Sunday, September 04, 2011

You can never have too many

You can never have too many pairs of red socks, right?

I needed a nice easy portable project a while back (um, in February...) and what better choice is there than stocking stitch socks with a pretty yarn?  (let's not mention that I actually wound this yarn in May last year to take to hospital with me.  Yeah, it never left the project bag!)
I finally finished them, and seem to have taken almost as long to get around to posting them as I did knitting them!

Details
Pattern:  Just my basic cuff down plain vanilla socks!  Although I did add some calf shaping into these.  I think I started with 72 stitches and steadily decreased down to 64, as I moved down the leg.  I did a tubular cast-on and twisted rib, and my favourite eye of partridge heel flap, and wedge toe. 
Oh, I did do something different, I did a dutch heel, from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks.  Thought I'd try it out, as others have commented on how they like it.  I don't mind knitting it, but I don't think it fits my foot as well as a regular heel.  Good to know!
Yarn:  A new yarn for me, Cascade Heritage Handpaints, a lovely blog prize from GeekKnitter.  I like this yarn, it feels nice but still sturdy, and I like how the colours behaved, with a subtle blue and purple stripe effect.  I would use this yarn again for sure.

Sticks:  2.5mm KnitPicks fixed circular, for magic looping - my favourite method for plain socks.

Time:  2 February 2011 - 1 August 2011.
And a nice little bit of leftovers which go straight to the Beekeeper Quilt yarn fund, heh!

20 comments:

MadMad said...

The second I saw the post title I thought of your quilt! (Why isn't she saving it for her quilt?! I wondered.) Cute socks, though! I've heard lots of great things about the yarn; haven't had a chance to try it, though.

Lynne said...

Lovely socks, pretty yarn.

Anonymous said...

i do love a good pair of plain vanilla socks where the yarn does all the work. really lovely. ive tried the dutch heel too and have the same feeling, its fun to do though. yay for more finished things!

Bells said...

they look really great. Nothing like letting a good yarn just speak for itself, is there?

Bells said...

meant to add, i've never worn a dutch heel for myself but I think they fit sean really well. Should try it for myself some time.

missfee said...

They look great - and I am now curious to investigate the dutch heel...

I thought of your quit too when I saw this post


more yarn for red

Sue said...

The socks look very nice indeed, like the colorway. I dont think anyone can have too many red socks!

Leonie said...

I agree, you never can have too many hand knitted socks. If nothing else, the more you have the longer it takes to wear them out :-)
Your red socks are very lovely and with the added bonus of extra yarn for hexipuffs it's a double score!

kgirlknits said...

hehe...I took knitting to hospital too, when I was having Lily - oh, the optimism!

these are gorgeous socks, can never have too many red ones ;)

Anonymous said...

Love the socks - and haven't tried the dutch heel either...

Virginia G said...

That is a really pretty yarn!

I recently got Sock Knitting Master Class, and I'm really curious to try out all the different techniques. So a Dutch heel is definitely on the list.

Your socks look gorgeous.

amy said...

I like the Cascade sock yarn too, but then I like Cascade in general! I have some more floating around here that G picked out at the end of last winter, so it'll be socks for her for this winter.

I had my husband fetch my knitting after my second birth (I wasn't a knitter for the first)--that was the early surprise, so I brought nothing with me--but I didn't touch it. I'm not sure I brought any with me for the third; I just don't remember. Either way, my arms were full of baby the whole time I was at the hospital, which is just as it should be. :)

roxie said...

Hoorah! Plain vanilla socks to show off fancy handpaint yarn. I applaud you! All too often I see gorgeous knitting get lost in a busy yarn, and fabulous dye work disappear into fussy knitting. Your choice for this is wonderful!

Mereknits said...

I love the socks even though I have sworn I will never make another pair, you make it so tempting. Have a great day,
Meredith

Jeanne said...

Funny that we were both working Dutch heels at the same time without knowing it!

Lovely socks -- yummy color --

Ann said...

Lovely socks. I love knitting plain socks as I feel it's so therapeutic.

LynS said...

I agree - you can never have too many pairs of red socks - or grey ones for that matter! So sad you haven't become a fan of the dutch heel - I think it's just so neat. Like the not-quite-regular stripes.

Gidgetknits said...

I love having vanilla socks on the go! And yours look brilliant - sometimes the yarn just needs something vanilla.

2paw said...

Lovely Plain Socks, sometimes it is just what your mind and hands need to knit. Such pretty wool too. I am going to try Cat Bordhi's Tomato wedge heel a go next time I knit myself socks. Just for fun, because I really do like a plain heel flap and turn best for my foot too.

1funkyknitwit said...

These look great in variegated yarn, interesting about the dutch heel. Maybe when I get round to knitting that second pair of socks I may try it out ;)