Socking Along

In the days dominated by the colours of the Moorland and the many hours spent hooking up the stripes that make up a blanket, I found myself picking up the pointy sticks again. The Moorland Blanket had become way too big to cart out-and-about to the cafe/pub so I was looking for a small portable project. And socks fit the bill perfectly.

I am getting better at knitting in public, more specifically knitting whilst talking/howling with laughter and drinking gin. I am more relaxed with those stitches (gin helps), my shoulders don't hitch up around my ears quite so much, and I'm starting to ease out of the need for complete silence and laser-intensity concentration at all times. It's still not really what I would call a relaxing hobby for me yet, but I can feel that it may well eventually become that in the distant future. 

I love to document my progress on all things creative, so am super-glad that I can use this space to keep a track of my sock production. You can find all my sock-related posts by looking in my<<  left sidebar << in the "category cloud". Look for the small sock word - this will bring up all posts with socks embedded in them, with each pair photographed and the yarn details included. 

So lets shimmy back in time for a quick catch up on my sock happenings, shall we? You might remember back in my last sock post that I showed you the new Stylecraft Head Over Heels yarn?

I picked out this gorgeous stripy colourway called "Everest" (the colours seemed rather appropriately Moorlandish I thought) and cast on back in October.

I whizzed through these beauties and enjoyed watching the subtle stripes form themselves into woolly socks.

{Stylecraft Head Over Heels : colour Everest}, blending beautifully with the Moorland stripes.

After the Everest socks, I cast these ones on at the end of January as portable knit/natter material. They aren't perfect - in fact, due to the pub setting, one of the heels developed a severe lean to the left when I got thoroughly too big for my boots and thought I could turn the heel whilst socialising. Rooky error. In my world of sock knitting, a heel turn requires Absolute Silence, and a brain fueled by caffeine rather than gin. 

But oh, just feast your eyes on those scrumptious stripes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This yarn tickles me (not literally, it's pretty soft and smooth) as it is part of an Opal range inspired by Rainforest birds and animals, which pleases me on so many levels. I love love love to know what inspires colour schemes, the design process is just fascinating I think.

If you are searching for this sock yarn online, you need to look for the word "Regenwald", eg. Regenwald 11 and Regenwald 12. The labels on the yarn show you a picture of the bird/animal that inspired each colourway, just to add to the whole brilliant experience of choosing.

{Opal Regenwald 11 : colour 8976, Kalle the Villain}

I think this pair is one of my favourites to date (despite the wonky heel), the colours are certainly very Me.

I get such a kick out of this small pile of knitting, such an ooomph to the heart of pride and pleasure. I keep my hand knitted socks in a neat pile beside my bed, for the pleasure of having them always to hand when my feet are cold (which is often) and also for the visual delight they provide. Admire, wear, wash, dry, stack, swoon, repeat.

If you've been following my sock making journey from the beginning, you will know that it was my good friend Christine who got me addicted started. For all of my socks so far, I've used her absolutely brilliant Basic Sock pattern which is a full tutorial designed to enable complete beginners. She says that if you can knit and purl then you can make socks, and I am certainly proof of that fact. So if you've always fancied giving socks a go, I can highly recommend joining Christine's Sockalong which tells you exactly what you will need to acquire (needles, stitch markers and yarn), and how to get going.

A few weeks ago, Christine published a brand new tutorial for Easy Cable Socks, and something in me sat up and took an interest. I absolutely LOVED the look of those cute little twisty patterns forming in the stitches! I am really not a competent knitter and the idea of creating twisting cables seemed like it involved a little bit of voodoo magic somehow. But spurred on by the knowledge that there are video tutorials to demonstrate the voodoo elements, and by Christine assuring me it wasn't that hard, I decided to take on the challenge.........

................oooooooooooooooooooooo looooook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go me, go me, go me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I made twisty cables in my stripes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you are suitably impressed?! Hahahahaaa!

I got off to a rocky start (and nope, not a drop of gin was involved), as I counted wrong and then tried to undo the wrong stitches across the twisty bit of the cable, which resulted in a Dropped Stitch and some minor panic. I managed to rescue the dropped stitch but it meant the first cable went a bit rogue. However, undeterred I carried on and the more rows I did, the easier it became. 

Now if you've been following my sock knitting from the start, you will know that I knit on short 23cm circular needles, and that I taught myself (using YouTube) to learn continental knitting - this is where I get to hold the yarn in my left hand in exactly the same way as I hold the yarn when I crochet, which is rather brilliant for us hookers who are using sticks. However, I have only been able to make knit stitches this way, needing to switch back to English knitting (yarn in right hand) whenever I needed to purl. 

With the cable pattern, there is a fair bit of knit and purl switching that needs to take place in every row, so I set about learning how to do a continental purl. I'd been told a while back by some skilled ladies with knit-know-how, that I should look up Norwegian Purl, as this keeps the yarn at the back of the knitting and would work for me and the way I hold my yarn. Well.....if I thought cables were made of voodoo magic, Norwegian Purl looked like the work of the the devil. There is a lot of needle wiggling and yarn twisting, a lot of procedure needed for just one stitch. It looks complex and impossible. But...............after stopping and starting this video a gazillion times, I finally, finally mastered it. 

WOW. What can I say? It has transformed the way I knit socks and I am so so so happy.

I don't mean to brag here.....but I am ridiculously proud of my cables, and my newfound Norwegian Purl technique. It has given me a real buzz to challenge myself and find that my brain isn't as foggy as it so often feels. 

By the way, the yarn I'm using for these socks is {Stylecraft Head Over Heels : Eiger colourway}

I'll be sure to show you this pair when I've finished. There may well be gushing.

My Cable Socks are actually pair number ten, believe it or not. Two pairs went south to warm my Mum's toes, and one pair went off to Manorlands Hospice to warm poorly toes as part of the Yarndale Charity Sockline.

I am still aspiring to fill a whole drawer with socks one day, yes, #operationsockdrawer is very much happening in the Attic, slow and steady.

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...more little snippets from the Attic...

❤ Three Things ❤

The Colours of May

Comments

[Faye]

Im too scared to try socks...... Yours look very professional indeed..

[Susan Smith]

I've got sock envy!!!! I've been knitting for a good 63 years & don't think I even want to think about another way, other than the good old English
style, but must get motivated to do some socks. I've even got a ball of sock wool & can use 4 needles, though I've not had much success with circular ones. Send me big push. Happy knitting & take care.

[Ethne Illingworth]

I'm currently knitting up my 3rd pair of socks - firs ones using sock yarn - the others were DK yarn - I'm using the WYS yarn and it's lovely. I however am using circular needles and knitting from toe up - that way I know I'm not going to run out of yarn and get equal sock leg lengths.

[ann]

you should look up portugese knitting, thats also supposed to be easier

[Jo]

Well done Lucy! I have had the sock addiction since just before Christmas and it shows no signs of diminishing! Have you tried any of the West Yorkshire Spinners Country birds range? I love the fact the wool is British, it is spun here and the shades are based on our own beautiful wildlife...blue tits, pheasants, kingfisher etc. I intend taking mine to family in Australia later this year. I decided to try a little circular needle but found it too small and wasn't able to whizz along the rows, plus it gave me hand cramps, so I have persevered with 4needles, which I never thought I would like and now its second nature! Keep up the inspiration :)

[Sue Halliday]

Well done! Christine's sock tutorials are awesome!I love knitting socks but hate wearing them so all of mine go off to a good home somewhere else!

[Annette My Rose Valley]

Hi Lucy
Cable magic!!! Well done. I so want to get into knitting socks. Looks like so much fun. And I have to say I'm truly amazed by your cables. That must be the greatest feeling ever to accomplish. Keep on knitting, keep on knitting...
Xxx
Annette

[Laurie Mowat]

I love your socks! I like to use colorful yarn but when it comes to clothes I'm about as neutral as you can get but I think I would wear these. My attempt at knitting didn't get past the garter stitch my hands kept say 'Go back to crochet, go back to crochet'' and so I did. My coordination just
could not handle two hands going at the same time. I 'll just admire your talent from afar.

[Teresa Kasner]

Bravo on all those socks, Lucy.. and the cable ones are magnificent! I have knitted one pair and have the yarn for my 2nd pair but the right moment has not arisen.. but you do inspire me. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

[Jackie Farrow]

I love them. I haven't yet tried knitting socks. Been knitting for many years. Wasn't sure I could do it. But seeing you have done them, makes me think of course I can. I have some of this yarn so I think I will use this when I knit my first pair.

[Marcie keem]

Socks are great to knit ,I love them I have so many patterns I will need to live to 150 yrs old to use them ,I find them very relaxing to knit

[Sue.]

beautiful! I really need to give this a go!!! Thanks for the videos...they will help!

[Cary Crowe]

I would love to learn to knit socks (or anything at all). I stick to crochet because I think it takes less two handed coordination:) As usual, you are an inspiration.

[Winifred]

Lovely colours Lucy. They all look great & considering you're new to knitting, they're absolutely brilliant.

Have to say although I love knitting especially Aran & Estonian lace I really don't like knitting in the round or using 4 needles so I can't bear to knit socks or gloves.

[Vicky]

Ohhh I do love a good sock post, thank you! I really like the colourway you are working on at the moment and it's on my list to try when I get my own queue of sock knitting down to a dull roar. I am working in 4 pairs at once... In my defence one pair is for a friend :D

[Sue]

ShazK: I have crocheted some socks, using a pattern from a book. I prefer to crochet too, but was a little disappointed because you don't get the stripes as crochet uses more wool. Also I found the crochet ones less comfortable as they are not as smooth as knitted ones, particularly wearing them with boots all day. They are, however, much easier, quicker,and in my opinion more fun to make than knitted ones. My next pair will be thick and fluffy to wear as bed socks

[Sharon]

Hey I am a knitter who has made many pairs of socks but am now very sloooowly crocheting the Moorland blanket. I am the opposite to you Lucy but your blog has been very inspirational and here I am crocheting!!

[Debbie Orr]

Have you tried knitting two socks at a time? It's a way to avoid Second Sock Syndrome :-)

[Carol Phelps]

Just learning socks...after blanket crocheting! Love yours.....gorgeous colours!

[Claire]

Thank you so much for the Norwegian purl info, i spotted your mention on your instagram feed yesterday and straight away looked it up! As a continental sock knitter (albeit left handed, so you'd think I was knitting backwards) this has been brilliant! I'm knitting the 'impossible girl' socks in the Everest colourway and this has made a big difference this evening... Will definitely be doing this moving forward. Thank you so much for the inspiration! Claire xx

[ShazK]

I'd like to crochet socks. I have a knitting phobia 😳 Any suggestions please?

[Winwick Mum]

Considering that you've only been knitting socks for just over a year (I have a picture of you on my blog, white-knuckled, as you tackled your first pair in October 2015!), you've really embraced the whole sock knitting thing. 10 pairs is quite an achievement for anybody, never mind a dedicated crochet Blanket Guru like yourself! I think I'm almost as super-proud of your socks as you are, and those cables are perfect, even with the dropped stitch - think of it a design feature that makes the sock uniquely yours :-) xx

[Florence]

Love that and hope to knit socks once too !!

[josiekitten]

Your socks are all lovely, so pleased you are enjoying knitting them! Cables are a little bit magical and impressive too, aren't they?

[CJ]

Oh my, you're on a sock roll Lucy, they're amazing. I can't believe you're new(ish) to socks, well done you. And the cable, wowzer! They're all absolutely gorgeous. Nice job. CJ xx