Clocktower Socks released!

After way too many weeks sitting photographed and unwritten through my ren faire sewing binge, I have finally put together the pattern for my latest socks, Clocktower.  You can read lots of details of the construction in previous blogs.  These were made with the newest Skacel yarn, Zauberball. I must say its my favorite of all the 1 plies I’ve tried for socks.  it is tightly enough spun to never feel loose and fragile, even when kitchenering (which is where I tend to untwist 1-ply yarns)  it also has one of my favorite color flows – long long gradual color fades!  I highly recommend this yarn.  however, know that I used a separate strand of yarn for those heels and it is due to sheer dumb luck that the colors lined up right on both.  if you want socks with a smooth flow of color down the heel AND over the instep, I highly recommend getting 2 balls to make sure.  This design of course would be perfect in any solid colored yarn of similar yardage.  For more photos and details click on the image!

Fiesta socks released

After a long break from blogging and a bit of a break from knitting (I got caught up in ren faire costuming efforts, got a new sewing machine, and have spent a few months playing with fabric someone else made for a change) I am happy to share with you another new pattern, Fiesta socks:

These socks were made with some rather fun classic trekking (i.e. mouldering in stash and bought from a store that didn’t rotate sock stash much) which has patches of wide stripes, and patches where it acts more variegated.  I like the colors – gray and pink really do well together, and i can STAND bright pinks in this context.  however, the colors are so wild, so random, so sometimes-stripes-sometimes-chaotic that the yarn wouldn’t do with most patterns.  And you *KNOW* how I abhor plain stockinette or ribs…  So I got out Barbara Walker and hunted out a fun chevron pattern that could handle anything.  I like this one (German herringbone rib) more than most for socks – its ribbed, which means unlike most chevron patterns it actually has some stretch.  The ribbed aspect also made it easy to add stitches to the leg, so that when the sock goes from half stockinette to all chevroned, it doesn’t get so narrow in the leg that it won’t fit over your heel.  I also love the combo of knits and purls to really set off the different parts of the yarn.  This is really one of the best stitch patterns out there for wild yarns!  For more details click on the image.  Enjoy!