Sixth Socks

My 6th pair of knitted socks are complete. The interesting thing about these socks is that it is the first pair I've knitted for myself. I've done three pair of socks for the Hogwarts Sock Swaps (all three in Ravenclaw book colors), one pair for Sage (that sadly didn't survive their first washing, which I completely blame on the yarn), and one pair for Harley. And finally, I have my first pair of made by me for me socks.

It's not visible in the first photo, but there's some lower calf shaping going on in these, thanks to my well-developed legs.



The above photo is from just after I finished the first sock, in which the shaping is visible.

I started off with Cookie A's Baudelaire pattern, but quickly decided that I am not a fan of lace, especially for socks. So I changed it to a basic 3x2 ribbing. Still kept the stitch count and the toe-up gusset and heel, and they worked out quite nicely, though I am still going to experiment with other toe-up heels.

The yarn is what was left of the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Cedar... after I finished my gloves I still had more than one full skein of the yarn left. Since the skeins weren't an identical match, I split the remaining yarn equally in half and worked toe-up, starting first with the partial skein's yarn, then switching to the full skein's yarn. The switch is about an inch after the ribbing starts on both socks, and it's only really noticeable if you know it is there. Which now everyone does.

Next socks on the agenda for me... Firestarter (it's a pdf, just to warn you). Alas, they may have to wait a bit until I make another pair for Sage since she keeps trying to steal these.

Hogwarts Sock Swap 3 - package arrived!

Look at all the goodies that arrived today! Ahem... I forgot to put one very important skein of yarn in the photo... whoops! Not pictured in the above photo is a beautiful skein of Malabrigo Lace in Forest... so soft, so pettable, so pretty. How on earth could I have forgotten it?

Included in this package were so many goodies, I don't know how my pal Ana got everything to fit into the box. She did an amazing job on the socks, Monica Jines's Triple Twist Socks...



They fit perfectly and the yarn she used, vanCalcar Acres Jennifer's FlockSock Sock Yarn, is very sot and squishy and my feet are quite happy right now.

Other than the socks and Malabrigo Lace, she also sent lots of other yummy yarns - two skeins of Brown Sheep's Wildfoote in Rock 'n Roll (Harley fell in love with the bright rainbow colors, I have a feeling this will end up as socks for her), Elann's Sock it to Me Colori in a wonderfully bright colorway (of which I cannot locate a name, only a color number, which happens to be 33), Some Sugar 'n Cream in Beach Ball Blue, which is possibly one of the few colors of theirs that I have really liked but never bought (and now I have some so I can make something other than boring off-white dishcloths the next time I feel like making one which will probably be soon since a lot of ours are holey). There was plenty of non-yarny goodness in there too... the Fawkes sock pattern from the late Gigi Silva, a very nice old-world style journal, The Magic Loop book and a 40" US1 Addi Turbo circular needle (since I mentioned wanting to learn magic loop for socks, and now I can!), two little packets of Soak in citrus and sola - very excited about trying these scents, the one Soak I tried in the past was lovely and I bet these are as well, a wee little soap bar from Biggs & Featherbelle and a very cute card with knitted socks on the front.

Thank you Ana! I love my goodies!