Confession - I've only just completed my first pair of hand knit socks. Although I first picked up the needles over 4 years ago, I don't have a lot of time to knit big projects, so spend much of my time experimenting on small simple items where I can try out new techniques or stitches without making a big commitment. It would seem then that socks would be a natural fit, but no, they have intimidated my until recently. In fact, I've only just completed my first full pair of socks within the last month, and I'm now working on my second pair. But now that I have taken the plunge, I think a new addiction to socks is inevitable.
I'd like to introduce my first pair of socks to you. These are knit with Plymouth Sockotta yarn, following the pattern for the Garter Rib socks found in
Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch, a great resource for sock virgins.
Now that I'm officially hooked, I'm working on a pair to give to my mother for Christmas. Unfortunately, our celebration got moved up to tomorrow, so they won't be finished in time! Well, being that I always try to look at the bright side of things (Always Look at the Bright Side of Life, ta dum....) Oops - no time for Monty Python right now! Anyway, I'm taking this as an opportunity to make sure they fit her. Her feet are about the same size as mine, so I fitted one to my foot, but didn't close the toe. I'll let her try it tomorrow so I can adjust the length if necessary and then I'll finish the other one to match. I figure then I'll have a good measurement for future socks for her. I'm not sure any other family members would appreciate hand knit socks, but I suppose I'll make at least one pair for John. I'll just have to make sure they're machine wash and dry for him!
I'm also venturing out into trying as many different sock yarns as possible. I realize that with the plethora available, I'll never be able to try them all, but that won't keep me from trying! I got two new ones just this week from Little Knits, one of my fave online resources. One is the new Noro Kureyon Sock yarn and the other is called Boo Fly from Fly Designs, in their color called "Petrol." I guess it's supposed to be the colors of an oil slick or something. It's a beautiful colorway with shades of purple and some light blue. The light blue is concentrated along one area of the hand, so it will be interesting to see how that knits up. Here's a picture of both of the skeins, just out of the box:
The Boo Fly is a blend of 60% Superwash Merino, 30% Bamboo and 10% Nylon. It's nice and soft and should be quite durable and enjoyable to work with. Fly Designs Yarn is hand-dyed yarn from Angora Valley Fibers, which is located somewhere in Washington State. They don't list exactly where on their site, but that's close enough to call "local" for me.
The Noro is 70% Wool and 30% Nylon. Unfortunately it's not superwash, but it's a very interesting yarn. Much like their standard Kureyon, it's a little uneven and also only a singles yarn. The Nylon does seem to give it some extra durability, but sure doesn't add any softness! The ball band suggests a 2.7-3.3 mm needle size (US 2 or 3), but I'm thinking I'll have to go down at least to a size 0! I'm using size 1 right now on thicker sock yarn for a good density. I'll definitely have to be very diligent with my swatching on this one - washing and drying under the same conditions as I plan for the finished product. In true Noro fashion, the color is stunning, as you can see in the photo of the end of the skein below:
Once I get a chance to work with it a bit, I'll post a mini review here. I can already tell you that this one won't be for "everyday" socks, simply because of the care required. But then again, there's nothing "everyday" about Noro yarns anyway!
Well, I'm off now to finish up some Christmas shopping and preparations. Happy Holidays!
