The Non-Surprise Socks.

The socks I needed to finish in two weeks I finished in a few days. I forgot how tiny my sister's feet are and how quick it is to knit her socks (it helped that the first sock was already finished). This pattern is so easy too. Another help towards getting them finished. There was also no grafting of the toe. The yarn is Regia hand-dye effect. I am sure that I have complained about it before. Finally, though I have learned. It doesn't like grafting and snaps so that you have to rip it back re-attach the yarn and then graft the toe. It's annoying and I fail to remember this every time I use it. Until now. I did the swirl toe (not sure if that's the right name for it) and it likes that.

The pattern is the easy lace pattern you have also seen before. It looks narrow but when on it stretches out so that you can see the lacey effect. I love it and might have to knit a pair like this for myself. As for the so called hideousness of the yarn. I still think it's pretty. The sun coming through the window is making it look more purple than it actually is but I still think it's nice.

I did see some truly hideous yarn today. Also by regia but contained an assortment of colours that clash. Not only do they clash but they are also luminous! I am a firm believer that luminous colours should be used solely for high vis jackets and highlighter pens.  I would have taken a pic to show just how horrible it was but it's not the sort of shop that would allow a lunatic to photograph their yarn. I want to be able to go back there. So your just going to have to take my word for it (Helen, my sister would draw the line at these colours).

Having finished these socks I have cast on my sister's actual Easter socks. I have to say that nothing I am making for her is very eastery. I'm afraid you won't be seeing any images until they are in my sister's hands. Let's just hope I get them finished on time.

Every time I open up the Big Book of Socks it opens up to these lovely cabled socks. I think it's a sign that I should knit them. I had planned to knit it with some sock yarn that was originally intended for something else. It has significant colour changes in it but they are so broad I think it would still show off the delicacy of the pattern. However, on reading I discovered that it would be too thick. Then I remembered this lovely yarn that Helen bought me a few years ago. I have been waiting for the perfect pattern for it and I think this is it. I haven't wound the yarn or cast it on yet though. I am trying to remember that I have actual deadlines I might not meet as it is.

I also meant to show this in my last post. Last week I went to the library and dragged my mum along (the promise of coffee and books meant not much dragging was required). After we had picked out our books and went to the coffee shop. I noticed that all the handles were covered in knitting. I love a yarn bomb and this is the first I've seen locally.

I probably won't be doing a pinterest post this week. Maybe next week. Just the way my days off have worked out and the fact that I have too much to do just now.

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?