Just the heel in a contrast colour this time. I wanted to use up as much of this yarn (Opal: Sweet ‘N Spicy) as possible to have the least left over (still probably enough for a pair of legs).
This is the only yarn I’ve used for three pairs of socks – that’s why this pair seemed to go so slowly – I knew what was coming.
That was the last full ball of yarn in my stash. Time to visit LK Yarns in the north end, my local yarn shop.
Finished last night – decided to continue with the variegated yarn for the toe rather than do it in red although I like how the heel (with stripe over the instep) in red ties the colour progression together.
I’ve been knitting socks for myself and others since 2003. So far I’ve probably knit about 350 pairs of socks – of which I have 42 pairs in my sock drawer, including the latest pair I finished last night.
Socks drying after being washed
I started knitting socks for myself because I have always found the seam across the toes of ready made socks uncomfortable. I’d read about “self-patterning” yarn and when I came across some I thought I’d give sock knitting a try.
The great thing about knitting with variegated yarn is that a pattern emerges and I keep knitting to see how the sock will unfold (the first sock is always an adventure, the second sock is boring, but hey, it doesn’t take a huge time investment before a new sock adventure begins!).
Within a couple of months I had half a dozen pairs of socks; within a year I’d got rid of all my store-bought socks and I just kept knitting.
I produce about 26 pairs a year on average, some years a few more. I always have socks on the go. I find the act of knitting very relaxing. I’ve never knit the same pattern twice so each new pair of socks is a new exploration. Making something interesting from leftover yarn is the most enjoyable – I really never know how they’re going to turn out!
So as long as my hands will allow I’ll have socks on the go.
“These socks are very needed in this Arctic cold weather!!! Thanks again !! ”
Poonam stopped by for a visit during the Christmas holidays. The weather was cold so I pulled two pair of socks from my sock drawer and gave them to her. Her feet are a bit smaller than mine so I selected two of the smaller pair.
This was the first pair of socks I knit – in 2003! Because I have so many pairs of socks they don’t get worn heavily so these were still good as new.
Glad they’re appreciated and doing their job.
I may have been quiet for the last three weeks but I’ve been knitting and sewing away each day!
Finished this pair of socks from leftover bits of yarn. I find I enjoy turning those bits of yarn into something that’s even more interesting than some of the variegated patterned yarns.
I like this pair so well that they’ve gone in my sock drawer instead of the give-away pile.
Of course I started a next pair straight away.
So it started out like this — the heels were worn (in the blue pair the wear extended into the instep). I’ve created a way of replacing heels so that was what I was planning on doing. I picked up stitches around the worn out heels, ran a holding thread through, cut out the worn part a short distance away from the holding thread, then removed the excess knitting until I reached the holding stitches.
The procedure then involves picking up the stitches at the leg edge of the heel, knitting a regular heel, then grafting back the instep to complete the sock. That worked on two pairs. Shaved the nubbies off the socks and they’re like new.
The blue pair required a bit more extensive surgery! I knit the heel and the gusset and was set to graft back the toe when I discovered the toes and underside of the foot were too threadbare to warrant using. So I continued knitting the entire foot. I scrounged around my leftover yarn but I had no variegated yarn to blend with the leg so I elected to finish the foot in a solid dark grey yarn.
These will now last another couple years of hard wear!
I didn’t buy the yarn in Peru – I received it as a Christmas/Birthday gift. I liked the feel of the skein so decided to use it right away.
It was a lovely yarn to work with – single ply (most sock yarn is a light weight 4-ply), superwash Marino, lightly spun so it stayed together nicely as I was knitting.
The skein had been hand-dyed variegated – no predominant colour but lots of subtle hue changes with something like a 8-10 row repeat. In the photo the socks look somewhat brown but the predominant colour when knit is more golden.
Because the yarn was 100% merino I decided to use a regular sock yarn with 20% polyamide fibre for heels and toes figuring the merino was likely too fragile for these heavy wear areas.
I really enjoyed knitting with the yarn! The socks are now in my sock drawer.
A week ago I was handed three pairs of socks in need of repair. Two pairs need new heels; the third needs new heels and instep.
What you see here are the socks with the damaged parts cut out and a yarn stitch-holder in place. It’s taken a couple of hours to do this prep work. I did two pairs last night; just finished setting up the more damaged pair. I don’t have leftover yarn that matches exactly but I can come close. So now all three pairs are ready for me to begin knitting.
Once the repairs are done the socks will get a good shaving to remove all the pills and they’ll be as good as new. I’m willing to do the repairs – takes a fraction of the time needed to knit a whole pair!
However before I start working on these socks I want to finish the pair I’m currently working on. It’ll be three-four days before I get to these.
Finished last night. In the mail today! Charlie’s 4 years old (almost). Foot length 6 1/2″. His legs are still a bit chunky so I used 52 stitches, 40 rows leg length. Took four evenings to make. He said he liked yellow – I didn’t have much in the way of yellow leftovers. I came was close as I could, augmented with complementary colours.
Now I need a picture with Charlie wearing them! Then I’m expecting an order for two more pairs: one for Noah (nine), one for Mattie (seven) – I’ll need foot lengths, though.
Hey, the socks fit!
Slightly larger than my standard sock – I began with 4 more stitches for the ribbing (72 rather than my usual 68) with a decrease at row 25, and a second decrease at row 45 for a total of 64 stitches at the ankle. The foot is also longer – 62 rows after the gusset instead of the 50 I usually knit for socks for someone wearing size 7 1/2-8 shoes.
I made this pair for a woman friend – I thought about sending them to Charles, Andrea’s husband, although I wasn’t sure he’d wear pink (there isn’t a lot in these socks but there is some). I’ll get them in the mail tomorrow.
I’m now working on a small pair for 4 year-old Charlie (who has a 6 1/2″ foot). Yellow he asked for, so yellow it is. I had some yellow leftover yarn which will get me to the instep and then I will have to improvise from there.
The socks finally arrived and they fit beautifully and Sab loves them!
jmn 