11 May 2009 · 1 Comment
After three whole days of biting my tongue and keeping quiet, I now have official permission to shamelessly blab…I will be designing a pair of socks for Schaefer Yarn Company using their new yarn, Nichole! This is the yarn I used in my most recent socks (Nugatory), and I just loved working with it.
I knit a bit loosely and hate working with small needles. I will (grudgingly) consent to use size 1s, but anything smaller is out of the question. This combination means that thicker yarn is my very good friend. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a nice thick yarn that also has all the characteristics that make a good sock yarn (namely a decent percentage of nylon, a nice tight twist, and lovely colors). Casbah Sock by Handmaiden passes the test, but you get about 50 yards more yarn in Nichole than in Casbah for about the same price. Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Mediumweight is also lovely and thick, but it doesn’t have the desired nylon and is also quite a bit shorter than Nichole. As a proud bearer of large feet, yardage is important.
The yarn for the new socks should be here soon, and I know I’ll be powerless to resist casting on once it gets here. Many (likely too many) pictures are sure to follow. This will be fun.
11 May 2009 · No Comments
The next socks are on the needles already. They are based on the idea of a cable work sampler. There are patterned ribs in four widths, each with a different design (three cables, one technically a traveling stitches, but the effect is the same). An unpatterned rib starts on the back and wraps around the ankle and foot. The pattern will be mirrored on the second sock.
The first sock is about 75% done. The second may be a bit of a challenge, as I have to figure out how to mirror one of the patterns and am so far having no luck. These are quite a bit more complicated than the last socks, so it will likely be a while until they are available.
These are surprisingly hard to photograph, but this should give you the idea. More (and one hopes better) photos when the first one is finished.
