If you've been assuming that because I haven't posted on my knitting blog it must be because I haven't knit anything, you are sorely mistaken. All that time I could have spent composing blog posts and uploading pictures has been spent knitting instead (amoung other things like eating, sleeping, and watering the children) I've been a knitting machine. Well not a machine, I didn't finish a sweater or anything. But I did make myself a couple of fancy new pairs of socks.
Pattern: Painted Madness
Yarn: Knit picks Sock Garden, Zinnia, now discontinued
Needles: Size 1.5 dpns
Modifications: None, they're not allowed.
Review:
Let me state that hands down, these are my favorite sock madness socks. I love the clever cast on: you knit the pointed hem side-ways, then pick up along the edge to
knit the sock from there. I love turning the sock inside out half way through knitting. I love the cute swirl toe. It's not the most comfortable toe, but it's the cutest! I would never have knit these socks if left to my own devices. I didn't think I was a cuff sock kinda gal. But it turns out I am. I love these socks. And of course my love of knit picks sock yarn is well documented. These socks are squishy, and comfy, and will be quite warm for the week of winter we will have next december. The pattern is available for purchase by emailing the designer at twistedtreasures@verizon.net or from Mountain Knits and Pearls East Stroudsburg, PA. Either way the cost is $4.00 and $1.00 for postage and handling. I did indeed pass round three of Sock Madness. I think I was the third person to finish my socks so I advanced to round four as part of the "Sweet Sixteen."
Tomorrow? Round Four wrap up.
Modifications: For the heel flap set up the pattern says to complete the pattern repeat 4 times. But that gives you 32 stitches, and you only need 28 for the heel. I think that's a misprint, and I only did the repeat three times. I also looked at how the instep pattern was supposed to be carried down the foot and ended up moving some stitches around so the stitches on the top of the foot would line up right. This part of the pattern isn't very well written, and I can see why. I'm not explaining it very well either. It was a little fiddly, but it turned out great.
wanted to knit a cabled sock, but my own attempts at a cable sock design were ill-fitting. I think my brain is too tired for math and thinking and stuff. I still had to frog this pattern once. I originally cast on for medium but in a stunning turn of events medium was too big for my size *ahem* 9 feet. But considering the fact that this yarn has been frogged a total of 9 times I think it held up nicely. Now that I'm looking at the picture I can totally see where I accidentally decreased one too many stitches on one side of the heel gusset, so I quietly increased a stitch right there. Oh well, I'm willing to live with it. There's also some distinct pooling at the heel gusset. Each sock has green/yellow on the right side, red/orange on the left side. I should be proud the colors matched up so well. It's tricky to make socks match with hand painted yarn, and to match pooling? I almost feel clever. These socks feel soft and warm on my feet, and I love my red technicolor toes.
