FO Friday: Toe Up Vanilla Socks

Happy 4th of July!!!

I’m taking a break from the fireworks and interminable Kansas heat to show off my latest FO. Last we spoke I had just completed the gusset for the heel. And lo and behold they are now finished!

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Pattern: A 74 stitch toe up vanilla sock with a slip stitch heel

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Soulmate in the Hawaii colorway.

Needles: US 0s dpns

These socks consumed 344.3 yards or 81 grams of yarn. They have some imperfections to those with a discerning eye. But I’m proud as I managed to churn them out in less than a month and they fit. I’ll take the lessons learned from this project and take them on to my next pair.

Don’t forget to check out the Socks With Sarah KAL page on Ravelry!

Gussets Complete!

My June #sockswithsarah socks now have heel gussets! Last we spoke I had just completed the foot portion.

The gussets did prove to be a lot of stitches mushed together on one needle and yes I dropped a few that had to be picked up! I also had some pooling in the color changes. Slightly annoying but not bothersome enough for me to change, lol.

All in all….still very happy and excited at how fast they are going! LOVE two at a time socks, even in my unique way!

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A New Sock

My Plain Rye has been languishing in my project bag as the weather has grown warmer. Definite SSS as I have finished the first one but only the cuff of the second. I have a hard time working on any project that I’m not “in love with” at the time. So to the back of the closet it goes!

I still have the urge to work on a sock and to keep up with Socks With Sarah. Eons ago I picked some actual fingering weight sock yarn: Lorna’s Laces Soulmate in the Hawaii colorway:20140531-215852-79132153.jpg

How gorgeous right? So I pulled this from my stash and divided evenly into two cakes. I even made sure that I started each cake at the same point in the color change pattern. I feel like a proper sock knitter! 🙂

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I picked a vanilla toe-up sock with gusset heal that is a variation of a pattern by Wendy Johnson. I’m working a total of 74 stitches on US 0 DPN needles. The pattern was written for magic loop but I’m working using three needles.

I don’t know if this is “right” or “wrong” but since I have five DPNs I’m working the socks in a sort of two at a time fashion. Two needles per sock and the fifth to work the live stitches. I plan to work each pattern section (toe, foot, turn the heel, etc) for each sock before moving to the next section. Hopefully this helps me produce two matching socks and avoid SSS, lol.

And as a pleasant consequence, I don’t have much of a laddering problem between the needles as I only have two needle changes (instead of the four I had with my Rye Socks). And I’m knitting the first stitch on each needle twisted and making sure to pull tightly. This is helping me to create a more even fabric. Check it out!

P.S. I’m TOTALLY in love with these colors. Really helps me power past the tiny yarn on tiny needle problem I usually face with socks.

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Stash Enhancement

A very dear friend had a baby not long ago. That wee one is now a healthy and colicky six week old baby. I took some time to help my friend out as she is on maternity leave and her husband had to go back to work. Nights no less! So we talked, ate, and walked many a lap around her house trying to get a gassy/colicky baby to burp/poop and feel better. It was a long 36 hours for me as I’m not used to an infants schedule. Pretty sure I saw 2 am whilst sitting in a rocking chair holding a crying child. It’s a good thing she’s cute…

But I digress…on my way home I stopped by the LYS in the area. I just wanted to browse and chat with the amazing ladies who work there. And I found these…

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Lorna’s Laces sock yarn – Soulmate colorway

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Ruca Multy from Araucania – Color #23

Such beautiful yarns! I wish I had snapped a photo of the Lorna’s Laces before it was caked. It was breathtaking! I admit these two skeins were a splurge but I worked hard right? Oh, and the Ruca was a PAIN to cake! Thank goodness for the two yarn shop ladies and their persistence 🙂

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I can’t wait to find projects for these! But I think I will finish a few WIPs first….for my husband’s sanity….

Happy Knitting!!!