yarn: Aisha Celia Designs Hand-Dyed in “178AA”
–Ravelry Project Link–
I finished these pretty quickly and love the neat detail on the heel as well as the wave pattern on the leg/instep. For the time being, this pattern is a special release just for a yarn club and isn’t available to the public just yet.

Pattern: Clara Barton
Designer: Corrine Walcher
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in unknown Mill Ends colorway
–Ravelry Pattern Link–
Another fun project! I think I knit these in about a week, so they knit up super quickly. The yarn just happened to be a happy match for a sock pattern called Clara Barton, named for the woman who founded the American Red Cross. It was a Mill End I picked up at Rhinebeck a few years ago, and I’m glad I held on to it for just the right pattern. Love that little cross on the heel, and the cable running down the front. Another great design and fun test knit!

Socks

A Year of Sock Knitting, part 2 – 2012

By Sheetar 19 December 2012 19 December 2012

I was originally shooting for 12 in 2012, and I just squeaked by with a quick pair of DK weight socks for grandma. I could probably do another pair, but I don’t think I’ll have the time. Anyway, the lineup is below!

	Pattern: Rick Designer: Cookie A Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm) Yarn: Sheepy Time Knits Sheepy Feet in, “Tangerine Tango” –Ravelry Project Link– I ended up having to cast on more to make the sock fit. Cast on 72, and then had to finagle around the heel to get the pattern to line up. The socks don’t exactly match since I’m a lazy knitter who tends not to write down good enough notes to do the second sock the same, but it worked out well enough, and they’re bright and fun to wear.
	Pattern: Dayflower Socks Designer: Dayflower Socks Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm) Yarn: Sheepy Time Knits Grab Bag Mystery Yarn in, “Electric Blueberry” –Ravelry Project Link– These worked up pretty quickly and were the right combination of lace and ribbing so that it was interesting without being boring. The color and the pattern just matched up perfectly and I couldn’t have been happier with how they turned out. The yarn was a neat thing too since it was from a club that offered a ‘grab bag’ option – list the weight of yarn you want and the dyer picked out something that would work. It did! I really like how lofty and airy this particular yarn is and it was fun to try something completely different.
	Pattern: Primavera Socks Designer: natalja Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm) Yarn: Little Red Bicycle Tricycle Sock in, “Mistletoe Grope” –Ravelry Project Link– A friend gifted me the yarn for these socks a few years ago as part of a set where the yarn matched two pots of eye shadow. Pretty neat! I finally got around to using the yarn and love how it knit up in this pattern. It’s totally holiday-yarn-barf, but somehow, the pattern breaks up any pooling and keeps it interesting. I do love the little spot of pooling on the heel since it kinda looks like a candy cane stripe.
	Pattern: Jaywalker Designer: Grumperina Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm) Yarn: Lang Yarns Jawoll Magic in colorway 1001 –Ravelry Project Link– Because no year is complete without a pair of Jaywalkers. Am I right or am I right? My brother brought back the yarn from a trip to the Netherlands and it was just SO much fun to knit with. The colors are spectacular and made for a fun sock. I had worn them before getting a picture, so they’re not as crisp as they were right off the needles, but they sure are cozy.
	Pattern: Pointelle Designer: Cookie A Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: Sheepy Time Knits Sheepy Time MCN in “Driftwood” –Ravelry Project Link– These probably rank as my #3 most difficult pair of the year. It wasn’t that the chart was particularly difficult, but it did involve actually looking at the chart instead of knitting away. I knit the larger size, but probably could’ve done the smaller size since there’s a lot of extra room, especially around the foot. I do love them, and love the subtle variation in the yarn that works well to show off the pattern without swallowing it up.
	Pattern: Simple Skyp Socks Designer: Adrienne Ku Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Design Line Kaffe Fassett 6-fÃ¤dig 6ply in colorway 05958 –Ravelry Project Link– These were very simple and quick two-day socks. We were going to visit grandma and I needed something quick to knit up for her that she’d enjoy, hence these socks. The bright colors really jumped out at me and the pattern has a neat almost herringbone style motif inbetween the ribbing. Grandma was very happy with them and tried them right on – they fit perfectly! Gotta love ending the year with a fun pair of socks like these.

Finished Objects, Socks

A Year of Sock Knitting, part 1 – 2012

By Sheetar 7 December 2012 19 December 2012

I was originally shooting for 12 in 2012, and I just squeaked by with a quick pair of DK weight socks for grandma. I could probably do another pair, but I don’t think I’ll have the time. Anyway, the lineup is below!

	Pattern: Steampunkery Designer: Heatherly Walker Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm) Yarn: Holiday Yarns FlockSock Sock Yarn in, “Vanilla” – purchased as a kit –Ravelry Project Link– They were an absolute PAIN to knit. I must’ve gotten an early version of the kit because there were errors and omissions throughout the pattern. No errata supplied, nothing. I am happy with the finished product though since they’re SO pretty, and what a neat idea to have the fully functional button up flap on the leg.
	Pattern: Child’s Sock in Miranda Pattern Designer: Nancy Bush Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm) Yarn: Little Red Bicycle’s Boneshaker BFL Sock in, “Oh, Io” –Ravelry Project Link– These were meant to be children’s socks, but I cast on 64 stitches and worked the pattern as normal, ignoring the calf shaping. They came out great, and I love that the pattern is replicated from a historical pattern.
	Pattern: Gentleman’s Fancy Socks Designer: Nancy Bush Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm) Yarn: Knit Picks Essential Solids & Twists in, “Sarge” –Ravelry Project Link– A friend requested socks ages ago and I finally got around to knitting them. What took so long? The requestor has a size 14 men’s shoe! Yikes! Took the better part of 2.25 skeins, but he commented in a thank you note that they are, “easily the coolest pair of socks I’ve ever owned.” WIN!
	Pattern: 14 Karat Designer: Glenna C. Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm) Yarn: Sheepy Time Knits, All Your Base in “Sunken Treasure” –Ravelry Project Link– Twisted stitches Ahoy! The chart was easy to follow, just time consuming, and I’m not good at memorizing charts with cables. Still though, they came out beautifully and I love the color depth in the yarn – there are so many colors that pop out of that yarn.
	Pattern: Business Casual Designer: Tanis LavallÃ©e Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: Sheepy Time Knits, All Your Base in “Fathoms Below” –Ravelry Project Link– They were easy enough to knit, but the photo doesn’t show the pattern very well. The diamond pattern shows up just fine in real life but didn’t photograph very well. The color is a favorite – I love the greens and black together.
	Pattern: Escher-WÃ¼rfel (Escher’s cube) Designer: Stephanie van der Linden Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: Sheepy Time Knits, Pearl Necklace in “Grey Matter” –Ravelry Project Link– The pattern is really just a stitch pattern to create the cube effect. I cast on 60 and knit a basic cuff-down sock. I was a little worried that 60 wouldn’t be enough stitches, but it was perfect with enough room (and a little extra) to stretch around my calves. Very happy with how these came out!

knitting, Socks, Spinning

Go With the Flow Socks

By Sheetar 16 April 2011 16 April 2011

Finally, another spun-to-finished project. I’ve been accumulating quite the stash of handspun, and I figured it was time to put some to use. The yarn is dyed by Meg at Twisted Fiber Art, and she’s really quite the magician with dye. The colorway is called, “Intrigue,” and was part of a club Meg ran for 3 months. I spun the superwash merino roving into a thin single and then chain or navajo plied the yarn so that the colors would stay together as they were dyed. I ended up with about 425 yards of fingering weight yarn that was then turned into a really squishy pair of Go With the Flow socks. The pattern knitted up quickly, and I only made a few modifications – worked a plain slip-stitch heel and didn’t turn the work inside out after the heel flap was done. I love the way they came out and refuse to take them off now that the photos are taken. Yeah, it’s almost not-sock season, but that won’t stop me from stocking up for the winter!

11 in 2011, Socks

Gin & Tonic

By Sheetar 5 April 2011 16 January 2022

This is the second finished item of my 11 in 2011. Yeah I might be a little behind, but I can still make it, right?

The yarn is Sheepy Feet from Sheepy Time Knits, colorway, “Daisy Chain.” The color pooled up making these awesome spirals of green around the socks and I love how that happened – looks like a twist of lime, going with the gin and tonic theme. The sock pattern, Gin & Tonic, worked up really quickly and I’m happy with how they came out. No real modifications to the pattern, just knit it as-is. Pretty short post, but socks are socks, and it’s more about the eye candy here than any fancy write-up!

11 in 2011, Socks

Dagon Casadh Socks

By Sheetar 27 February 2011 16 January 2022

The first finished item of my 11 in 2011 lineup.

The yarn is from the January 2011 installment from Little Red Bicycle. The colorway is called Dagon, inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s short stories. In fact, the three month club will entirely be based upon Lovecraft’s stories and I’m excited to see what comes up next.

The pattern, Casadh, worked up pretty quickly since there’s a lot of plain ribbing inbetween the crazy cable rows. The sock was sized for men, so I made a few modifications (only 15 repeats on the heel flap, decreased on the gusset to 18 stitches each needle) to help fit a smaller foot. The combination of the ribbing and cables gives it plenty of stretch though, so it ended up working out just fine. They’re really comfortable and I can’t wait to wear them out and show them off! There are a few more pictures on the Ravelry Link below as well as more information about my modifications.

Ravelry Link