Bovary Blues

I decided to knit the Bovary socks from General Hogbuffer on Ravelry with some purple sock yarn my sister picked up for $2 at a garage sale. I thought the plainness of the solid-colored yarn would be a nice contrast to the extreme lacy zigzag drama going on in the pattern.

I cast on 64 stitches on size 1 needles for the medium size listed in the pattern and didn't do any gauge swatching since that's a pretty standard stitch count/needle size for me. I knit all the way down past the gusset with only minor problems (missing a YO or a decrease here and there, etc.), only to discover the sock is very, very tight. I can just barely squeeze it onto my foot.

The socks will turn out too snug for most adults, so I'll have to frog the project. It's sad to figure this out after I've sunk so much time into this sock. It'll take a bit more time to mentally prepare myself to rip it all out.

The fancy gusset and extended chain pattern down the length of the foot are new styles I haven't seen before. Maybe I'll attempt it in the larger size, since it's an interesting and fun (albeit intense) pattern. It's been nice having a small project that I can bring to work and do a few rows on each day during my lunch break.

Fingerless Gloves for Finger Hands

This is baby hand. It's really a tiny man hand, but my sister and I call it baby hand. Check out her Tumblr to see what adventures baby hand is getting up to!

Anyways, I had a bunch of scrap sock yarn laying around and decided to make baby hand a fingerless glove (or seven). This is my first attempt at writing a pattern, so if anyone tries it, please me know if it's understandable! I'm pretty good at reading knitting patterns, but figuring out how to write this short, fairly simple pattern was way harder than I anticipated. For a downloadable version of the pattern, check out the Ravelry page.

Materials
Fingering/sock weight yarn, approximately 3 grams per glove
Set of 5 US size 1 (2.25mm) double pointed needles
Yarn needle
Optional: stitch marker, cable needle

Gauge
This project is so tiny it's not really worth making a gauge swatch. If you still feel compelled to check, 9 stitches and 12 rows = 1” in stockinette.

Abbreviations
k: knit
p: purl
kfb: increase by knitting in the front and back loop of the stitch before pulling it off the needle
c6f: (cable 6 front) a six stitch left-twisting cable. Instead of using a cable needle, I leave 3 stitches on the double pointed needle and pull the whole needle in front. Knit the next 3 stitches, slide the 3 reserved stitches onto the left needle, and knit them.
c6b: (cable 6 back) a six stitch right-twisting cable. Put the needle with the first 3 stitches behind the work, knit the next 3 stitches, slide the 3 reserved stitches onto the left needle, and knit them.
k2tog: decrease by knitting two stitches together

Right Glove
Cast on 24 stitches and distribute evenly on four needles (6 stitches per needle). I use the longtail cast on, but you can use any cast on you prefer. Join, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Row 1: K1, p1, repeat to end of row.
Row 2-8: Continue in k1, p1 rib.
Row 9: K1, kfb, k2, kfb, k1, repeat to end of row. (32)
Row 10: K12, p1, c6f, p1, k12.
Row 11-13: K12, p1, k6, p1, k12.
Row 14: K12, p1, c6f, p1, k12.
Row 15-16: K12, p1, k6, p1, k12.
Row 17: K12, p1, k6, p1, k7, slip last stitch over as if to bind off, k1, slip last stitch over as if to bind off, k1, slip stitch over as if to bind off, k3.
Row 18: K12, p1, c6f, p1, k5, cast on 3 stitches using the backwards loop cast on, k4.
Row 19-21: K12, p1, k6, p1, k12.
Row 22: K12, p1, c6f, p1, k12.
Row 23: K12, p1, k6, p1, k12.
Row 24: K1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1, repeat to end of row. (24)
Bind off and weave in ends.

Left Glove
Cast on 24 stitches and distribute evenly on four needles (6 stitches per needle). This pattern is the same as the right glove except the cable goes the other way and the thumb hole (rounds 17-18) is on the other side.
Row 1: K1, p1, repeat to end of row.
Row 2-8: Continue in k1, p1 rib.
Row 9: K1, kfb, k2, kfb, k1, repeat to end of row. (32)
Row 10: K12, p1, c6b, p1, k12.
Row 11-13: K12, p1, k6, p1, k12.
Row 14: K12, p1, c6b, p1, k12.
Row 15-16: K12, p1, k6, p1, k12.
Row 17: K6, slip last stitch over as if to bind off, k1, slip last stitch over as if to bind off, k1, slip last stitch over as if to bind off, k4, p1, k6, p1, k12.
Row 18: K4, cast on 3 stitches using the backwards loop cast on, k5, p1, c6b, p1, k12.
Row 19-21: K12, p1, k6, p1, k12.
Row 22: K12, p1, c6b, p1, k12.
Row 23: K12, p1, k6, p1, k12.
Row 24:K1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1, repeat to end of row. (24)
Bind off and weave in ends.

Broken Seed Stitch Socks

Let me just start by saying that these are the best, most wearable socks I have made yet. I actually finished the first pair quite a while ago but writing this post has been on the back burner since I've been busy with a new-ish job and lots of Christmas knitting. January's almost over and I'm still finishing up the second pair of these socks as a (very late) Christmas present for my aunt.

The broken seed stitch pattern makes these socks go a little slower than the stockinette socks I've been making recently, but it's gorgeous. It looks like little scales! For the finished pair, I used Paton's Kroy Socks in Blue Stripe Ragg and Premier Yarns Deborah Norville Serenity Sock in soft white. I picked up metal size 1 needles from Joann and used them for the first time on this project. They're longer than my bamboo size needles and I prefer the feel of them. I used my regular number of stitches (64) and the socks turned out perfectly snug.

The second pair uses the same white yarn and the same Paton's Kroy Socks yarn in another colorway- Cascade Colors. The color variation in the yarn gets super muted in this pattern due to being mixed with the white, but the socks still look pretty.

In the first pair of socks, I had issues with getting the two colors of yarn in the right place to pick up after the heel. I had to cut the yarn and reattach it when I got back around to the right spot. Because this pattern is more of a "recipe" than a pattern, it doesn't go into detail about where to change colors.

For the second pair, I tried out the method from the Rose City Rollers where you knit the heel flap and heel like normal but pick up an extra stitch on each side when starting the gusset and start the gusset decreases half a round later than usual. This means you begin your round at the start of the instep instead of the middle of the heel. It's hard to describe over text, but it worked for me and I recommend taking a look at the gusset and gusset decreases section of the Rose City Rollers pattern to help with the Broken Seed Stitch socks if you're having issues.

The only other change I would make if I knit these again is to do a stretchier cast on. I used the long tail method for both of these pairs and it makes it a little hard to pull on your foot.

Rose City Rollers, Round 2

I liked knitting the Rose City Rollers pattern so much that I knit another pair while on a rockhounding road trip with my mom to Utah last month. They make a perfect travel project since they're so small and packable.

I used Patons Kroy Socks FX yarn in Clover Colors, a nice fall blend of greens and oranges. It has a standard mix of 75% washable wool and 25% nylon but is thicker than other sock yarns I've used. As a result, the socks lean towards slipper-like and will be nice to wear around the house in the winter.

I thought I might be able to get away with one skein, but that was not the case. I got about one and a third socks done before I ran out of yarn.

The color of each skein varies quite a bit but I picked the closest match at Jo-Ann's and the second sock is only a little brighter than the first. I made these ones for myself, but future variations might be making an appearance at Christmas.

Rose City Rollers

After knitting my sister's socks, I had most of a skein left of the pretty Premier Yarns Grand Canyon. I was browsing Ravelry for an ankle sock pattern and the Rose City Rollers by Mara Catherine Bryner stood out. The pattern suggests size 1 needles, but size 2 needles worked fine with the medium size. I really like how the pattern was written and the explanations for non-standard things like starting the round from the side instead of the middle of the sole were clear and well thought out.

I didn't have extra yarn to start the yarn at the same point in the pattern, but by some miracle it worked out and the stripes line up almost perfectly!

At least until the toe on the second sock, where I ran out of yarn and had to finish with a little leftover gray Zitron Trekking yarn.

The roll top is fun and way more aesthetically pleasing than ribbing but still provides enough material to keep the socks from sliding down. These socks are quick to knit up and work perfectly with my hightops and ankle boots and would also look good exposed.

I think one skein of Premier Yarns Wool-Free Sock yarn would be the perfect amount for a pair of Rose City Rollers. I'll definitely be making more in the future, but as soon as I get more sock yarn I want to knit the gorgeous Seed Stitch Socks by handepande on Ravelry.

Self-Striping Socks

I'm sure I can't be the only one who takes a little break from knitting and then suddenly gets an insatiable urge to create something NOW! That feeling took over my brain recently but I didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted to make. Luckily, a pretty yarn (and, let's be real, the cheap price tag) caught my eye and there was a pattern for basic socks on the label. The yarn is Premier Yarns Wool-Free Sock in Grand Canyon and it's a really cool combo of colors and patterns. I love the turquoise and purple mixed in with yellows and orangey browns and the changes in color made knitting the simple pattern more interesting.

As much as I like the colors and the end result, there were a few annoying things about the yarn and pattern. Some strands of the yarn kept getting bunched up and it was a real pain to readjust the tension every few stitches. There's also an error on the pattern printed on the yarn wrapper in the first row of turning the heel (It looks okay in the online version). I tried turning the heel about five times before using a different pattern and realizing it was the pattern that was wrong, not me. Even after these frustrations I'm happy with the end result, and I'm sure my sister will be even happier to wear them!

River Rapids Socks

After knitting my first simple pair of socks last time, I was looking forward to trying a more complex pattern. I went with the River Rapids pattern by Sockbug on Ravelry. It's not hard, but the faux-cabled lacy pattern looks fancy. I made the socks shorter than the pattern calls for since I was worried about them being too tight on my calves, but I don't think they would be. Overall, it's a really nice pattern that's not too difficult!

My First Socks!

My grandma taught me how to knit over 15 years ago, but I've never quite had the patience for intricate projects. I usually tend towards small, quick projects and I've whipped up a lot of iPod cases, doll clothes, and thick, lacy scarves over the years. But I recently happened upon some really nice variegated orange/red/purple Fortissima sock yarn for $1 a skein (it had a sticker giving the original price as $20.95!) so I decided it was time to knit my first socks.

This yarn is a washable wool/polyamide nylon blend and it has a really nice feel to it.

I picked the simplest pattern I could find, but even that gave me a run for my money. I probably could have knit a pair of socks in the time I spent messing up and ripping stitches out of the first sock. After that the second sock was a breeze and I feel like any future sock knitting endeavors shouldn't give me too much trouble.

Done! And (almost) the same size to boot!