There's nothing quite like a nice pair of hand knit socks. They just feel so much better on the feet than their commercially manufactured counterparts. They're also great knitting projects for so many reasons:
- They don't use much yarn, so you can splurge on something nice if your budget allows
- It's a small project that's easy to carry around with you
- Since it's a small project, it doesn't take months to complete
- Ever try to work on a cardigan or a blanket in the middle of summer?
- They're socks!
Here are a few that I've made lately, with the most recent project first.
These are from a Doctor Who-themed pattern called
Bowties Are Cool and were designed by Mandie Harrington.
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| Bowties Are Cool. So are fezzes |
I had originally hand dyed some yarn for these, but the tonal changes got in the way of the teensy bow tie pattern so I opted for a couple of skeins of Premier Yarns Serenity Sock (on sale, natch). The stitch repeat was easy to memorize, and was simple without being tedious. I didn't do as many repeats as called for in the pattern and they're still a bit longer than I like, but they're really comfy and bow ties are cool!
The next pair was made with some hand dyed yarn, which I wrote about
here. I made them for Pat, who dyed the yarn and promptly handed it off to me. The pattern is Eunice, from
Sock Innovation by Cookie A. It was a challenging (in a good way) pattern, including a 7 stitch cable that had stitches going every which way, but I think the result is gorgeous. I might just have to make a pair of these for myself at some point.
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| Eunice Socks for Pat |
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These were made for my mom. She picked out the
Malabrigo sock yarn in Rayon Vert. I adore working with this yarn! The pattern is another Ravelry download. The designer is Kristi Geraci, and the pattern is called
Belle Vitini.
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| Mom's Belle Vitini Socks |
Finally, here is another pair of socks with a Doctor Who theme. These are mine all mine. Yay!
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| Don't Blink! |
Raveler Maire Martin designed these
Weeping Angel socks.
I made a couple of modifications, starting with a twisted rib for the
cuff. I also extended the
feather pattern down the foot to the point where the toe decreases begin. I really like how the toes echo the heel motif, which you can kind of see here:
This pattern had an interesting heel construction, employing a series of increases rather than knitting a heel flap and then picking up stitches for the gusset.
I'm really pleased with this pair. They're soft and comfortable, the color works with lots of my wardrobe, and the lace pattern is lovely.
Best part? They're DOCTOR WHO themed!
My preferred method for knitting socks is two at a time on two circulars (saves me from the dreaded second sock syndrome). It seems I usually select top down patterns, although that's not a conscious decision.
How do you like to knit your socks?
