Finito: Qianer’s Mystery Socks

 

I have finally finished the SolidSocks July/August mystery sock project!

Qianer's first Mystery Socks by Qianer Huang

Yarn: Woolcraft Superwash Sock Yarn

Ravelled here 

I hated the colour I initially dyed this yarn, but was too eager to start knitting to re-dye. I ended up re-dying the finished socks with more blue dye, and now have teal socks. Big improvement :)

It’s been a while since I knit cables, and this was a fun little re-introduction. The only change to the pattern I made was to knit two repeats of the seed stitch fairy wings instead of three, as I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t have enough yarn. Turns out I needn’t have worried, I have plenty left over! If I was to knit this project again though, there are a couple of other changes I’d make. For one, I’d definitely make a slipped stitch selvedge for the heel flap to make life easier when picking up the stitches! I also thought about mirror-ing the cables, but in the end decided that I was far too lazy for that kind of mental effort!

I should probably get a start on knitting Christmas presents, but I’ve a feeling I’m going to spend the Bank Holiday weekend selfishly knitting for me. And maybe going to the pub. :)

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WIP Wednesday

I’m currently working on a test knit for the talented lilykate.

I’m using 4 strands of 1ply wool knit together as one in a wonderfully autumnal golden colour. It’s been pretty straight forward garter stitch so far, but I’m nearly at the lace sections! Can’t wait to start wearing this as soon as the weather starts to get crisper :)

More work-in-progress Wednesday posts over at Tami's blog!

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70%

One down, one to go on the mystery socks for the SolidSocks Ravelry group. I’m almost to the heel on the second sock now!

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Mojo

Late summer is usually the time when my knitting mojo makes a comeback. The realisation that we’ve pretty much had all the British summer that we’re going to have usually beings on a hankering for bundling up in cozy hand knits.

True to form, the needles have been clicking away these past few weeks.

sleepy hollow socks by Lori Law

Yarn: Regia Stretch Color

Ravelled here

I’ve had this pattern in my Rav queue ever since the Yarn Harlot enticingly blogged about them and their clever heel construction. Eventually, after hearing other knitters rave about the heel, I decided I had to give it a go for myself, and yes, the heel construction is fabulous.

I actually love heel flaps with picked up gusset stitches. I have it down pat.  A lovely thick, cushiony slipped stitch flap sandwiched between a teensy bit of garter and a slipped stitch selvedge. There is something deliciously satisfying about making a slipped stitch selvedge and then picking up the exact same number of gusset stitches on both sides of the flap, and then slowly seeing them decrease away. But there is also something deliciously simple about the sleepy hollow heel. No picking up, no working back and forth on that heel flap. It’s in the round all the way, increasing for the gussets. And at the end of it, a lovely slim, shaped heel. Me likey.

The toe is a little pointy for me, but that is something that would be very easily rectified.

And yes, this yarn is probably starting to look a little familiar :) I bought an ungodly amount of it from Kemps earlier this year, so there is quite a sizeable amount currently sitting in my stash. Cue a glut of projects featuring dark grey Regia Stretch! I do love it, but I think that this is the third project in a row I'’ve used this yarn for, so I think it’s definitely time to give it a break and mix things up a bit :)

I have a few other things on the needles now, but I’ll leave that for another day.

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