FO - another pair of boot socks for me

Even though I am not officially "cold sheeping", I decided to stick to projects for which I have yarn. That means plowing through skein after skein of DK sock yarn. There is one more left, but I am saving that for travel knitting.

Pattern: none to speak of, just plain ordinary toe-up socks
Yarn: ONline Supersocke 6-Fach Milano, colorway 1618
Needles: US3

The weather has finally turned, so I don't anticipate wearing these until next winter. There is nothing like handknit wool socks to take the bite out of bitter cold.

FO - boot socks for me

After knitting "boot" socks for everyone else who is "sock-worthy" in my family, I finally knit a pair for myself. What makes these boot socks is the yarn is DK weight and I make the tops taller than usual.

Pattern: None to speak of, just your basic toe-up socks.
Yarn: Online Supersocke 6-fach Milano color, colorway 1620
Needles: US3
Details: Turkish cast on (12 stitches, increased to 56 stitches), stockinette for foot, gusset heel, stockinette for leg, 1x1 ribbing for cuff, Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off

I have one more skein of this DK yarn, and my crystal ball says they will become another pair for ME. The only question is, will that be sooner or later? Since we still have the month of February to get through, I'm thinking sooner.

13 days until xmas

Sometimes the finishing is the hardest part. I use Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off for toe up socks, but for some reason I could not get into the rhythm right away. Eventually it came, but struggles like this make me feel like I am getting dumber and dumber.

Pattern: none to speak of
Yarn: ONLine Supersocke 6-fach Milano Color, colorway 1616 (grays)
Needles: US3
Details: Turkish cast on (12 stitches, increased to 56 stitches), stockinette for foot, gusset heel, stockinette for leg, 1x1 ribbing for cuff, Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off

I refer to socks knit in DK as "boot socks" and made the legs a bit longer than usual. The foot came out a bit long, and the toes have "bunny ears". Not perfect but perfectly wearable by the intended recipient.

Deja vu

These socks are not the same as these socks. I used the leftover yarn to make g'daughter a pair. These have been finished for a while, but I forgot to take photos until just recently.

Pattern: None to speak of, just Turkish cast on, 40 stitches around, gusset heel, taller than usual for wearing with boots, Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy bind off.
Yarn: ONline Supersocke 6-ply, colorway 1617
Needles: US3
Modifications: I did the toes on two circs, then switched to DPNs for the rest.

I thought about saving these for xmas, but after repeated "fittings" to make sure they were sized correctly, it seemed unfair to hold onto them until then.

105 days until xmas

While visiting my dad in the hospital, I knitted socks. My sister-in-law gushed over them. I never know what to say when someone does this, especially when what is making the knitted item so special is not the knitting but the yarn. In this particular case, the knitting was as plain as can be, but the self-striping nature of the yarn provided a very pleasing result. All I contribute is an OCD-like persistence. At least she did not ask me to knit a pair for her (although I just might).

Pattern: None really, just Turkish cast on, 52 stitches around, gusset heel, taller than usual for wearing with boots, Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy bind off.
Yarn: ONline Supersocke 6-ply, colorway 1617
Needles: US3
Modifications: I did the toes on two circs, then switched to DPNs for the rest.

I didn't try to match the stripes this time other than start at the beginning of a color run so the striping at least lined up. For winter socks, these colors are surprisingly summery looking, like watermelon. Hopefully, there is enough yarn leftover for a pair for my granddaughter; then she and her mom will match.

199 days until xmas

Another xmas gift is done, another pair of "boot" socks, knit toe-up, extra large for my son, a.k.a. Big Foot.

Matchy, match!

Pattern: ad hoc (see below)
Yarn: ONLine Supersocke 6-ply (DK) in 1619 colorway
Needles: US3

The heels look funky because these are unblocked. I'm rethinking the need for blocking machine wash socks.

Using instructions from Socks from the Toe Up, I cast on using the Turkish cast on, knit 64 stitches around, made a gusset heel, waited until the top of the leg before adding some 2x2 ribbing. Using instructions from Cast On, Bind Off, I bound off using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy bind off.

Initially, I worked the first toe with US3 circs knitting continental, switching to DPNs and Irish cottage knitting for the foot, but even though the gauge was the same for both, the continental stitches looked fat and lazy while the Irish cottage ones were fit and trim. Now reminded *why* I made the switch, I redid the toe Irish cottage, although I still switched from circs to DPNs once past the toe. I just don't like knitting socks with circs.

222 days until xmas

Have you started your holiday knitting yet? Well, why not?!? I have one gift finished, a pair of what I call boot socks for my son-in-law.

Pattern: Sock Recipe, by Stephanie Pearl-McFee
Yarn: ONline Supersocke 6-ply, 1615 colorway
Needles: US3
Modifications: cast on 60 stitches for the top, decreased to 56 for the foot, my own avoid-the-gusset-gap trickery. (For detailed instructions, see Ravelry post.)

My new resolution re socks is to try to get them to match. I almost made it this time - you can't tell from the photos, but the tips of the toes betray me. If asked, I will say that the difference is so the wearer can tell his right foot from his left.

Or wabi sabi.

Medium foot socks, and how to avoid the dreaded gusset gap

These socks were meant to be big foot socks for my big foot son, but my gauge was off - achieved 7 stitches per inch instead of 6 - so now these are going to my SO. I blame my gauge problems on the switch to lever knitting (a.k.a. Irish cottage knitting). I even upped the needle size from my usual US2 to US3 for this DK yarn. AND I knit a swatch! Sometime it just doesn't matter what you do.

Matchy match!

Pattern: Sock Recipe: A Good Plain Sock, by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: Online Supersocke 6-ply, in 1621 colorway
Needles: US3
Modifications: ribbed top, flap heel, rounded toe, plus details below

I'm a little bit excited about a detail I invented to avoid the dreaded gusset gap. Noticing that the circumference of one's calf just below the calf muscle is about an inch larger than the girth of the ball of one's foot, I cast on extra stitches for the sock top - 60 in this case. Then I worked the heel flap over 28 stitches. While picking up stitches for the gusset, I slipped 2 stitches from each end of the instep needle to each of the gusset needles. Those extra stitches get worked into the gusset and the gussets are decreased to 28 stitches on each side. The foot is then 56 stitches around. This produces a great fitting sock AND no futzing around to fix the gusset gap. Huzzah!

Has anyone read of a similar solution? I can't recall seeing this idea anywhere else, so I am hereby declaring it to be my very own creation. Patent pending.