It's not all just crochet around here, although my most recent posts make it seem so... Here in the northeastern US it gets cold, so we need a good supply of woolies to help us through. For many years, a big part of the summer ritual was getting a good start on wool socks for Brendan, since he grew like mad & rarely could he wear the same socks from winter to winter. A couple of years ago he slowed down, foot-growth-wise, although he still shoots skyward at an alarming rate :) So I am knitting for him at a more desultory pace, and am alternating socks for me with socks for him this year.
The socks for him are in process, from KnitPicks Stroll sock wool (Lily Pad Multi). I have to work them on size 0 needles because I knit so loosely, that's the only way I can get within 7 sts/inch gauge (what I find to be a good fabric for socks in fingering-weight yarn). I work them on 2 circulars, & wooden/bamboo needles snug up the gauge even more, so that's what I prefer to use (although I went through a distressing number of wooden needles over the summer by sitting on them & snapping them, or snagging them in baskets & losing one needle out of the cable- let's hope I've learned my lesson!) Brendan's feet are now ~ men's size 9, so I work them on 72 stitches around, adjusting the length about 1/4"-1/2" every year as he grows.
The socks for me are from Veronik Avery's "Knitting 24/7" in a lacy faux cable stitch that looked fun to try. Unlike Brendan's plain-knit ones, these were not mindless knitting, & I had to rip each sock back a couple of times because I lost my place in the lace. They were also knit in KnitPicks Stroll (tonal raspberry) and on the same size 0 needles. I like them a lot. They're lacy enough to be cute, but no less warm for the lace. Building on this less-than-mindless trend, I plan to tackle toe-up (my first for at least for 10 years...) socks. I'll let you know how they go!
It's not all just crochet around here, although my most recent posts make it seem so... Here in the northeastern US it gets cold, so we need a good supply of woolies to help us through. For many years, a big part of the summer ritual was getting a good start on wool socks for Brendan, since he grew like mad & rarely could he wear the same socks from winter to winter. A couple of years ago he slowed down, foot-growth-wise, although he still shoots skyward at an alarming rate :) So I am knitting for him at a more desultory pace, and am alternating socks for me with socks for him this year.
The socks for me are from Veronik Avery's "Knitting 24/7" in a lacy faux cable stitch that looked fun to try. Unlike Brendan's plain-knit ones, these were not mindless knitting, & I had to rip each sock back a couple of times because I lost my place in the lace. They were also knit in KnitPicks Stroll (tonal raspberry) and on the same size 0 needles. I like them a lot. They're lacy enough to be cute, but no less warm for the lace. Building on this less-than-mindless trend, I plan to tackle toe-up (my first for at least for 10 years...) socks. I'll let you know how they go!
ooh those socks are so pretty. I can see why people knit them. I guess when I have too many shawls I will have to switch to knitting socks!
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