The Sock Update

I really thought that having a job 6 minutes away from home would leave me sooo much more time for blogging. But here I am heading toward my 9-month review and I haven’t posted a single word for months. Shame.

Of course I’ve still been crafting; it’s just getting the mojo to blog about it that seems to be the problem. It doesn’t help that this job is causing me constant, massive anxiety, but that’s a story for another day.

I’m still addicted to sock knitting so that’s mostly what I’ve been making. I use a Franken-pattern of 76 stitches, as many 1×1 ribbed rows as I can be bothered with, an integrated heel from this Basic Sock pattern, and a rounded toe from Rose City Rollers. They fit my Hobbit feet really well so I always stick to that, with one exception.   During Pride month, two self-striping rainbow sock yarn skeins fell into my stash (completely by accident!) and I really wanted to keep the stripes even down the whole sock, so I decided to have a go at my first afterthought heel.   I’m off work this week so hopefully I’ll have enough free brain space to get them done.

Before I disappeared, I was plugging away at some colourwork socks that I thought were going really well. Then I lay the two socks next to each other.

Sock 1 was completed when I had a job all lined up with two weeks of freedom before my first day. Sock 2 was started when that job fell through and I was back on the hunt again. Stress really does affect my gauge.  I also realised I was going to run out of yellow yarn before the end of the second toe, so I’ve frogged both of them back a bit ready to do a black toe rather than yellow. I shall try thinking lots of calm thoughts when I attempt the colourwork section again.

 And here are all the socks I’ve finished since my last Sock it to me Monday post:

I think this was a skein from Emma at Puddleside Musings , but don’t quote me on that. The colours reminded me of Irn Bru, which is the Fiancé’s favourite drink so I gave the socks to him.

 

This was one of the first hand-dyed skeins I ever got. Because I’d never worked with a skein like that before, my attempt to cake it was horrendous and I ended up having to cut it and re-join several times (also not pretty). They’re so scruffy I’m just going to keep them for myself.

 

I got an email from a yarn shop (I forget which one) that mentioned Onion Nettle sock yarn. I instantly imagined smelly, prickly socks so I just had to take a closer look. Turns out Onion is the brand name, and obviously they don’t put the stinging part of nettles into the yarn; it just gives the strength that usually comes from nylon and such. Two balls of the most beautiful purple just fell into my basket so I had to buy them.  I’m still deciding whether I will keep these or give them to the Fiancé. It’s so handy that we have the same size feet!

Hannah

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