Another Pair of Footie Socks

Earlier this week I showed you my pair of Footie Socks with a bit of stranded colorwork on the foot.  These are made using the Footie Socks pattern that I've been using for about 10 years.  It's a great pattern.  I've also made multiple pairs of the Rose City Rollers footies.  

Recently I ran across another pattern for footie socks - the Shicheng No Show socks.  These have the more open top foot (is it instep?) of the Footie Socks, but they're knit top down (knit towards the toe) like the Rose City Rollers.  For some reason I really prefer top down socks, so I'm hoping this might be the perfect sock pattern.  I'm knitting them in a leftover cashmere blend yarn from Wonderland Yarns, but it was part of a set or kit of two yarns and doesn't really have it's own colorway.  It's a pale gray with multicolored speckles.

I've got the first sock almost finished, and have made good progress on the second.  There is a ribbing cuff to be added last, and I decided to do both socks at the same time, so it looks a bit wonky right now.  I have tried it on and I have high hopes for the finished socks.  Have I found the ultimate footie sock pattern in the universe?  Is this the one footie sock to rule them all?  Do you know how weird the word "footie" looks when you type it over and over and over?  Tune in to a future blog post for the final results of this battle for supreme sock dominance!  Or not, maybe no one else is really that concerned about footie socks.

Catching Up

It's been a minute since I've been here!  Overall things are fine, there's just been a LOT happening.  I won't bore you with all the details, but I hope to be back for regular blogging.  I have been knitting this whole time, and I have a couple of finished objects!

I finished my Astrid Socks, knit in Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love Sock in Charcoal and Dream in Color Smooshy in My Fair Lady.  I only did the stranded colorwork on the legs of the sock and just knit the foot in solid Charcoal.  Since My Fair Lady is a multicolored yarn it kind of fades in and out of the Charcoal, but I like the effect.

I also knit a pair of Footie Socks and added a bit of colorwork on the foot.  I used one of the patterns from the Basic Doodle Socks and I used the same yarns from the Astrid Socks.  This is a sock pattern I've been knitting for years (according to Ravelry, I knit the first pair in 2014) and I really like it.

Finally, since it seemed like a good idea, I started the Go Go Dynamo Shawl - Stephen West's MKAL shawl for this fall.  I'm using Malabrigo Mechita in Natural (Main Color) and Aniversario (Contrast Color).  I bought two skeins of each color in 2018, planning to make a striped sweater.  I never made the sweater, and when I saw them in my stash I knew they'd be perfect for this project.  I'm hoping to finish the first clue today and I'm ready to move straight into the second clue.  (The third clue comes out Thursday, so I'm running a little behind, but there's not really a time limit.  I'll get there when I get there.)  I probably won't show any actual photos of the shawl until November.  That way I don't have to juggle spoiler alerts and worry about ruining the surprise for someone else, but you can at least see my yarns!

As I said, I hope to get back into the habit of regular blogging.  We'll see what my life has to say about that, but hopefully I'll be here a little bit more!  Hope you're all doing well.  It's supposed to cool off here tomorrow and we'll get a real taste of fall!  (For those of you wondering what fall looks like in north Texas, it's supposed to be in the high 60's tomorrow.)

I'm Baaaaack!

So I have no idea if there's anyone still here, but I'm going to restart the blogging.  I kind of dropped off the face of the earth this past fall.  Things got a little crazy and I just didn't have the emotional bandwidth to do the blogging, then it was Thanksgiving, things got crazier, I got Covid, I gave it to Mickael, and Caleb came home from school for his Christmas Break.  (He didn't get the Covid, but I think he actually had it in early November.  He was sick, and we thought it was the flu which was definitely going around College Station at the time, but his symptoms were the same ones Mickael and I had.)  The only reason I found out it was Covid was because I got an ear infection to go with it and I went to the doctor for that.  But, we're all better now, so onwards to fun stuff!

I've kind of got a lot to show you here, because while I wasn't blogging, I was still knitting.  I thought I'd show you what I finished while I was away tonight and then next week I'll show you what's on the needles as we go into the new year!  As I have done the last couple of years, I kept a log of everything I made during the year.

• 1 crocheted blanket (the Aggie Stripes)
• 2 crocheted animals (the Tiger and the Stunt Noodle)
• 1 knit poncho/cowl
• 1 knit cardigan
• 2 knit hats
• 3 knit pullovers
• 4 knit shawls
• 7 pairs of knit socks

Most of these you've seen, but there are few that got finished up after the blog went silent, so here they are!

I finished the Footie socks knit with the Decathalon stitch pattern.  These are knit in Spun Right Round Classic Sock in Raining Cats and Dogs.  Essentially I just plugged the stitch pattern into my basic vanilla sock pattern, starting with a bit of ribbing and going straight into the heel flap.  Voila, footie socks!

The next project off the needles was my V Neck Boxy in Queensland Kathmandu Fingering in Smoky Gray.  I lengthened the sleeves to full length, but otherwise it was knit as the pattern was written.  I've played with the idea of adding some embroidery to the neckline, but I haven't actually decided what to embroider yet and I've worn the pullover a couple of times.  I have some cream colored yarn for the embroidery if I ever make a decision.

Then I decided to knit another pair of stranded colorwork socks, so I knit the Mischief Socks with Dream in Color Smooshy in My Fair Lady and Madelinetosh Twist Light in Antique Lace.  These were so fun!  I really loved knitting them and doing two different pairs of socks for a single pair was great!  I wasn't sure they would fit my high insteps as the pattern was written, so I made some tweaks, which made for a funny place on each sole.  (The way the pattern is written, the designs go all the way around from the top of the foot to the sole, unbroken.  Mine don't.)  Since the "design feature" is on the sole of the sock, they aren't exactly keeping me up at night.  I'm really happy with my tension on the zig zag sock, but the checkerboard one is a little loose.  I will definitely be knitting more of this pattern!!

Finally, I knit the Vanguard Cardigan.  This was knit in Hazel Knits Cadence Worsted in the Giddy Up colorway.  This is the second time I've knit a sweater from this designer (the other is the Ambiente pullover, that I've knit three times - so far), and once again I'm so impressed at the little details that she includes that you don't necessarily see, but make a nicer finished sweater.  This was not an autopilot project, even though the cables themselves were pretty quick to memorize.  I definitely had to pay attention, but it was all worth it.  I made the finished sweater a little shorter than the pattern called for, but mine still hits at my top hip.  I also used my awesome dragon buttons.  I'm pretty sure I picked these up at G Street Fabrics in Washington, DC when we lived in northern Virginia. Just FYI, the yarn color is closer to the photo above of the full the sweater.  Giddy Up is a lovely, rich maroon color.

So now you're all caught up with what I finished.  I'll pop in next week and show you what's on the needles as we start the New Year!  I hope you're all having a great holiday season and I'll catch you next year!

Shifting Gears With Socks

The other day I was all set to blog about a pair of socks I'd started.  I had chosen the Decathlon Sock pattern and was working them in Spun Right Round Classic Sock in Raining Cats and Dogs.  I was just about to start writing the blog post when I realized that I didn't want to knit those exact socks in that yarn.  What I wanted to do was knit a pair of footie type socks with that yarn and use the stitch pattern for the instep.  I don't exactly know where this inspiration came from, but I knew 100% that this was the right choice.  

At that point, knowing that later I would be frogging what I was about to blog and restarting something completely different, there was really no point in blogging it in the first place.  So I didn't.  But I'm here now.

This is my new footie sock with the Decathlon Sock stitch pattern (AKA garter rib).  I worked a few rounds of ribbing, did a heel flap and heel turn, and started the stitch pattern on the instep as I decreased the gusset stitches on the sole.  Easy peasy!  I don't know why I decided I didn't want full length socks with this combination, but here we are!  Sometimes the yarn tells you what it wants to be.

Shortie Socks

Last time I was here I had a pair of finished socks.  I fully planned to take a little break from sock knitting for a couple of weeks, but then ESK did a Flash Craft A Long Challenge for shortie socks.  Rose City Rollers were one of the patterns we could use and I've knit them before, so that's what I made.  Four pairs in two weeks, and yes, we did run down to Galveston during that time to move Caleb out of the dorm (I took a pair of socks with me).

The first pair was knit from Madelinetosh Twist Light in Dopamine.  (This was a very bright blue leaning Dopamine.  Most of the Dopamine I've knit with previously was more blue green.)

Then I knit a pair using some of the leftover Dopamine and some Sweet Georgia Yarn Tough Love Sock in Sunken Treasure.

The third pair was entirely Sunken Treasure.

Finally, I knit the last pair using Madelinetosh Twist Light in Hydroponic, then Dopamine (from an earlier, more blue green skein), and finally Sweet Georgia Yarn Tough Love Sock in Magician.

This was a great way to work through some leftover, partial skeins and now I have four new pairs of shortie socks.

We're still unpacking stuff around here.  Caleb will be moving into his first apartment this fall so we're figuring out the differences between living in a dorm and living in an apartment.  It's all very exciting!

A Finished Pair of Socks

The summer is over (not quite with the temperature yet), Caleb is back to school and started classes yesterday, and I've finished another pair of socks.  These were the perfect, simple project that I could pick up and put down in between trying to corral all of Caleb's stuff - where did you put your microwave?  I didn't have the uninterrupted time or the mental space to work on anything more complicated, so these were exactly what I needed on the needles. 

The main color is Spun Right Round Classic Sock in Flamingo and the accent color is Teal Torch Knits Sock in Where My Peeps At?  I love the way these worked out and I plan to make another pair with the colors reversed.  I'll probably sleep in them or wear them around the house like slippers when it does get cooler around here.  They've been inspected by He Who Cannot Be Trusted Around Wool (and they're now safely in the drawer.

And just in case you were curious, the microwave was in the guest room.  Naturally.

A Sock

Everything I'm knitting right now is in a place where I need to pay extra attention to it.  My brain is not in that kind of place.  So, I started a simple pair of socks and have already finished the first sock!

This is essentially based on the Jelly Rolls pattern, but I worked the heel flap in a single color and dropped some little two round stripes just a bit before the toe decreases.  The yarns are Teal Torch Knits Sock in Where My Peeps At? (the white with speckles) and Spun Right Round Classic Sock in Flamingo (the pink).  

Sometimes, simple is exactly what life calls for.  The other projects will keep until I have the time and brain space to work on them again.  In the meantime, I can't tell you how amused I am by this simple, eye searing sock!

Have a great weekend!

Last Minute Socks

For the last few years I have made Mickael a pair of socks for Christmas.  His feet get cold around the house and he seems to enjoy wearing the handknit socks, so I've just been tucking a new pair into his stocking for the last four or five years.  Usually I get them knit early in the year so they're ready to go at Christmas, but this year I didn't.  I knit Caleb a pair of socks (and a blanket, and crocheted him a giant octopus), but somehow I didn't knit Mickael a pair of socks.  I realized I'd dropped the ball last week and panicked a bit.  Fortunately, I had some Mickael appropriate yarn in the stash (gray) and decided to knit him a pair of short socks, like the ones Caleb prefers, but in Mickael's size.  I have only knit Mickael regular, long socks before so this pair will give him options!  (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

I cast on last Wednesday evening using some deep stash Dream in Color Smooshy in Gray Tabby and finished the second sock Sunday evening.  They're safely tucked into his stocking now, and the tradition continues!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Socks

I have a finished pair of socks!  They're just short, little socks, but they're socks.  They were also more involved than they should have been, through no fault of the pattern.  Sit back and let me tell you a story!

For years I've been making the Footie Socks for sleep socks.  They are just enough sock to keep my feet warm when the temperatures drop but not so much that my feet get hot.  Unfortunately, some of the socks relax a bit too much when I wash them (drying doesn't seem to snap them back) and they tend to fall off my feet under the covers.  When I saw the Rose City Rollers sock pattern, I thought those might work better.  They come up higher on the top of the foot and even have a little cuff around the ankle.  I think this might help the socks stay on, even if the yarns relax a bit.

So I went to my basket of possibilities (the basket I put leftover yarn skeins that are partially used, but still have 50% or more of their yardage) and grabbed some Hue Loco MCN/Vintage Sock in Dodecahedron, leftover from a pullover I made a couple of years ago.  I tossed the sock project in the car when we took Caleb to school, but once I got started I stopped looking at the pattern.  The pattern calls for a traditional heel flap but I did a Fish Lips Kiss heel (short rows) instead.  In a typical 100% wool or wool/nylon blend sock yarn I think it would have worked out just fine.  Unfortunately, this particular yarn (80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon) doesn't have as much elasiticity as my usual sock yarns.  With my high arches (and insteps) and the lack of a gusset at the heel turn, they were really snug across the instep.  

I went ahead and finished the first sock though and as I knitted towards the toe, I started to figure out there was something going on.  95% of all the socks I've knit for myself have 64 rounds between the heel turn and the toe decreases.  This works out whether the socks have a traditional heel flap or a short row heel.  Occasionally I get a pair that needs only 60 rounds and a couple have needed 68 rounds, but the vast majority have 64 rounds in that section.  These socks?  78 rounds!

At this point I realized that the problem might have to do with the yarn.  I've only knit two other pairs of Merino/Cashmere blend socks and this was the first time I used this particular yarn base for socks, so I don't know if they all have a little less bounce or if it's this specific base, so I decided the best thing to do would be to start over and re-knit the sock.  This time through I did the traditional heel flap as the pattern calls for and the instep fits better.  It still took 78 rounds to get to the toe decrease, but I have a pair of really soft and beautiful socks that fit now.  I'd like to knit another pair using a more traditional sock yarn, and I haven't slept in these yet, but I know now to keep an eye on these luxury blends because they're different from traditional sock yarns.

Socks

 

I've finished the first pair of socks for Caleb.  I'm hoping to get two different pairs made for him by Christmas so he can decide what he does and doesn't like in a sock.  These are the Run Wild socks, but without the heel tab.  They're knit in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight in Korppi.

As soon as I finished Caleb's socks, I started a pair of socks for Mickael.  For the last few years I've tucked a new pair of handknit socks in his stocking for Christmas and I haven't knit him a pair this year yet.  Usually I knit his socks much earlier in the year and then put them away for Christmas, but for whatever reason, that didn't happen.  These are just a plain vanilla, stockinette sock knit in Regia 4-Fädig Patch Antik Colors in colorway 5750.  I have no idea when or where I bought this yarn, but it was in my sock stash with some other sock yarns for Caleb and Mickael.  Once I finish these I'll knit the second pair for Caleb, but this way they will both get socks by Christmas.  Are we seriously only about six weeks away from Christmas?

Socks

The last few years I have only been knitting socks for myself and Mickael.  Caleb's feet were growing too fast to keep up with and he only wore socks with shoes - not around the house.  (Both Caleb and Mickael have only ever worn hand knit socks around the house.)  I actually can't remember the last time I knit socks for Caleb, but his feet have slowed down (or stopped) growing and he told me he likes sleeping in socks.  So I did some measuring on his feet (he's still super ticklish of foot!) and asked him some questions about what he wants (short socks) and I'm knitting him a couple of pairs so he can decide what he likes for hand knit socks.

I'm unreasonably excited about knitting socks for him again.  It's not like they'll be anywhere near as fast as they used to be - he has the same shoe size as Mickael, but I'm excited anyway.  For the first pair of socks I'm using a new-to-me pattern - Run Wild.  These are built along the same lines as commercial socks for running - a tab to protect the Achilles tendon and arch support.  For Caleb's socks I've skipped the Achilles tab since he'll be primarily using them for sleeping, but I've done the arch support.

I've gotten his first sock knit and I'm working on the second now.  I'm using Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight in Korppi (I think - it's one of the raven colors).  I plan on giving him these (and hopefully another pair that I haven't knit yet) for Christmas.  The last few years I've been tucking a pair of handknit socks into Mickael's stocking (along with other, more exciting things) and this year Caleb will get some too!

Speaking of which, I need to knit a pair of socks for Mickael before Christmas too!

Another Pair of Socks

 

I've knit another pair of Footie Socks.  This time in Aniversario and Hush (Malabrigo Sock and Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock, respectively).  I finished knitting them right before bedtime last night so I still need to weave in the ends, but I'm calling them finished.  I think I might be able to get one more pair of footie socks out of this skein of Aniversario, but I'm not sure.  I'll have to see what I've got that will work for heels and toes.

I'm still working on the yoke of my colorwork pullover.  I underestimated the amount of time colorwork takes.  My new goal is to have the colorwork section finished sometime this week.  We'll have to see how that goes!

Another Pair of Footies

 

I finished a second pair of Aniversario Footies, this time I used Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love Sock in Sea Spray for the toes and heels.  I'd tell you that soon the sock knitting will be something different, but that would be a lie.  I've started a third pair of these.  Eventually I will run out of Aniversario, but this is not that day!

Finished Footie Socks!

 

I finished my first pair (for the year) of Aniversario footie socks just in time for cold weather!  I like these to sleep in when the weather is cold because they keep my feet warm, but I can still feel Max under the covers with the tops of my feet and my ankles.  He sleeps under the covers and sometimes all the way down by my feet.  Fortunately, he doesn't seem to mind being kicked occasionally (actually I think he likes it), but I try to keep up with him.

This skein of Aniversario is not consistently the same color from one end to the other, so a pair of regular socks would have been two different colors.  I paired the Anversario (Malabrigo Sock) with Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love Sock in Lollipop for the heels and toes.  Aniversario has so many colors in it, you can pair it with just about any other color and it will work.  I've already started a second pair with a different contrast color!

New Footie Socks

 

After finishing up my Green Dragon socks, I immediately wound yarn for a new pair of socks.  The yarn was Malabrigo Sock in Aniversario.  Once the skein was wound, I noticed that while the outside of the skein was mostly raspberry, fuschia, and plum tones with little bits of all the other colors (as Aniversario usually is), the center of the skein had more blues, greens, and purples.  I knew if I knit a regular pair of socks, the socks would be different colors, despite being knit from the same skein.  So I changed gears and decided to knit footie socks instead.  I will be able to get two pairs of footie socks from the skein.  Just for fun, I decided to use my leftovers of Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock in Lollipop leftover from my Smaug socks earlier this year for toes and heels.  I started with the end of the Aniversario skein that's more blues and greens than reds. 

I'm ready to start the heel on the second sock at this point, so as usual, these little socks are practically falling off the needles.  I haven't decided yet, but I might use the leftovers of Racing Green for heels and toes with the more red end of the skein.  Just to mix things up a bit!

Pink Footies, Finished!

 

I have finished the pair of Pink Footie socks!  There's not much to say about these since at this point you've seen the pattern so many times before.  The yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight in Rosebud.  They're not the most exciting project, but they do get worn!

Little Pink Sock!

 

I've finished my first pink footie sock and I'm ready to start the heel turn for the second one.  I should have these both finished over the weekend, which is good because I realized that I need to do a little Christmas knitting (and sewing) and apparently Christmas is coming.  I've maybe been ignoring that fact for a little while now.

Pink Sock!

 

I'm almost through with the heel turn short rows for my Rosebud footie sock!  Then I've just got some shaping short rows and ribbing and the first sock is finished.  This project hasn't been getting much attention because both the Find Your Fade and the Lightweight Pullover I'm currently working on are also brainless knitting.  The big difference is the sock is portable.  I haven't needed a portable project lately, so the sock has been neglected.

Poor sock!  It's not you, it's me!

Another Pair of Footie Socks

 

I've started another pair of footie socks.  At this point, I think I've said everything I have to say about this pattern.  I love it.  It's fast.  You should try it.

The yarn this time is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight in Rosebud. 

We Now Return to Your Regularly Scheduled Blogging

Sorry about the radio silence.  We had some technical difficulties here when I tried to update my computer and I managed to turn it into a brick.  The Apple Genius Bar people were able to get my files off of it and put them on my new computer, but there's still a lot of sorting out I need to do with the new computer.  Throw a double vet appointment on top of all the computer fun and that's why I have been missing.  (Logan and Max are both fine - they just had to go for their yearly checks.)

 

I have been knitting through all the craziness around here and I've finished my Ravelry Red (also known as one of the best reds ever) footie socks.  You've seen this pattern before and (spoiler alert!) you're going to see it again.  I love these socks!  I've already picked out another partial ball of leftover yarn to make another pair.  These are currently my only portable project, so I'll just keep cranking them out!

I hope to return to the regular blogging schedule now.  BTW, does anyone have a favorite way to back up files on a MacBook?  I really need to learn how to do that.