Inky Socks 2

I started with 4 balls of Knitting Fever Indulgence Cashmere in my stash that I had acquired a while back from a friend's destash. So given the success of Inky's first pair, I set out to make a second pair, but this time quirkier.

Yarn: Knitting Fever Indulgence Cashmere (discontinued)

Needles: US 2 / 2.75 mm

Pattern: Same basic design as before: cuff down, extra long heel flap, wedge toe

Since Inky was so delighted with the off-kilter stripes in the last one, we doubled down on the quirky. I used up the last of the first color before switching the the new ball in a a coordinating colorway of the same yarn that had some of the same colors. This meant that those very long repeat stripes moved in opposite directions. Fun!

Mind's Eye Yarns Relaunch

 

This weekend I was excited to visit Mind's Eye Yarn's new location in Arlington, MA.

They have been my LYS for a very long time, even across changes in ownership. So it was amazing to see them ready to thrive in this new location with lots of light and space.

Sparkle Red Rainbow Socks

My dearest Majes had his birthday this week, which was great motivation to finish these socks that I had been working on for basically forever. Ages ago his wife had acquired this yarn and asked if I could do the knitting of some extra sparkly red rainbow socks. She wasn't sure how much yarn that would take so she bought 300g of fingering weight sock yarn! This seemed like the moment to finally make those handknit knee length socks that he has been dreaming of.

Yarn: details lost to history, but it has a strand of silver sparkle and rainbow variegation in the red

Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm

Pattern: 84 sts cast-on, cuff down, decrease down to 72 stitches for the ankle, heel flap, wedge toe

I am not going to lie, these socks were a slog that I put down and "rested" a lot. But I am really pleased with the result.

Summer Twilight Socks

Let's be clear, Salvbard does not need any additional socks. His sock drawer is quite full. But he wears them all the time, and it had been a few years since he had gotten any. So apparently this year he gets two pairs.

Yarn: ONline Supersocke 4-fach London Color in 1639 Black Grey Turquoise

Yarn Source: a friend's destash

Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm

The yarn for these socks is the same as for his Totality socks, right down to the colorway. The fun thing is that they are different colors! The first pair has a deep blue stripe in the black, while these have more of a turquoise which nominally is the "correct" color. I started doubting my records that these were the same color way, but I did find a several inch section of this ball that was in the deeper blue color from the other pair. Guess it was just variation/odd lots!

First handsewn buttonhole

It is amazing at how much work I will do to avoid some work... Given the option between figuring out how to use the sewing machine to do a buttonhole or how to do a buttonhole by hand, clearly I went with the non-machine option. 

Not perfect, but overall this was really neat.

Totality Socks

Like many other Americans, we were eclipse chasing at the beginning of the month. We ended up in Texas, where we had some amazing food, had some lovely time with family, and got to experience the total solar eclipse surrounded by people of all walks of life, united in that moment.

Also while we were there I made a pair of socks for Salvbard, who has not received a pair in a while.

Pattern: 72 sts 2X2 rib cuff down sock with heel flap and wedge toe

Nothing special here pattern wise, just my default pair of socks to his preferences. He has one pair of black socks that I knit 16 years ago, and I had told him that I was not doing another pair of just black ones. So he got creative in his yarn choices to get as close as he could manage.

Gloucester Rowing Socks

Last year my partner and I checked Glacier National Park off my bucket list, and this trip was my very first time to Montana. 

While I did not really need any souvenir yarn given the size of my stash, a mutual friend of ours with a huge love of orange had been on the sock list for a while, and our color palettes are so different I really didn't have anything in my stash. So while we were out that way, we picked up some locally dyed yarn that was right up her alley.

Yarn: Big Sky Yarn Co. Star Sock

Yarn Supplier: Cama's Creek Cottage in Kalispell, Montana

Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm

Patter: cuff down, 2X2 rib with offset cable twists

Our friend is active with the rowing community up in Gloucester, MA, and a pair of warm wool socks will be very useful for those early morning rows. Plus I was very charmed to add running cable that travelled from the leg down the top of the foot.