Coffee and Toxic Oreo Vanilla Socks

Socks in the wild!! I managed to snag a rotation for going in to my physical work office so my knitting got to leave the house (with a mask, lol)!

Zoom meetings have been really good for my zen knitting of stockinette in the round. My Toxic Oreo Vanilla socks have a decent sized foot going!! And the speckles do not disappoint as Lemonade Shop yarns really have this down to a science.

I should be about an inch away from starting the gusset heel. I have, over the years, figured out how to work the toe up gusset heel and stay on my nine inch circular needle. The needles do get a little full but its manageable for me and it saves me from transferring live stitches.

At the rate I am casting on socks I am going to need a bigger sock drawer! Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: 2020 Advent Socks

The next thing to hit my needles after my winding party are my 2020 Advent Socks. I have decided on a plan to work them in tandem on two separate nine inch circulars.

So far I have the full skein out and I have knit both toes of my socks. Next up I plan to open up the minis in the order the dyer intended and split each 10 gram mini into halves. I will then add half to each sock. The yarn is BFL sock so I think I should be able to spit splice my joins so I won’t have 1,000 ends to weave in.

I haven’t decided on a heel plan or final construction. My first instinct would be to knit tubes and add after thought heels. But I have a TON of yarn and I think this will end up looking pretty scrappy. Maybe I will do a toe up gusset heel and just let the colors fall where they may?

I’ll just decide when I get through the foot I guess! Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Toxic Oreo Vanilla Socks

The needles from my Sand Castle Cashmere Vanilla Socks were feeling chilly and lonely so they told me that I needed another pair of toe up gusset heel vanilla socks.

After a fun trip through my sock yarn stash I found my precious skein of Toxic Oreo from Lemonade Shop that I have been hoarding. I can’t wait to see how these speckles work up in all their rainbow glory. I was so enthused that I didn’t even cake up this yarn. I hand wound a ball and just got to work!

I have cast on my pretty standard vanilla sock of 68 total stitches on a US 1 needle. This yarn might be light fingering so I’ll have to see how the fabric works up. But for now I have completed the first toe and I’m ready to cruise up the foot.

Happy Knitting!!

Finished Carbon Sprinkles Vanilla Socks!

I couldn’t wait for FO Friday, I had to share these today! My Carbon Sprinkles Vanilla Socks are DONE.

Pattern: My own toe up vanilla sock “recipe” with 68 stitch count

Yarn: MudPunch Slash Self-striping in Carbon sprinkles color

Needles: US 1s

They fit my freezing feet and go a decent way up my leg. They maybe don’t have enough negative ease in the foot but the ease is just right for the leg so they won’t sag too much. I washed them on their own and didn’t see any dye come off in the water. That’s always a relief to me when I there is red and black in the same yarn.

I am really really happy with them and pretty pleased they match almost exactly. That is not a requirement for me but its nice when it works out that way. 10 out of 10 would knit this dyer’s sock yarn again. Its plump and bouncy and her color sense is on point. Ravelry tells me she uses an 80% SW merino and 20% nylon blend.

Happy Knitting!!

Carbon Sprinkle Heels

Both of my Carbon Sprinkles Vanilla Sock tubes are now complete!

They ended up matching quite nicely to one another. Not a requirement for me but a pleasant outcome. I need to install the afterthought heels and I will have the cutest socks to add to my drawer.

I do plan to use the striping yarn to do the heels. I will do some color management to make sure the heel placement falls in the middle of the speckled stripe and then start the yarn for the heel at a corresponding place. Usually I can finish the heels in two or three evenings? We shall see…

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Sand Castle Cashmere Vanilla Socks

One finished pair of snuggly socks coming at ya! My Sand Castle Cashmere Vanilla Socks are complete and I even wove in the ends!

Pattern: My own 68 stitch toe up vanilla sock

Needles: US 1s

Yarn: Leading Man Fiber Arts Showstealer base in Sand Castle

I tried for longer legged socks and ended up using 71 grams of yarn or just over 300 yards. So I have plenty enough leftover for my memory blanket and maybe another small project? The fit is good in the heels and I definitely needed the leg increases.

And the completed fabric feels really good on my feet with the cashmere content. So off these go into my sock drawer. I haven’t delved too deeply into my sock drawer this year. Its a combination of a warmer winter and not really leaving the house. I really haven’t needed socks as much. Maybe February will bring us some cold snaps?

Happy Knitting!!

Almost There Sand Castle Cashmere Vanilla Socks

I’m down to the last few rows of cuff on my Sand Castle Cashmere Vanilla Socks!

The heel turn is complete and I muddled my through the second leg. The increases may not be in the exact same places as sock number one but there are for sure the same number of increases.

I’m already scheming my next sock cast on for when these are done! Happy Knitting!!

A Second Sand Castle Sock

After all the fiddly toy knitting and seaming last week I wanted to get back into my plain old relaxing sock knitting. So I picked up my Sand Castle Cashmere Socks over the weekend.

I have the second sock to a place where I am ready to start the second heel. I made sure not to over run or over knit this time. No tinking back! This has been my evening knitting project here lately so it is getting most of my knitting time. Maybe I’ll have finished socks soon?

Happy Knitting!!

Gratuitous Car Line Knitting

Back to school started last week. Heading into semester #2 of Kindergarten means more car line knitting. I have started the second sock of my Sand Castle Cashmere Vanilla Socks. The first sock is done and tucked in the bag. I will try to grab a photo of that soon. I tried it on and the fit is okay to good. It’s got negative ease, especially in the leg. We will see what blocking does to this yarn.

The toe is always a little fiddly as I cast them on using DPNs. And then when I get to the foot section I switch to a nine inch circular to go round and round and round. I have been getting so much car knitting in lately I feel like Honda should sponsor my time, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Ready For A Sandy Cuff

I powered through some knitting this week and finished the heel turn, the leg and calf increases for my Sand Castle Cashmere Vanilla Socks. Added a little gratuitous Christmas decoration that I haven’t had the energy to take down yet.

I flew by the seat of my pants on this one. I just knit up the leg and eyeballed installing the calf increases. I added four or six extra stitches over top half the leg. Maybe not the most scientific and will undoubtedly be super hard to recreate on the second sock. But that is future Rachelle’s problem

Happy Knitting!!