thumb gusset

Gorgeous! Fabulous! Splendid!

Look what I picked up from the post office this morning:

Yes, my kind and super-efficient sock pal, Cathy (aka Rose Read) managed to send them all the way from Boston, Mass., and they actually arrived on Tuesday, although I couldn't get them until today. Thanks Cathy!

Oh! You want to see inside?

I was immediately bowled over by the beautiful colours of the socks. The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, Monet colourway. Cathy says she chose this after seeing pictures here of my allotment and wanted something that would capture the essence of flowers, gardens and spring. Isn't that nice?

Here they are on and they fit perfectly:

Side view, so that you can see the snazzy lace insert (this photo gives a better idea of the colours as well):

Detail:

So, thank you, Cathy, very much indeed. I love the socks.

I have warned my receiving sock pal that hers are going to be late, but she has very graciously said she doesn't mind because she is away for a week anyway. They are very nearly done now. I just have to finish the toe and give them a wash and I should be able to send them off tomorrow or Saturday.

The bands aren't the same width on the second sock (the colour repeat is longer in the skein - I checked) but at least it is still spiralling.

Finally: what the well-dressed allotmenteer is wearing this spring (this isn't me - it's my friend who shares with me)! I don't look much better, but I was holding the camera!

The monster must die

Don't worry. The hideous monster (sock) is no more. Sock mark 2 is growing well:

I cast on 80 stitches over two 2.5mm needles held together using the twisted german cast on, which gives a good stretchy edge. The leg is knitted in 2x2 rib on the 2.5mm needles. I then changed to 2.25mm for the heel and foot. I've done an eclectic heel (I have in preparation a little piece about how that works) and now am working on the foot. I've kept the ribbing going down the foot to draw it in a bit. I also did a couple of extra decreases on the gussets.

By a happy chance the spiralling is quite even, albeit with wider bands on the leg.

I feel a lot happier with this sock and it's knitted up quite fast, as it needs to!

Life and blogging will return more to normal next week when everyone goes back to school and I can get on the computer without bargaining, negotiating or shouting! Mind you, the next push must be to catch up on the allotment. We;re hoping to plant potatoes this afternoon... (so get your brollies out!)

garter stitch garter

I will spill the beans on yarn and book purchases in SF very soon, but first some more urgent business. At Liberty's last night Nic reminded me that we're running out of time to finish our Sockapaloooza socks. I didn't get much done on them while I was away - surprise, surprise - but had a bash at them last night and earlier today. Here they are. The garter band is, I realised when I had sewn it together, a garter! I had never really thought about the origin of the name before. I am a little disappointed in the way the Forest colourway is turning out. I think there's too much black and khaki.

I think of these socks as a study in stripes. On the garter band (2mm needles and 15 stitches) the colour changes almost match the width, so the stripes are narrow and parallel, but at right angles to the rest of the sock. Then, when I picked up for the leg I did two bands of reverse stocking stitch, which make wider texture stripes. I decreased the number of stitches between the bands and am now knitting the leg on 19 stitches per needle. This is more than I usually do for Lorna's Laces and the colours are pooling. They seem to be striping quite evenly though, so I'm content with the effect.

A timely reminder

from my Sockapalooozer auntie has prompted me to cast on for my socks. I've been collecting together knitting projects for my trip tomorrow. I have a second sock just started, so plenty of easy knitting there. I felt guilty about my poor sock pal's socks being left to the last minute, so I've cast on the garter band that will go round the ankle and from which I will pick up stitches to knit on down. Dawn assures me that these bands are pretty stretchy and I shouldn't need to do much if any decreasing down for the foot. Here's possibly the most boring picture in the sockuverse, but it shows willing anyhow. It's quite good the way the colour changes are keeping step with the garter ridges.

I wanted to have my Latvian mittens to work on and decided to get the first cuff done so that I only have 2 colours to manipulate on the plane (if I do at all, of course). I've had a lot of fun putting elements together (can hardly call it designing). I'll do a proper run down with links etc. when I have more time, but briefly: Latvian braids and overall construction plan; one small Latvian (red on crimson) pattern; Estonian check pattern (orange and white); Swedish main pattern (will also be red on crimson). I'm loving the Satakieli yarn (Finnish!). It knits firmly and smoothly on 2mm needles.

Sockapaloooza thoughts

I've been mulling over sock ideas. My sock pal needs quite a wide top to her socks. My latest thought is to do a garter stitch top sock from Lucy Neatby's Cool Socks for Warm Feet book. The cuff goes sideways, so you can make it the right length to go round the calf and then pick up stitches to work down the ankle. I could make a little decrease 'seam' down to the heel, maybe. This might not be my last thoughts on the matter.

Sockapaloooza

My Sockapaloooza yarn has arrived (thank you Get Knitted!). My sock pal has a preference for green, so I thought this Lorna's Laces in Forest would be nice. I am finishing another pair of socks (also LL) and then I'll get started.