Category: Knitting Socks

Socks for CharlotteSocks for Charlotte

Charlotte's Baby SocksI knit two little pairs of socks for Charlotte shortly after she was born. In fact, while I was visiting at the hospital, my DS traced one of Charlotte’s footprints so that I could take it home a make a pair of socks for her little feet.

Her little foot measured 3 inches from the tip of her big toe to her heel. I used some sock yarn I had on hand in a variegated shades of pink and a size US 1 (2.25 mm) 32 inch long circular. The socks were knit using Magic Loop, two at a time. I knit them from the cuff down. These little socks knit up quickly and I made a second pair using another skein of yarn that was a light pink color. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the second pair. DIL reported that these socks stayed on her feet when most do not.

I wrote up the pattern for these socks. Each pair takes only 10 g of sock yarn, so it would be a great way to use up leftover yarn from your bigger sock knitting projects. 🙂
Here is the link to the pattern: Newborn Size Socks

FO: Hermione’s Every Day SocksFO: Hermione’s Every Day Socks


I am happy to report that I have finished this pair of socks. This pair of socks has been very patient with me. You see, this is the pair of socks that has spent much time sitting in my car and waiting for me to knit on them at odd moments. I have occasionally taken them into my office and worked on them over the lunch hour. I have also taken them to my knitting guild meet-ups whenever I have forgotten to take any knitting with me in the morning. It was just one of those projects that I would pick up at different times, with no particular need to finish at a particular time or date.

Hermione's Every Day Socks on footHermione's Every Day Socks -- view of heel

The pattern, Hermione’s Every Day Socks is a free download on Ravelry. It’s a very popular pattern both on Ravelry and within my knitting guild. There are several things I like about this sock pattern: 1) It’s a very basic sock pattern with a nice heel; 2) the pattern is a simple 4 stitch, 4 row pattern that you can easily memorize — makes for an easy knit; 3) the toe-shaping is not too angular or pointy. Details: Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll, colorway: Duchess Heather. Needles: U.S. 2 (2.25 mm) Gauge: 6 spi.

FO: Basic Anklets — Cuff DownFO: Basic Anklets — Cuff Down

After doing two pairs of the “Fancy Feet” Anklets, I came to the following conclusions:
1) I really, really do not like to knit socks of any type toe-up. (I know that may shock those of you that swear toe-up is the only way to go — but there it is. I just don’t like to knit ’em that way.
2) I don’t like the repeating short rows that make the heel on this pattern. I don’t care for it’s depth or it’s shape.
3) I prefer using the German Short Row method over the “Wrap and Turn” method.

As knitters, we do have the right to our preferences. These are some of mine.

That said, I got out my needles and some leftover sock yarn and started working on a basic anklet pattern, cuff down. I have now finished my first pair and my notes are a bit sketchy — so I will need to knit a couple more pairs before I put out my basic pattern. But here a couple of pictures of the completed anklets:

Details:
Yarn: Leftover Serendipity yarn in colorway Amethyst
Needles: US 2 (2.50 mm) circulars, 48″
Magic Loop method. Pattern has a basic rib cuff and a short-row heel. Knit in stockinette stitch.

You will note the pooling on this yarn. I wrote about how this variegated yarn pools depending on the size of needles and the number of stitches back in 2010. If you’re interested here’s the link: A Study of Pooling in a Variegated Sock Yarn

FO: Fancy Feet Anklets – “Monday”FO: Fancy Feet Anklets – “Monday”

Fancy Feet Anklets: Monday
It’s been a busy summer and I haven’t done much posting of late. Now that summer is winding down along with the Labor Day weekend, I intend to post a bit more often. So I will start with my latest FO. Awhile back, I purchased the “Fancy Feet Anklets” kit from Knit Picks. This kit contained 7 balls of Comfy Fingering weight yarn in 7 different colors and a set of 7 patterns, one for each day of the week. The idea being that you have a pair of anklets for each day of the week. Now, I have to confess that this kit has been hanging around it my stash long enough that it is no longer available on the Knit Picks website. (I just checked.)

I started knitting one of the patterns in the kit (Monday) earlier this summer when I was looking for a small, portable knitting project to take with me here and there as we traveled throughout the summer. This was a perfect portable project. The Monday pattern is a feather and fan type lace pattern. I used the colorway Blackberry and size US 0 (2.00 mm) circular needles, 47 inches long so that I could do magic loop and two-at-a-time. Now, because this is a lace pattern, it does require keeping track as you knit. The anklet is knit toe-up — which is not my preferred method for doing socks — but I think it is the most practical way to knit this type of short ankle sock.

Monday 2 anklets Monday anklet
A couple of comments/notes to myself for the next pair: The socks seem a bit too tight across the middle of my foot, so I think I will knit the next pair on slightly larger needles. The socks are also a wee bit short for my size 8.5 foot, so the next time I will knit them about 1/2 longer before starting the heel. The heel on these anklets is made by doing 60 short rows (yep, 60). You really have to keep track of where you are in the pattern when knitting the heel. I found it best to do the heel in one long stretch of knitting rather than attempting to stop somewhere in the process. I also have decided I really don’t like the wrap and turn technique used for the short rows, so the next pair will be knit using a different technique.

I like the socks, but since they don’t really fit me, my sister (who has smaller feet) will be getting this pair.