Retro Rib Socks

Top Ten Reasons I Don't Hate These Socks

10. They fit......perfectly
9. Although terribly bland, I actually like the color (Fawn)

8. They should be quite warm and hard-wearing
7. They are finished.....FINALLY
6. I didn't run out of yarn....although it WAS close!
5. Now that they are finally done, I'm free to start an exciting new pair from my
NEW sock book
4. The yarn was inexpensive
3. They help me remember that it won't ALWAYS be 100 degrees around here
2. Making a three-dimensional highly-functional article with my own hands
and a single length of string is really cool!

...and the #1 reason.....
1. It is an Evelyn A. Clark pattern and I LOVE EAC!!

This is the Retro Rib Socks pattern (Winter 04/Interweave Knits) by Evelyn A. Clark which I knit years ago. I think it was the first patterned sock I made. It took me a long time to finish that pair, but honestly these took much longer. I started them before Easter. They were a travel project and stayed in the project bag neglected much of the summer. This is a lovely pattern and the rib variation makes them fit so nicely. However, it has more purls than knits and almost half of the knits are done through the back loop. I don't know about you, but that really slows me down. Totally worth it though in my opinion, as it makes a very classic-looking sock that works equally well for men or women. This Patons Kroy sock yarn is a 4-ply and at 166 yards/50 gr. is a bit thicker than some sock yarns. Ball band suggests a size 3 needle and I knit these on my favorite size 2 Inox dpns so that made a very thick fabric.

Cherry Garcia Socks

Pattern: Basic Adult Socks by Deirdre Wallace; an Ann Norling Pattern

Yarn: Meilenweit* Multiringel - color 5030

which reminded me of chocolate ('course most things do!) and cherries

so I named them after a Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor that I've never even tried

Needles: Size 2 Inox dpns

I started these out with the 3x2 deep rib that Nancy Bush uses in her Gentleman's Plain Sock (in "Knitting Vintage Socks" book) but on fewer stitches. When I decided I would substitute the regular heel and toe from my Ann Norling pattern, I decided I should really probably NOT link this to Nancy's pattern. I mean there was very little left of her vintage pattern!

This Ann Norling pattern was the first sock pattern I used and one recommended to me by the yarn shop I visited. It is written for three weights of yarn and has specific numbers at each stage of the sock. It was a perfect introduction to sock knitting, for me at least.

These socks took me all summer and served as my travel or visiting project, never getting more that a few rounds at time knit. I deliberately did not try to match up the stripes. I thought they were more fun not being exactly matching. I'm hoping the recipient is equally amused.

I finished them up on Saturday, September 11 and it was another very HOT day so I decided to include my vintage church fan in the photo. In fact I later learned it set a record high temp for this day. I'm not surprised. Whew! This has been such a long, hot summer.

Warm colors

and HOT weather.

Whew!

I am beyond tired of the day after day after day HIGH temperatures. Perhaps it is really getting to me. Why else would I knit wool socks now?

I bought this ball of yarn (Meilenweit* Multiringel - color 5030) at my LYS; my soon-to-close LYS.

The owner has two family members with significant health issues and felt closing to be the best decision. I don't know her personally, but she was great as a shop owner and clearly loved to knit, enjoyed people, had a real talent for teaching, and seemed to derive much pleasure from her shop so I am saddened for her. I will miss having a real yarn shop close enough for easy visiting.

Back in late April at Stitches South market, I bought a bag pattern. Hum, well, actually I bought two bag patterns. One was this clever little pattern which called for sock yarn and this was what I chose at the only time I've been able to get by my LYS during her liquidation sale.

Here, three months later, away from the Stitches market floor and all the yarn fumes, I still like the bag pattern, but wasn't sure I wanted to knit it right now or in this yarn.

This yarn seemed to really WANT to be socks. So I started a pair with the intention of making gift socks only now I'm in love. I love the warm colors. I love the simple striping. I love the fact that I can just knit around and around and not even think. My mind is baked. I need knitting that does not require thought.

This is German yarn and, according to the online free translator, Meilenweit translates to "of many miles" so no wonder it wanted to be socks.

Socks FX

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks FX
75% washable wool/ 25% nylon
166 yds/50 gr. - 2 balls almost all used
Clay Colors

Needles: dpns; size 3 for cuff and size 2 for foot
60 stitches

I bought these two balls intending to mail to Kay while she was in South GA but then decided she probably wouldn't want to worry with sock knitting, so I quickly went to plan B and started a pair of socks for a nephew.

This yarn is a bit heavier than usual sock yarn, but I think the socks will be warm and hard-wearing. I really enjoyed how the colors striped. The yarn is marled so the transitions are gradual. Should work well with a mostly blue jean wardrobe, I think.

Choose Your Own Adventure Socks

Pattern: Basic Adult Socks #12

an Ann Norling pattern by Deirdre Wallace
just basic 64-st, 2x2 rib cuffs with plain feet; heel flap, basic toe

Yarn: Regia 4 ply
Patch Antik color / #5754
210 m / 50 gr
2 balls with a little leftover in each

Needles: size 2 Inox dpns

A little over two years ago I started a pair of socks out of a ball of Lion Brand that Kay sent me. Because of the color I thought of them as lumberjack socks and decided to give them to a nephew who was heading off to college. Fortuitously they arrived the very day his rafting coach instructed him to get wool socks. Wool, as we know, maintains its warmth even when wet.

Turns out he likes handknit socks. I think most people do once they've experienced them. He mentioned to his mom that he'd like another pair and I was happy to oblige.

I wanted hardwearing, easily-laundered yarn and Regia fits the bill. After purchasing the yarn and getting along on the first sock, a second e-mail from the mom stated "As for colors, he will take anything but if you have not picked out any yet, he said the crazier the better." Hum. I may have spoiled him with that nutty toe solution on the lumberjack pair!

I don't think he'll consider these stripes very crazy, but hopefully they will serve. These were fast to knit. I think it was because there were only three colors and wide stripes. It was always easy to tell myself that I'd just knit to the next color or through the current sequence.

Choose Your Own Adventure books were fad reading for several months years ago when my daughter was in elementary school. For some reason that phrase was stuck in my head as I was knitting these and I thought of them as just that....socks for the adventurous. Luckily I was able to find a cartoon that I could use for the label.

Making labels may just be my favorite part of gifting handknits.

ZigZag Socks

Pattern: ZigZag Socks by Christine Walter
from Vogue Knitting "The Ultimate Sock Book"

Yarn: Dream In Color Smooshy
100% superfine Australian merino superwash hand-dyed
color - Spring Tickle VS140

Needles: Size 2 Inox dpns (love 'em)

These are a gift - for no particular reason - to the person for whom I finished the pesky Lion Brand pair last month.

I've been wanting to try Smooshy sock yarn and it did not disappoint! It is yummy to knit with. I e-mailed Paige with a link to the Smooshy colors and let her choose. As much as I love greens, this Spring Tickle color would not have been my first choice. But I think it worked great with this pattern and the longer I knit with it, the more it grew on me.

This is a very straight-forward 64-stitch pattern and was quite enjoyable to knit. The only thing new to me was that the heel-turn section is also done in as a continuation of the slip-stitch pattern from the flap. I liked it and think it will be a bit of a heel cushion.

I did not work the round toe of the pattern and substituted my favorite toe shaping - which is from Evelyn A. Clark's Retro Rib Sock pattern.

This is basically a fancy rib and the sock is quite nice and stretchy. I think I could have gone down to the size 1 needles called for by the pattern, but I wanted to make sure they would fit and I tend to knit a bit tightly anyway. Didn't want to smoosh the Smooshy!

There is a nice bit of leftover yarn. I may try to get some wristwarmers or fingerless gloves to match. Can't wait to give them to Paige. I hope she enjoys wearing them as much as I enjoyed knitting them.

Lawrence Socks

Pattern: Rib & Cable Socks by Nancy Bush
Interweave Knits - Fall 2005

Yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot
color: Blue Green
60% superwash wool / 25% mohair /15% nylon
350 yds/100 gr. ; less than 1 skein

Needles: size 1 Inox dpns

My daughter took the time to visit The Yarn Barn on a trip out to Lawrence, KS this past summer and brought me back a skein of this yarn in the richest, deepest blue imaginable. The yarn is a treat.

I never did quite figure out Nancy's directions for the heel turn which included some yarnovers so I ended up substituting the heel turn from her Madder Ribbed Socks and that worked out fine.

These had a new-to-me toe construction as well that used p2togs and p3togs for the decreases with no grafting involved. The fit is fine, but seems like the purled decreases on the stockinette background are distractingly noticeable.

The rib and cable pattern for the body of the sock is so pleasing that I feel sure I'll knit this pattern again sometime and just plug in a different toe. But the first time through I like to work as closely as possible to Nancy's instructions. She's a sock master after all!

S.W.A.D. Socks

Sheer Will And Determination. It worked. I now have a pair of socks the same size and not too dissimilar in looks. The fabric is still dense but that is not the fault of the last-ditch effort to save them. I should have used a size larger needle and fewer stitches.

Curiously enough the free pattern included on the inside of the ball band directed me to do this very thing. With size 3 needles instead of size 2 and with 56 stitches instead of 64, I just might have saved myself a few days, a headache, and wound up with softer socks. Go Figure.

But this experiment was definitely worth the time and trouble. Sometime in the future on a more serious project and one perhaps with a greater investment in yarn, I might need to cut off some edge either to shorten or to lengthen.

Brooklyn Birch Leaf Socks

Pattern: Birch Leaf Socks
by Nancy Bush in "A Gathering of Lace"

Yarn: Brooklyn Handspun Signature
4 ply merino superwash sock yarn
480 yds/113 grs - color Moss Man

Needles: size 1 and size 0 dpns

Whew! Just in time! The 5-day forecast is just peppered with these threatening red-hot thermometers! I think I can safely fold these and put them away for a few months!

This is a lovely pattern that I enjoyed all the way through. It is perfect for a chart-loving knitter. The yarn was a real treat as well. It is one of those tightly-spun fancy sock yarns and I could easily get spoiled.

I even have a good bit left as the handy tin will attest.

Now I think I'll take that magnetic ruler and use it to hold up the chart for the Madli blue shawl and get back to work on it.

INSIDE, of course, with the a/c on!

High fiber bento

Bento: a single-portion take out or home packed meal.

I had never heard of bento boxes until a few months ago even though it turns out I happen to have a Hello Kitty one leftover from my daughter's younger years. (pause for a moment to remember and sigh)

I have a thing for repurposing tins and containers. When I started my new sock project, I looked around for a tin deep enough hold that big ball of yummy yarn. If I only had a tin, I thought, I could use a magnet to keep my place on the chart and handily carry everything around that I needed, but none of my tins were deep enough.

Yesterday afternoon, my friend Kay dropped by. She's getting ready to head to her cabin in MN and was doing some clearing. She had things to drop off at Goodwill, old eyeglasses for the Lion's Club collection, etc. When it came to this tin, she thought of me.

How about that for coincidence? The very day I think I would like a tin, Kay unearths one and drives it over to my house!

You can see that I put it to immediate use. It is perfect; just the right depth, enough width to accommodate the growing sock and needles and the little pad for my Patented Hatch Mark System. What's even more perfect is that the hinged lid leans back and stops at just the perfect angle to be an easel for the chart!

See some clever bentos here, here, and here.
Kinda makes my daily PB sandwich look pretty lame!

Son of Leave It To Beaver

Leftover yarn and needles still in the box bag, so why not use them to make a pair of infant socks for one of the new babes? I tried halfheartedly to make them twins but they are only fraternal. Oh well. They will be quickly outgrown!

I used this very basic pattern to make them.

Next up for the next babe? Maybe an owl cap?

Happy Feet

I'm not much of a shopper and for most of my Christmas purchases I have "let my fingers do the walking". I am, however, really having fun wearing my new holiday Chucks.

So far I've resisted adding jingle bells like I always used to do in high school (since I'm all so much more mature, you know).

This pair of socks I finished back in the summer especially for my holiday shoes.

Pattern: Roza's Socks by Grumperina

Interweave KNITS, Spring 2007

Yarn: Crystal Palace Panda Wool, color #4108 vine green, 2 balls

46% bamboo, 43% wool, 11% nylon

Needles: Size 1 bamboo dpns

This sock is knit with only 60 stitches. On size 1 needles as written, I was a bit afraid at first reading that it wouldn't fit my 'sturdy' legs, but reading the Haphazard Knitter's account and seeing - or rather shamelessly copying - hers made me decide to give it a try. Like she said, the brioche stitch rib makes a very stretchy and comfortable sock.

The two-row pattern makes this sock a perfect travel project, too. I think I might one day try it again in a yarn without the bamboo content.

The Elf and the Sockknitter

....or my first step to becoming a Net Granny.

I think Kay and I are about to play a variation on the folk story, The Elves and the Shoemaker.

Kay, [the elf in this senario] in spite of turning out record numbers of dishcloths, isn't ready to embrace the purl stitches in a sock, but would still like a pair of handknit socks. Who wouldn't?

You can see the bag, recycled from our now-closed LYS, has made a couple of doorknob drops already. Today it was hanging on my doorknob and two balls of nice cotton/wool/nylon blend sock yarn were inside.

I get the fun and Kay gets the socks. But probably not by Christmas, Kay. You know I work best at a relaxed pace. Besides, Mary beat you to it. I got a bag of yarn from her on Saturday!

[more about my plans for that loot later]

match.com

In search of mate.

The first sock is done. I usually don't have any problems with Second Sock Syndrome. I don't mind knitting the second one and usually start in as soon as I have the time.

I'm calling these my Leave It To Beaver socks, but I'm using Nancy Bush's pattern, Gentleman's Fancy Sock from "Knitting Vintage Socks". These are not going to be beauties, but I think they'll get lots of wear and be warm. I changed the heel just because I didn't want to deal with that purl seam stitch down the middle, but I kept the wide toe just to try something different and I think I like it.

Citizen Knitter

under 35 minutes!

Leave It To Beaver Socks

Wasn't it only last week when I was adamant about finishing the Anniver-
sary Socks so I would have no other WIPs and could knit my RED shawl with my full attention?

Gee. Where is that knitter? A little head cold and I cast on for the pajama bear and then the very next day.....the very next day!...I cast on for another pair of socks.

There is method to the madness. (I think.) Neither the Estonian shawl nor the pajama bear would be suitable for knitting while standing in line to vote. And from the look of today's headline, I'm going to need a project!

Way back the Yarn Harlot talked about some Lion Brand Sock-Ease so I kept my eyes peeled for it to appear at the big box. When I did find it, they only had three colors; a hot pink, an eye-searing yellow, and the one I chose - Rock Candy. It didn't really look like any candy I ever buy but at $6.94 for a pair of socks, I couldn't pass it up.

So I cast on today to get it ready and, instead of being reminded of any candy, I immediately thought of those striped t-shirts boys wore in the 50s. And even though my episodes of "Leave It To Beaver" were in black and white, I just knew he must have had a shirt in these colors!

Happy Anniversary!

Pattern: Anniversary Socks by Nancy Bush

Sep/Oct 2003 "Piecework" magazine

or "Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs by Interweave Press"

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock

color Harvest - 8NS

a gift from knit night pal, Claire

Needles: Size 1 (2.25 mm) Clover 5" bamboo dpns (the shorties)

Nothing to say that I haven't already said. LOVE the pattern, LOVE the fit, LOVE the feel.

I love how the back half is stockinette with just the mini-cable and rib cuff.

I LOVE the yarn. It's LACE in a sock!

In the pattern Nancy called this a French toe from "Weldon's Practical Needlework", Volume 1. It is a really quick toe to knit and fits and feels better than I imagined. I'm smitten.

First Anniversary

Some time spent in a waiting room yesterday and having the morning off today was just what I needed to finish up the first of the Anniversary Socks.

I worked it exactly by Nancy's perfect pattern. It was my first time with this particular toe, which decreases 6 stitches every other round at three points. It fits well and no Kitchener required. I'll have to wait to see how it feels in a shoe.

After today's walk, I raked some leaves that have covered the driveway. One shouldn't have to rake in 80 degree weather!

But this was more a cosmetic effort than a real rake. It didn't take too long and was only to make the drive look nicer. The real rake will come much later.

There are still MANY leaves left on the trees. [I try not to think about it.]

Slowly Coming Along

The Anniver- sary Sock is slowly coming along. Not much progress to show in almost a week, but it's been a busy, tiring week here on the cul-de-sac.

All of the knitting I have been able to do, however, has been pure pleasure! The Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock is a joy to knit with, and I think, is working well for this pattern. I know you can't tell too much at this stage.

And you can't really tell from this picture, but there are mini two-stitch cables in the cuff and running between the openwork columns and these have provided a new stitch for me. I guess you could say I've been cabling without a cable needle (even though I think WAY too much is made of this). The directions have you knit into the back of the second stitch, leave it on the needle then come around and knit the first stitch. A neat little technique.

As usual, that Nancy Bush writes a nice sock.

Socks 101

I seem to be knitting yet again with gift yarn. Am I lucky or what?!

One of the other knitters at knit night said a friend had passed along to her some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock and she was going to pass along to me.

I was quite excited as I had not knitted with it before. It is very nice and I'm really enjoying it.

I dithered for days about which pattern to start. The color is Harvest 8NS (I assume that means nearly solid?).

The "Child's Sock in Miranda Pattern" in Nancy Bush's "Knitting Vintage Socks" calls for this exact yarn and color and I briefly considered it. And, of course, I had a look at the Evelyn A. Clark sock patterns.

I kept returning to Nancy Bush's "Anniversary Sock". I have the pattern from the Sept/Oct 2003 "Piecework" magazine Anniversary issue. I am loving this pattern. After the cuff, the back is stockinette with all the pattern on the front "where all the work would show to best advantage beneath a long skirt".

At the time I checked Ravelry, 100 pair had already been entered. My project was number 101. Fitting. I learned a lot about sock knitting and got such a confidence boost from all the wonderful tutorials and pictures by Terri Lee Royea at Socks 101.

Some people like magic loop or two circulars for sock knitting, but I love my short bamboo dpns.