Test Socks
These socks are for me. I know I said I wouldn't start any more socks for myself until I finished the socks for the people in my family, but, I decided that it was a lot easier to try out a new technique and determine gauge on a simple sock than on the more complicated sock I was planning for my aunt. Besides, I needed a plain stockinette sock that could travel with me in my purse for those moments when I needed to keep my hands busy.
First off, I love this colorway. The sock yarn is Blue Moon Socks that Rock (medium weight) in a color way called "Crazy Lace Agate". It's an incredible collection of blues, greys, oranges and yellows. The striping that occured was not really planned. It's just what works out with this particular skein when you cast on 52 stitches and knit in the round. For the record, I'm getting abotu 6.75 stitches and 10 rows to the inch on US size 2 needles (2.75 mm). So these socks are also a pretty fast knit.
What's the new technique? How about that picot edge? Pretty nifty, eh? Like most good ideas, I stole this one from another blogger whose sock instincts I respect a great deal. I'd never tried it before because I thought it would be hard and/or fussy. And, in truth, this edging is a bit more fussy than my usual twisted German cast-on. But the polished look it creates is more than worth it. If you want a description of how a picot edge is done, you can click here. I did mine slightly differently (I used a provisional cast on to start with, and after "turning the edge" I picked out the provisional cast on, transferred the stitches to a second set of double pointed needles, and then knit one stitch from each needle as I went around the circle).
Not only is all the extra effort worth it, but this experiment proved to me that it was going to be the perfect sock top for my aunt's socks, which are also now very much in progress and which I am very happy with. Sometimes I just can't start a new design unless I know exactly what elements I want to put together. For my aunt's socks, I knew exactly what I wanted for the body of the sock, but couldn't come up with the right top. Now that I have the top, the first of my aunt's socks is well on it's way to completion.
On a completely different note, I've finally gone and gotten myself involved in a swap! I have to be completely honest, I am not very good at swaps that involve creating something. My schedule is unpredictable, and I would hate to let someone else down because I couldn't get something knitted on time. But this swap is really perfect. The Spinning Roving Swap has two categories. The Rebel Rover category (the one I signed up for) involves swapping at least 4 ounces of roving and a pattern that can be worked in handspun yarn. If you don't spin yet (but want to) the second category is just for you: Virgin Spindlers will be trading a couple ounces of roving, a drop spindle and a pattern. I think they are taking sign ups until midnight tomorrow night (September 1st) so there is still time to get in on the action if you are so inclined. ! A big thanks to Christina and CJ for putting this project together. We're supposed to get our swap partners early next week. I'd have a blast picking out fiber for someone who reads my blog!
LOVE the colorway. I can totally see how you couldn't resist starting another pair for yourself.
That little picot edge is so pretty. A wonderful compliment to those colors!
I really like that picot edge. I'm interested to read how they wear and stay up after you finish them. Have fun in the swap. I really wanted to join, but it just wasn't in the cards for me at this time.
The socks look great! I'm inspired to try a picot edge now...
Thanks for the heads up on the Spinning Roving Swap - I'm going to go sign up!
There will be a handspun yarn "secret pal" swap later on this year. I found it through the "Spin to Knit" book's promotional website. Here's the web address if you're interested...
http://www.spintoknit.com/swap/default.asp
Super beautiful colours, they work so well with the stockinette! And the edge is very neat, too. Thanks for the link.
The picot edge is really beautiful! Makes a nice change from plain ol'ribbing.
And I blame you for my recent Kumihimo addition. My stuff from Braiders Hand arrived this week and I've been braiding like a demon. :D
Oh, that sock colorway is so gorgeous! I love the stripping! I'm looking for instruction on how to do a picot bind off on toe up socks. I started a pair in koigu yarn and they need something special at the top - I really like how yours look. I just wonder if there is no ribbing, will they fall down all the time though? I think I will go check out that swap now - since I've started blogging, I've joined a knit along, and a sock war, but no swaps yet! Thanks for the info!
One of these days I should try a provisional cast on for the picot edge. But force of sock-habit is very strong....
I LOVE the striping that you are getting. When I used lightweight STR I got a lot of pooling instead of striping. Hopefully the mediumweight that is supposed to become Dragon socks will not pool.
I LOVE that striping! It looks great with the picot edge! I did my first picot sock edge on the latvian lace socks and I love it. :)
I'm in that swap too! I'm looking forward to it because I too can't knit on a deadline. :)
That is a beautiful colorway. Have a great weekend!
The sock looks fabulous--I love the stripes, the colors, and . . . oh yes . . . the picot edge. Beautiful!
Amazing - that color looks just like the STR tigers eye I had!
I love that particular colorway of STR - I'll be interested to see how the stripes look on the foot as well.
and yeah.... I have pretty much always got at least one "mindless-no-pattern" sock with me at all times for the moments when I have to wait somewhere. It keeps me cheerful.
Oh, fabulous! :-) I have a skein of that very same colorway in the lightweight, and I hope it knits up something like that, despite the gauge difference.
Picots are dangerous... once you start knitting them, you're a goner. I start 99% of my socks this way now. ;-)
I've knit 3 (4?) pairs of socks with picot edges. Delightful! I love that STR yarn. What a fun one. Looking forward to seeing what you've come up with for your aunt's socks.
I'm knitting my first sock using cheap practice cotton and I'm actually having fun with the sock. Now I'm starting to research future sock yarns. What is it you like about the Socks that Rock yarn? The colorways are tremendous. What about the tactile aspects of the yarn? If you were knitting plain black socks, would you use this yarn? If not, what would you use?
I'm glad to see you joined the Spinning Roving Swap. Too bad I'm a Virgin Spindler. It would have been fun to be swap partners!
Do you subsrcibe to Chemical Heritage magazine? The Fall 2006 issue has an article about the invention of mauve as a commercial dye. I thought you might enjoy reading it and this article is online : http://chemheritage.org/pubs/ch-v24n3-articles/mauve1.html
I love the new roving, I want some, but local fiber fair is coming up and I am trying to be a good girl....
I love the picot cuff and am currently using it for all my socks - even the Jaywalkers!
That picot edge looks beautiful. I will have to try that out some time. Also, thanks for posting about the Spinning Roving Swap. I've been wanting to give spindling a try and I'm going to Rhinebeck this year so I figured this would be a good way to jump in and learn something new.
The socks look great! I've really got to attempt to knit some one day soon
oooh, these are turning out so nice. I love the weighty-ness of the medium-weight STR, but have had trouble figuring out my gauge, needles, etc. (in other words I just haven't given it much thought yet) so I think I'll take your spec's and give them a whirl.