Tag Archives: vanilla

And So Goes The Heel

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My newest Camo sock has a heel!


I wasn’t fussy about the striping sequence in the gusset heel. I was in a webinar training for a couple hours this weeks and managed the entire heel turn! I just can’t get over how ginormous this sock is..

I also put a new tool to use during my heel turn!


I used a row counter tool to keep track of my total stitch count across the heel so I wouldn’t have to keep re counting. It was so simple yet so awesome! Kinda kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner…

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Dad’s Camo Socks

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Due to my recent knitting ennui, I decided just to cast on some vanilla socks to get a jump on next year’s Christmas knitting. I pulled some Cascade Heritage 150 Prints from my stash. This is some self patterning yarn in a mix of brown colors. I think it looks a bit like camo.

This is just a 72 stitch toe-up vanilla sock on size US 1.5 needles. I think I will do a gusset heel as my dad likes the fit of that. It will mess up the self patterning a bit but he’s not fussy about such things.

This is a nice fat yarn that knits up very quickly. I’m already almost done with 9 inches of foot and getting ready for the heel after just a few knitting sessions on this. I was also pleased to use my new Big Bang Theory bag!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Happy Valley Vanilla Socks

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It’s a happy day! My Happy Valley Vanilla Socks are done!

You have to love the simplicity and speed of toe-up vanilla socks with sport weight yarn! I knit these babies in 12 calendar days without too much hassle. I successfully made it without any pooling or flashing. Just some mild striping. I used 98 of the 100 grams of yarn in a simple toe-up vanilla sock with gusset heel. I knit the leg until my ball of yarn got small enough that I was worried and then started ribbing. 

I will admit one sock is slightly smaller than the other. It was the second sock. I’m not sure if it was just the rush to finish them or what. I thought I held the second one up to the first to make sure I was starting the various phases at the same time. It’s totally not enough difference that they don’t fit. And no one but me would probably even notice!

All I know is that Winter is still here in Kansas and I have another finished pair of socks for my drawer!

Happy Knitting!!

The Fabric At Hand

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I’ve been working on my Toe Up Socks with a Difference. I’m working fingering weight yarn on size 2 US needles. I would normally be using 1 US. To compensate for the gauge change the pattern calls for using less stitches. When I hold the toe/foot up against a finished sock it’s about the right width and size. So this sock will fit. But because of the magic of gauge the fabric created is looser. It looks fine right?

It’s not bothering me enough to rip and adjust the pattern. Mostly because I’ve never done the heel in this pattern before and a little because I don’t want to re-math. A tiny niggling part of my brain worries that these socks won’t wear as well as some others knit a tighter gauge.

I don’t know why I’m even having this internal and external monologue. I have enough socks in my drawer to have quite the rotation so it’s not like these will be my only socks to wear. Have any of you other knitters out there had this silly dialogue with yourself?

Halfway Happy Valley

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My Happy Valley socks are halfway there! (Don’t mind the dog hair…no matter how I clean it sticks to everything, sigh)

I’m copying the stitch count and measure from my Cygnus Vanillas with the exception that I’m working a gusset heel instead of an afterthought heel.

The yarn is Knit Picks Hawthorne Sport in the Happy Valley color. It’s playing quite nicely with my stitch count. I didn’t encounter any pooling or flashing, just some mild striping!

It actually went up farther than I anticipated based on how fast my yarn ball was shrinking, but not as far as my typical socks. But these are so lovely I’m just rolling with it. I used all but three yards of half of the ball…if that makes sense. I knit until I was scared I didn’t have enough to bind off and then stopped!

Now I need to get cracking on sock #2!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Cygnus Vanilla Socks

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Guess what I finished on Christmas Day? The Cygnus Vanilla Socks are done!

Pattern: 60 stitch toe-up vanilla socks with afterthought heel

Yarn: String Theory Orbit in the Cygnus color

Needles: US 2

I used 98 grams of the 100 gram skein leaving just enough leftover for future sock mending. They are snuggly and warm and boy, do those stripes just POP! String Theory Colorworks is definitely one of my favorite dyers!

These are also special because these are my 2016 birthday socks. I got the yarn from my husband and cast them on for my birthday cast on project. Bonus points for finishing them Christmas Day 🙂

Happy Knitting!!

Cygnus Vanilla Update

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I admit all the focus on my Mighty Rainbow Blanket has made me yearn for other projects. And with my wrist being sore I needed a lighter project than my super heavy blanket. I’m sooo close to done so I indulged myself a little and pulled out my Cygnus Vanilla socks!


I pulled the yarn from the other end of the cake and installed the afterthought heel. After lots of trial and error I’ve found a formula of sorts for my heel. Instead of straight knit one round and decrease one round combo I have found a combination of multiple knit rows to a single decrease row that adds depth to the heel for a better fit. I’ll try to put notes in my Rav project for those with inquiring minds.

For now I’m off to finish the leg of this sock. With sport weight yarn it shouldn’t take much!!

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: Mutatis Mutanois Socks

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My shortie Mutatis Mutanois Socks are finally a FO!

Pattern: Toe Up Vanilla Sock over 68 stitches with gusset heel

Yarn: Nerd Girl Yarns Bounce and Stomp in the Mutatis Mutanois colorway

Needle: US 1 9 inch circ

I usually have pretty good sock mojo, but something about these just made them drag on and on for me. A feeling that ultimately made me make then into shorties. I found that decision very freeing and satisfying!

I used 203 yards or 50 grams of the yarn. So I have a pretty generous amount of leftovers to use on another project. I could have stood to make the ribbing a tid bit longer. As they sit now they are more like a no-show sock than an anklet. I can’t decide if that bothers me or not. But I guess if it annoys me I can always undo the bind-off and knit more with the leftovers!

P.S. These puppies scored me 21 points in the Down Cellar Studio Pigskin Party KAL ❤

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Bali Vanilla Socks

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My Bali Vanilla socks are done and done!!

These are a toe-up vanilla sock over 68 stitches with a gusset heel. I used my very first and only skein of Hedgehog Fibers Sock in the Bali colorway. I made these with  size 1 US needles as I do with most of my socks. I used 328 yards or 75 grams of the skein.

The fit is beautiful and the colors just hit me right in the feels. If I were to confess…I do have a soft spot for jewel tone blues. That is my color comfort zone. I do have to give a shout out to Jellybean’s Grandpa because without his babysitting, these socks would not be done!

And bonus, these socks earned me 28 points in the Down Cellar Studio’s Pigskin Party KAL 2016! Last I looked I’m up over 1,000 points. I must keep knitting!!! Only two more months (give or take) to keep playing!

Happy Knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: Cygnus Vanilla Socks

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Boy do I love sport weight yarn! After all the fingering weight all the time this just flies off my needles. And it amazes me every time even though it’s basic physics that larger yarn makes bigger stitches, ergo more fabric faster.

My birthday socks have a foot! I am making these to match the dimensions of my Black Body Radiation socks and so far so good. The ripcord for the afterthought heel is installed and I’m cruising up the leg. Did I mention how much I love this yarn? The colors of String Theory Colorworks just pop and all those pinks and purples are just tickling my knitterly heart.

Happy Knitting!