Easy Lace Socks

A good few months ago I was on a sock knitting role and had just my gran's socks to finish for Christmas. Half way through that first sock I got extremely bored with the pattern and put it down and worked on a number of other projects. I can't even remember what pattern it was but it was one I hadn't done before. It was a fairly simple pattern, I remember that much. The problem though is that it was too similar to a number of other patterns I have done before. I don't intentionally go for the same type of pattern all the time but it happens and I end up with one sock syndrome. Or in this case half sock syndrome.

Two weeks ago I decided it was time to pick it up again otherwise my gran wasn't getting socks this year. I couldn't do that though. You ever have one of those gifts you expect every year from someone to the extent you rely on it and would be disappointed if you didn't get it? With my sister and her best friend it's those fluffy winter socks. With me and my family it's my hand knit socks and my gran wears them year round. I couldn't not knit her them. So the solution was to knit a different pattern.

I needed something that could be knit up quickly between studies. I found a basic lace pattern in the Big Book of Socks by Kathleen Taylor. It was so easy that I just had to do the pattern repeat once and could put the book away. The heel was the short row heel again and I had just finished a sock for my friend with that type.

It wasn't a boring pattern despite it's simplicity. It partly because it was a heel I don't normally do but also because the pattern was quite effective. It makes the sock quite thick and so will be extra cosy but I also quite like the way it looks. The second photo shows the pattern better once it stretches out. It's like little eyelets. It also shows the colours of the yarn better. It's the same yarn I used to knit my sister's Christmas socks. I picked it up at my knitting group. It's actually meant for machine knitting and so sits on a cone. Not sure what the brand is but it is very much like Regia's hand-dye effect sock yarn. So much so that it breaks away in the same manner. Very annoying as it always happens when at the toe I forgot about that from the first pair otherwise I would have not used the Kitchener stitch.

Anyway, expect to see more of this yarn. I have now knitted two pairs of socks from it and it hasn't made a dent into it. How long before I am bored of purple?