Thursday, January 10, 2008

First FO of 2008

I know, two posts in one day! I'm going away for a long weekend, and I've got lots to post, so feel free to "save" this one until tomorrow!!

On day 1 of Southern Summer of Socks (1 October, in case you don't remember that far back!), I cast on for the first of these socks - the Pomatomus. Following on from Donni's lead, I decided to embrace the second sock syndrome liberation movement, and make a matching but not matching second sock - same yarn and different, but I think complementary, pattern.

Et voila! Child's first sock in shell pattern!
I do love these together. I think of the Pom as the grown up version of the shell sock.Details:
Patterns: Cookie A's Pomatomus, from Knitty, and Nancy Bush's Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern, from Knitting Vintage Socks. No modifications to either except I omitted one repeat on the leg of the Poms (scared of running short of yarn) and so made the Shell sock the same length as the Pom, which meant omitting 2 or 3 repeats on the leg (can't remember now!). I also charted the Shell pattern, as the book only provided it written out. A chart is so much easier to work from, in my opinion!
Yarn: Merino Cashmere sock yarn (old version) from The Knittery, in Cherries. I cannot tell you just how much much I love this yarn, in particular this colour. Watching the colour change made knitting these patterns an absolute dream. And it knits up so fabulously, no really obvious pooling (well, a slight striping effect on the shell sock), and gorgeous gorgeous colour. Yum.This is the leftovers - as you can see, I needn't have worried about having enough yarn!!

Sticks: 2.75mm KP dpns

Time: 1 October 2007 - 3 November 2007 for the Pomatomus, 4 November 2007 - 6 January 2008 for the Shell sock. Ok, so most of the knitting was done in 2007. But they were finished in 2008, so for mine they count as the first FO of 08!
What I learnt: If you are making the Poms, you need really pointy sticks. I started out with bamboo needles and they were too flexible and not pointy enough. And the Poms are really worth making. It is a lovely lovely sock. I may make them again, next time using the pattern reversed for the second sock (someone has written it up, called Sumotamop - ie Pom etc backwards! Clever! And thanks to Kate for the heads up on the backwards pattern!) And I really like the mismatchyness of this pair. Such a cool idea to avoid SSS!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent mismatchiness! inspired choices on all fronts.

SSS Liberation Movement. Oh that is so good.

And I should have saved this for tomorrow then it wouldn't seem like you were away at all - except for the lack of emails!

2paw said...

Go the SSSL Front!! They look great together, it is such a clever idea to knit two socks the same colour but different patterns!! Love the colour too!!

Anonymous said...

That's such a fabulous idea because those socks look great together. And that yarn is perfect for those patterns--varigated without being TOO much. Just perfect.

Linda said...

I love, love, love all your socks! Knittery yarn is special, I am thinking that I might need more!

Anonymous said...

I never realized how similar those two patterns are! Your socks look beautiful. I also used that same yarn for the Child's First Sock, and it is so pretty. Enjoy your weekend!

Alwen said...

What great socks! I love that yarn color.

Snoozen said...

Absolutely gorgeous, love the colour. They look luxurious and comfy.

Thanks for my first lesson...if only I could have got the yarn to be off and flying, excited really excited...knitting my first big project, knitting with nice yarn (again when I get it) and kniting in the round, new adventures for a new year!

TinkingBell said...

So so so so pretty! Love the complementary idea and the yarnis gorgeous - aren't you the clever one!

Donyale said...

THEY LOOK MOST EXCELLENT! Yum Yum bubble gum. Or something else similarly grown up like that.

Ann said...

Love your mismatch socks - they are quite similar in a way. I love the yarn too & had used the same yarn & color for the Swallowtail Shawl. Love your MIL socks too. You do knit up such gorgeous socks. Have a good trip.

Olivia said...

I love to see a healthy bit of asymmetry. So liberating. And that is a beautiful pair of socks!

Michele said...

beautiful solution! have a wonderful time away.

amanda j said...

Although not twins, these are definitely related! They look great. I love love love that yarn! I bought it for my mother in that colourway. Gorgeous.

MadMad said...

Ooooh pretty! Love 'em. And thanks for the backwards Pom link! What a great idea!

Sarah said...

Well it's very socktastic round here; love this 'pair' and the whole idea of complementary patterns. They look really great together.

Also love your MILs socks - not a pattern I'd seen before but hopefully one I will get round to knitting.

Hope you had a fun weekend.

Lynne said...

I love both those socks.

"the second sock syndrome liberation movement" sounds interesting.

Unknown said...

This post has made me cast on for pomotomus again (for about the tenth time). Those two mismatched socks look so perfect together.

Diana said...

Those are geat. What a perfect idea. I want to be a liberated sock person too!!
Why do I have such fear of charts? I want to write out the charts and you want to make a chart!!

Em said...

They are wonderful! Your choice of patterns was dead-on for this mismatchiness. They look so cozy cuddled up there, similar but not the same. Have a fabulous weekend, hope the weather's not too oppressive.

DrK said...

hmmm my comment has not appeared, but i said lots of nice things about your lovely socks, beautiful stitch defination, gorgeous yarn, and the inspiration to knit poms myself! lovely xx

Michelle said...

They look great! They're similar enough that they look right together, and different enough to make you a sock-knitting rebel. Hooray for non-matching pairs!