A quest

I have been on a bit of a quest this week - for the perfect sock pattern. I wasn't aware until now just how small the average woman's calves are. Or rather, judging from most sock patterns out there, it appears that my calves must be abnormally large. The problem is, most of the women on my gift list this holiday season will probably be in the same category as me, and thus, began my quest for socks that will go on without completely cutting off circulation, while being stretchy enough to stay up. As you may remember, it all began with the Jaywalkers that were way too small. I ripped those out last Saturday and started again with the higher stitch count. I got to this point:

and then stopped to try them on. Well, they fit now, but if I make them any longer than this, they won't fit. And that's on me. They might not fit my MIL at all. I'm torn between starting the heel here, and ripping them out again and going for the bigger needles. Decision? Put it away for later and go to the LYS for more sock yarn.

So, armed with some new solid-colours (Can you believe I got out of the store with only the four balls of sock yarn I went in for? I've been so good lately.), I went pattern hunting again. I tried a nice leaf lace pattern by Fiber Trends. Too small. I could experiment with adding a pattern repeat and going to smaller needles, but I'm feeling lazy. And a little time stressed. Christmas is coming, after all! I looked up the cable net pattern from Knitty that I had admired. Great, it has multiple sizes! Too bad the size I need requires three balls, and I only bought two of each colour (note to self: cable socks require more yarn than plain ones). After an evening of viewing I'm sure at least half of all sock patterns available on the web, knitting up swatches, and scouring my knitting library, I finally settled on Pembrokeshire Pathways designed by Brenda Dayne. And they're working out beautifully:
























They are nice and stretchy. The yarn is Regia Silk, and I'm using the recommended 2.75 mm needles. It's knitting up quickly, and the four-row pattern repeat is easy to memorize. I'm just turning the heel right now. I've never used silk-blend sock yarn before, mainly due to price. These are meant to be a real luxury pair of socks. The yarn is quite soft, and I hope it will hold up well to multiple washings. Has anyone out there used this before?

And in the "sure, I need another WIP" department, I also broke down and started another project this week, and joined my first Knit Along too. I decided to try out my free trial version sweater design software and create a little cardigan for that Bear Brand wool from the big box of happiness. I've almost finished the back.


For my first design attempt, I decided to keep it pretty simple. It's a zigzag eyelet lace pattern with moss-stitch bands, and it's going to be straight with set-in sleeves. I've kind of got my heart set on 3/4 length sleeves, but according to my calculations, I may not have enough yarn. I guess I'll give it a try, and I can always change to short sleeves if I run out. There's no way I'm going to find another ball of this stuff! And to think it only took me two hours to figure out how the get the KAL button on my sidebar!

Just for fun, here's a little sock ornament I made up this morning to send to a friend in a Christmas card:

It's just 16 stitches knit in the round on 2.25 mm dpns. The best part is, there's no need to weave in ends. Stuffing them inside gives the sock a bit of shape. I may have to make more of these - they're insanely cute!