Socks!

Socks seem to be a very devisive thing in the knitting world.  Some love them, some hate them. Others have turned their design into an art form.  You only have to do a quick search on Google to find pattern after pattern.  There's even a basic sock pattern on the BBC website (thanks Auntie - glad the licence fee is being used for good).  Now once you've done this search, click on the images tab and you can see some beautiful examples of socks and coloured sock yarn used together to make really amazing things. 

Personally I think I'm developing a bit of a love/hate relationship with socks.  I love the yarn, I love the patterns and I feel such a sense of achievement when they're done.  But at the same time, the yarn is really fine, the needles are tiny and I feel like it takes me forever to make something that essentially nobody will see.

I am in no way a veteran sock knitter.  I think I've made about 4 adult pairs in all, and they all differ slightly, but I own more books on knitting socks than I do for any other type of knitting.  Perhaps because there are so many different ways of making socks?  Toe-up, top-down, two-at-a-time, different heels, different toes and that's before you've even decided what sort of pattern to do on the main body of the sock itself.

I've just finished a pair of socks which I worked top-down.  This means I started with open end on the legs, rather than a closed toe.  I also worked 2 at a time on 1 long circular needle.  This can be a bit of a faff keeping everything untangled and carrying your 2 balls of yarn round in a freezer bag, but at least you do everything together and you don't end up suffering from second-sock syndrome!  I decided that I would try a slightly different short-row heel this time, which meant the heels had to be done one after the other, but I am really pleased with the way they turned out.  There are no holes, no wrapped stitches which drive me crazy and they fit round my ankle perfectly.

Here are my Sciencing Socks!  I went from:

Winding the yarn

Dividing it into two equal balls

to the finished items

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They are so named because the yarn is in a colourway called "Supernova" from Flamboyance Yarns.  Do you see what I mean about the yarn?  Where else could I get away with wearing such a fabulous combination of purple and orange?!  The yarn is called Hero and is 100% British Falkland Merino.  I'm wearing the finished socks now. They are so soft and comfy.  I picked the various elements from my Socks à la Carte book.  There is just a simple ribbed cuff, a spiral galaxy (more astronomy) pattern on the leg, and a star (just to labour the point) toe.

I made my father a pair of socks for Christmas, and I said after finishing those that I'd never make another pair of socks.  I'm feeling pretty similar now.  But I know that I've got some multicoloured yarn stashed away and the second volume of Socks à la Carte just itching to be used.  It would certainly be nice to work with some bigger needles for a while, but I know that eventually I'll come back to the socks!


And now here's just a little sneak preview of the Top Secret crochet project I'm working on.  I snapped this little guy hanging out on my balcony with Space Duck and Racing Duck yesterday.  The weather was gorgeous, but I don't think his wings would have held up to much flying!