called a sock knitter!
Back on New Year's Day of 2007, I (for the first and only time in my life) gave myself two resolutions. The first was to learn to knit with multiple colors using intarsia and fair isle, and the second was to learn to knit socks. I've been practicing them ever since.
And so today, I give you a pair of socks. Not just ANY socks. But socks for my Mom! This past summer her yellow slacks were one of her favorite pairs she picked to wear over and over again. When I walked into The Stitching Well, some Wildfoote yarn jumped right out at me and was the perfect color match for Mom's slacks. (yes, she wears slacks, not pants-there is a difference. She's 82, after all.)
I like the way the socks show up in this picture....
And this one...
But this picture shows the color much more accurately. Here are the particulars...
"Island Fudge" socks by Phyll Lagerman in her Michiganisms! line of patterns, in women's large for size 11 narrow feet. Lantern Moon's sox stix in (US) 2 (2.75mm) needles, knit two at a time, Brown Sheep's Wildfoote 50 g wool (times two skeins) in SY-34 Lullaby color. They have not been blocked, yet. I need to find some sock blockers first. Then they'll be washed and blocked before I give them to Mom. Now, I also have to talk myself into waiting until her birthday in December to gift them to her. That might be the biggest problem yet! I'm terrible with hand knit gifts, I tend to want to give them asap. But then, I'd have to knit something else up in the meantime. See my dilemma?
Yes, I will knit these socks again, only in a much smaller size for me as well as many of her other sock patterns. After all, a Michigan girl HAS to have a slew of Michigan themed socks, right? Even if I only wear them for 2 months out of the year!
So, what did I do last night?
Cast on another pair of socks, but this time they're for me! I'm dropping the needle size down to a (US) 1 1/2 (2.5mm) on this pair. My feet aren't either size small or medium, but somewhere between the two. So, my hope is that if I knit the size medium directions with a smaller sized needle, pay attention to the actual length that I need, they just might feel like 'real socks'.
Every time I go into another yarn store, I go and touch their knitted socks. My aren't as 'tight' a gauge as I've found. Yet. So I keep asking what their tricks are. Smaller needles! Duh! I knew that, it's called...are you ready for it? Gauge.
Here's the particulars for this pair of socks: Lace Rib socks from The little box of Socks (don't you just loveeeeeeeeeeee Charlene Schurch's patterns?) Crystal Palace double point needles in (US) 1 1/2 (2.5mm), Brown Sheep's Wildfoote wool two 50 g skeins of SY-47 Surf Board Blue. I have others that I'd like to knit socks for, but want to practice on my feet, first getting that 'just right' fit. Why?
Because I either need to send my relatives to China and have them start practicing foot binding, or find some smaller footed family members. Here's my size 6 1/2 wide socks next to Mom's 11 narrow socks. Can you see a difference? 'Just a bit', 'eh? I think it's a wiser idea to practice sock sizing on smaller feet. But what do I know? I'm still learning.
