Cote d'Azur BFF Finally Finished

These socks have been sitting in the back room without toes for two months. Inspired to action by notification of a Slackford Studio yarn shipment headed my way for Brother Dave and Karen's Christmas knitting, I picked them up and finished them last night.

It felt good to knit again.

No, I do not need another pair of socks. I seem to collect socks like other knitters collect stash. This is only depressing because I have enough socks to last the rest of my life with many left over and no excuse to knit more. But I did anyway. And I'm looking forward to knitting socks for other people now.

Pattern: BFF by Cookie A. 56 stitch size.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock Yarn from Slackford Studio

Color: Cote d'Azur.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.

Plain Black Socks

Since I'm used to wearing handknit socks that fit and feel good on my feet, I couldn't think of just going out and buying some plain black trouser socks.

I'm thinking ahead to when it's cool enough to wear a summer sweater I've been knitting (Brandywine) with some black slacks and a black camisole. That does take some imagination since lately it's been too hot to think about wearing anything but the bare minimum.

Brandywine is done only waiting for the ends to be woven in and a good blocking.




Pattern: Basic cuff down sock pattern on 56 stitches. k3p1 ribbing on cuff and instep.

Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll in black.

Needles: Options #1, 2.5mm

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch

Made Myself Some Mona's - Kind Of

Last week when I sat down in my knitting spot late in the evening, I was tired and needed something easy to knit. Looking around, I spotted the leftover Dorothy's Destiny from Mom's Birthday Monas. It wasn't going to be enough for a complete pair of socks, but I knew I had two other little balls of left over Dorothy's Destiny across the room in a bin to finish the foot.

I quickly sketched out the Mona stitch pattern reducing the stitch repeat from 16 to 14, so I could knit a pair for myself on 56 stitches, cast on, and started knitting without ever having to get up out of my seat.

These will never be prize winning socks because the change in dyelots is very obvious.


I do like the 14 stitch repeat pattern very much and will use it again.

This is a very pretty stitch pattern for as much ribbing as it has in it and the ribbing sections make for a nice snug fit.

Pattern: Mona from Knit. Sock. Love. by Cookie A. modified for a 14 stitch pattern repeat.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: Dorothy's Destiny.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Mom's Monas Finished

Done, and done a day before needed.


I wasn't sure I was going to like this stitch pattern when I started these socks, but I do like it very much.

The ribbing travels every twelve rows, but it still works to supply a nice snug fit. The overall effect is a pretty lace pattern that isn't going to sag and bag. So, now I have another favorite Cookie A. sock pattern.

Pattern: Mona from Knit. Sock. Love. by Cookie A.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: Dorothy's Destiny.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Birthday Green

Mom asked for green socks this spring, so green it is.

Since she's short she likes five inch cuffs, making the cuffs are shorter than I usually knit. That's fun. The cuffs are done before I'm tired of working on them.

This yarn was picked to match a Federer T-shirt she wears to exercise class. I didn't bring the lace pattern down the instep so the socks would be smooth in her workout shoes.

Pattern: Hedera from Knit. Sock. Love. by Cookie A. or available free from Spring 2006 Knitty.

Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll.

Color: Springtime Tonal.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.



On the needles now, with five days to finish, are a deeper pair of green socks.

The light wasn't at it's best to bring out the beautiful color of this yarn. It's a gorgeous, almost solid, super jeweltone Kelly green. I'll try to do it justice when the socks are finished.

Pattern: Mona from Knit. Sock. Love. by Cookie A.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: Dorothy's Destiny.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Three Pair of Socks Finished

While my laptop was in the repair shop and the weather was too wet and chilly to work outdoors, I made great progress on my spring birthday sock knitting.


Yes, I do seem to be stuck on this pattern for birthday socks this year. It has all the qualities that make it great for gift socks so I used it again.

Daughter Heather's birthday is May 13. Next Saturday we're getting together for Louise Lunch to celebrate her birthday and Mother's Day. She requested gray or black socks, so I made her a pair of each.

Pattern: BFF by Cookie A. 64 stitch size.

Yarn: Slackford Studio Stalwart Sock.

Color: Steelyard Blues.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars



Pattern: Simple 8 stitch fancy ribbing pattern.

XXOOOXXO
OXOOOXOO

where O = knit and X = purl.

Lightened up to show stitch detail. . .



Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll.

Color: Black.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.


Mom, birthday June 18, requested green lacy socks with a five inch cuff.



Pattern: Embossed Leaves by Mona Schmidt in Interweave Knits, Winter 2005.

Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll.

Color: Peapod.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Colorful Socks, Staid Socks, and Future Socks

These socks are gorgeous, for sure.

The Zauberball yarn is single ply unevenly spun - like a fingering weight Lopi. The feel of it is like a rough fuzzy wool, not the smooth, soft sock yarn I love to knit.

Because the yarn has no twist, I predict a short life for these socks but they will be bright and cheerful while they last. I had fun knitting them.

Pattern: Basic cuff down sock pattern on 64 stitches. k3p1 ribbing on cuff and instep.

Yarn: Zauberball.

Color: 1155.

Needles: Options #1, 2.5mm

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch


Once a year I knit Vegan acceptable socks for sister Carrie's birthday.

This year she got a a black pair of Panda Soy and this pair of dark blue Panda Cotton.

Both of the Panda yarns are nubbly and neither has decent enough stitch definition to support a stitch pattern. I find the Panda Cotton a little more pleasant to knit then the Panda Soy. Both are splitty. Panda Cotton splits easier than Panda Soy.

Pattern: Basic cuff down sock pattern on 56 stitches. k3p1 ribbing on cuff and instep.

Yarn: Panda Cotton. 55% bamboo + 24% Cotton + 21% elastic nylon.

Color: Delft blue.

Needles: Options #1, 2.5mm

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch


Today, just in time to start the next set of birthday socks, there was a box from Knitpicks in the mailbox.

Daughter Heather, May birthday, asked for gray and/or black socks. Mom, June birthday, asked for green.

From left to right: Ash Stroll, Peapod Stroll, Black Stroll. The skein in front is Springtime Tonal Stroll. Much brighter than the picture.

Carrie's Black Birthday Socks Finished

It's always good to have birthday socks done three weeks before the actual birthday.

I used an LED flashlight for picking up gusset stitches all the while muttering to myself that if I couldn't see to pick them up neatly, who was going to see well enough to criticise if they weren't neat.

Perfectionism won out. The stitches are neat. And I challenge anyone who thinks they're not to bring a flashlight and take a look.

Pattern: Basic cuff down sock pattern on 56 stitches. k3p1 ribbing on cuff and instep.

Yarn: Panda Soy. 49% Bamboo, 33% Soy, 18% Elastic Nylon.

Color: 3202, Jet Black.

Needles: Options #1, 2.5mm

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch

John's Birthday Socks

Happy Birthday John!


The socks were mailed to Idaho on Monday, so hopefully John will get them on his birthday today.



Pattern: BFF by Cookie A. 72 stitch size.

Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll.

Color: Buckskin.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.

Pointelle Socks Finished

Although these socks aren't as pretty as I thought they were going to be before I started knitting them, I'm happy with them. And, I'm very happy they're done so I can move on to something else.

Pattern: Pointelle from Knit.Sock.Love by by Cookie A. Size small.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: Old Rose.

Needles: Options 2.25mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.

Simple Socks

Sydney's socks got mailed to Idaho over a week ago.

Pattern: Basic cuff-down sock on 48 stitches. k3p1 ribbing on cuff and instep.

Yarn: JojoLand Melody superwash wool, fingering weight. Selected by Sydney.

Color: MS28, purple

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.


After Sydney's socks were gone, I needed something easy to knit when tired and/or braindead so I started a pair of BFF socks with the Knitpicks Stroll I bought to fill out an order.

This is the first time I've used Stroll. I'm testing it out for sock suitability so the socks are for me.

The socks have three tests to pass:

1. Is the yarn nicely spun and pleasant to knit? Yes.
   
2. Does the yarn feel good on my feet and wear well? To be determined.
   
3. Do the socks machine wash and dry and still look decent? To be determined.

I've mentioned before how much I like Cookie A's BFF pattern for utility socks. Now that it's winter, I have another kudo for BFF - the cables make the socks thicker and warmer.

Pattern: BFF by Cookie A. 56 stitch size.

Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll, handpainted sock yarn.

Color: Kindling Tonal.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.