SailingKnitter

If it wasn't a sock, then it didn't get any knitting attention these past few weeks. There just seemed to be a lot of demand for socks, plus I had completed the write-ups of several new designs and needed to knit up the photo samples. Not just one sock for the photo - but 2 because, well, that would be a waste and the kids in Kazakhstan need socks. So, there was a sock knitting frenzy in these parts.

First up is a pair of socks knit for our good friend Cheryl on the sailing vessel Interlude. These are simple ribbed socks in Lang Jawool cotton & wool blend. Cheryl and Karen will be traveling to the high altitudes in Chile and Peru next month and needed warm clothing! I love to knit socks. Sounded like a good match to us.

Wear them well Cheryl! You may recognize Cheryl's leg in this photo as she has been by shanghaied  volunteer leg model these past few months. Now you get to see the rest of her!

On the Mittens for Akkol yahoo group we have been having a Sock Knitting Marathon event for the 530 pairs of warm wool socks we need for the kids in the orphanages. I seem to be getting down to the bottom of my sock yarn stash so I worked on matching up odd balls of yarn for custom socks.


Then, because some of the sock yarn was just plain butt-ugly (which of course is why it was still in the stash), I got to play with my fiber dyes and make them look better. For a horrid purple and white splashed dots Opal yarn, I over-dyed it with a dark purple. I now declare the yarn acceptable for knitting and it won't hurt my eyes when I knit with it. These are the lace socks from that yarn. It is one of my new designs called "Roads Traveled Socks" and will be available in the future on the Holiday Mystery Gifts Yahoo group.

Another ball of Opal yarn had black and white dots, plus alternating pastel colored stripes! Eeeewww. So I mixed up a diluted solution of a cordovan brown and these manly ribbed socks are the results of that effort. Yes, you can still see the original patterning but now it is quite subdued and I don't think anyone would be scared to wear these socks.

Next up are a very simple pair of ribbed socks knit from Regia yarn in a blue color scheme. At first I was tickled that I had found 2 50gr balls of yarn in the same colors so I could knit a larger pair of socks. But, when I started the second sock with the second ball, I realized that although they were the same "colorway", they were not only different dye lots,
but the yarn itself was constructed in 2 different ways! Wow! I've never had that happen before - where a yarn company changes the structure of the yarn itself. It was quite obvious when I had knit a couple of inches of the ribbing. Thankfully, I like to knit the 2 socks at the same time on (different needles) so it wasn't too late to change to a smaller foot on the socks and use every bit of just one ball of yarn. Yep. The second ball has already been matched to some gray yarn and is on the needles for another pair of socks.

Scrounging around in my stash I came up with one ball of a Regia striped yarn and one ball of a solid blue which were a great match.

Each ball alone could only make one sock, but together, they could make a pair. So, I used the solid yarn for the cuff, heel and toe, and the striped yarn for the leg and foot. Do I know how to have fun or what?

But wait, there's more! Here's another pair of "Roads Traveled" socks. These are the smaller size and are knit in a pastel multi-colored yarn.

And there was some test knitting again for the Six Sox Knitalong Yahoo group. This sock is called "Incurvation" and was designed by Janine La Cras. I knit it with a Regia sock yarn. The pattern is lovely, but there is knitting action on every single round - no restful just plain knit stitch rounds. So although I have started the second sock, it may be some time before I finish it. I need to have projects that are easy for knitting while socializing or riding in crowded buses and these are not the project for that.

Finally, here is this year's christmas stocking for the Holiday Mystery Gifts group (yes, I consider this a "sock"). It is my "Beaded Beauty Christmas Stocking" pattern and will be available on July 1st for the knitalong. No, I haven't finished knitting up the photo sample yet, but the pattern is with the test-knitters and I really will finish this. Really. Just as soon as I finish these other socks...