popped!
It's been ages since I knitted socks using an interesting pattern (as in, something other than plain old st st or ribbing), so last month on vacation, I started these:
This morning I finished up the last of the kitchenering. This means they took about a month from start to finish, with some other projects done in between.
Socks are among my favorite hand-knits to wear. One can never have too many pairs of warm wool socks in Wisconsin, you know. Eh. But I'm lukewarm about the actual knitting of socks. On one hand, I'm very much at ease with sock construction and technique, and it's comforting knowing just how useful a handmade pair of socks can be. On the other hand, the skinny yarn and tiny needles sometimes make my hands feel cramped (not injured, just cramped - as a pianist, I am careful about these things, trust me!), and it can be slow-going, so I go on and off with sock knitting.
This pair was well worth the effort, though, let me tell you. The yarn is hand-dyed by htNEVELE, an indie dyer here in Madison (no link because her etsy shop is empty, but I think she's the new manager over at Lakeside Fibers...), and wow is it nice. I think this colorway is called "French Lavender." It's not really variegated, but the color has some depth and shows stitch patterns beautifully.
The pattern is called "Popped", and it's available on the Knitpicks website as part of their new independent designer program. It's all knit stiches, some twisted, some not, with increases and decreases to make the wavy design. I admit I was getting pretty tired of all those twisted stitches, especially on size 1 needles, but I love the result: nifty pattern and snug on the foot. I am also enamored with the way the slipped stitches on the heel make a subtle diagonal line:
Pattern: Popped Socks by Hunter Hammersen
Yarn: htNEVELE designs hand-dyed sock (100% superwash merino)
Needles: size 1, and my gauge may have been slightly tighter than called for, but I have skinny bird-like ankles, so that's okay
Made for: me! These socks would be too tight for anyone I normally give socks to (except Stephanie, but I just made her some), so I'm keeping these. In fact, I'm wearing them right now - perfect for a cold, wet, windy day.
Once again, I have quite a lot leftover. If I ever get around to knitting up these leftover bits into socks for Anya, she'll be well-stocked for next year!
This morning I finished up the last of the kitchenering. This means they took about a month from start to finish, with some other projects done in between.
Socks are among my favorite hand-knits to wear. One can never have too many pairs of warm wool socks in Wisconsin, you know. Eh. But I'm lukewarm about the actual knitting of socks. On one hand, I'm very much at ease with sock construction and technique, and it's comforting knowing just how useful a handmade pair of socks can be. On the other hand, the skinny yarn and tiny needles sometimes make my hands feel cramped (not injured, just cramped - as a pianist, I am careful about these things, trust me!), and it can be slow-going, so I go on and off with sock knitting.
This pair was well worth the effort, though, let me tell you. The yarn is hand-dyed by htNEVELE, an indie dyer here in Madison (no link because her etsy shop is empty, but I think she's the new manager over at Lakeside Fibers...), and wow is it nice. I think this colorway is called "French Lavender." It's not really variegated, but the color has some depth and shows stitch patterns beautifully.
The pattern is called "Popped", and it's available on the Knitpicks website as part of their new independent designer program. It's all knit stiches, some twisted, some not, with increases and decreases to make the wavy design. I admit I was getting pretty tired of all those twisted stitches, especially on size 1 needles, but I love the result: nifty pattern and snug on the foot. I am also enamored with the way the slipped stitches on the heel make a subtle diagonal line:
Pattern: Popped Socks by Hunter Hammersen
Yarn: htNEVELE designs hand-dyed sock (100% superwash merino)
Needles: size 1, and my gauge may have been slightly tighter than called for, but I have skinny bird-like ankles, so that's okay
Made for: me! These socks would be too tight for anyone I normally give socks to (except Stephanie, but I just made her some), so I'm keeping these. In fact, I'm wearing them right now - perfect for a cold, wet, windy day.
Once again, I have quite a lot leftover. If I ever get around to knitting up these leftover bits into socks for Anya, she'll be well-stocked for next year!
Comments
Oma
Coincidence: Just yesterday I cast on for a new pair of socks using yarn from the same dyer. I hope she starts dying again once she has things going at LSF!