Saturday, October 01, 2011

New Sock Yarn

Early yesterday afternoon I was roadside getting the newspaper when I spotted the mail lady down the road, so I stood there and waited for her. She handed me a Priority Mail package, said "That's all I've got for you today", and drove off before I could reply "That's all I want!"

It was my special request yarn from Slackford Studio.


When Brother Dave isn't wearing musician black in his trumpet shop or traveling around the globe with his customers, he relaxes at home with partner Karen, their dog Magic, and several cats. And, when he's hiding out at home in the mountains of Oregon, he enjoys wearing the wool socks I knit for him.

Every year I ask him what color he'd like and he frustrates me by saying, "Whatever. Something wild." This year I'm not asking. The yarn is bought. The colorway is called Passage to India. (Top picture.) I've been mistakenly calling it Out of India, but Susan knew what I wanted anyway.

It looks like it's going to pool, so I'll pick a simple stitch pattern with built in ribbing and some purl stitches. If that doesn't do it justice, I'm not afraid to frog.

There are two skeins because Dave has very long feet. There will be enough left over to knit a second pair of socks in a normal size.


Dave's partner Karen always answers my question about color politely and thoughtfully. This year she said brown, which immediately made me think about the Stalwart color Woodgrain.

Woodgrain is the skein on the bottom of the picture. The top skein is Chocolat, a reddish brown that I have no idea why I bought except that I like it. Karen may be getting two pair of socks this year.

Karen is a sock knitter's dream recipient. She always admires the stitch pattern selected for her socks, so I want some time to find something special but practical for her. She wears them for warmth, so lace is pretty much out. And she wears them hiking, so a heavy texture is also out. I'm thinking a basketweave pattern, but it's not final yet. Dave's long socks are first, so there's plenty of thinking time left for Karen.

7 comments:

  1. So glad you are back to knitting! The colors are beautiful!

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  2. Okay IM in LOVE with passage to India. Karen sounds like a DOLL. A keeper, a knitters favorite gift getter!

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  3. They are all beautiful. I've been hoarding the skein of Slackford you gave me, but once I'm done knitting for my sister (one sock to go!), I might just have to break it out. It's one of those skeins that's almost too pretty to knit with, if that makes sense! Maybe I just think no pattern can do it justice.

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  4. Nice yarn! I like Slackford yarn too. It'll be interesting to see what pattern you choose for Karen.

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  5. Love all those colors! I like the chocolate/red one too. Like Milk chocolate covered cherries!

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  6. Shirley5:53 AM

    Passage to India is my favorite but the other colors are also nice. I never knit men's socks because I never seem to have enough yarn in the same color.

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  7. I love Retro Rib socks by Evelyn A. Clark, from an old Interweave Knits. A classic pattern that works for men or women. It is slow for me to knit, but worth it. If you don't have that pattern, what about Ann Budd's Diagonal Rib socks, a free pattern? Whatever you choose, enjoy! I always like seeing the socks you knit. Warm thoughts!

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