Stripey socks done!
Pattern: Project inspiration from Weekend Knitting,Ribbing stitch from Thuja, afterthought heel instructions from Weekend Knitting and The Keyboard Biologist
Yarn: Merino Twine (base yarn Licorice Twist) hand-dyed by Creatively Dyed Yarn
Needles: #4 circs
Gauge: 6 sts per inch
CO: 40 stitches
The base yarn for this was to die for. I picked it up on a road trip to Greer at Yarns Forever. Turtlegirl76 and I had a Browncoat (Firefly fan) bowling get-together to go to in Greenville, but we couldn’t resist a side trip. The store had some lovely stuff. The owner is quite serious about her dyeing. I wasn’t expecting this yarn to stripe as crisply as it did, so it was a pleasant surprise.
I decided to try an afterthought heel, which was a new technique for me, so as not to interrupt those beautiful stripes. I think this is my new favorite technique for self-striping yarn.
Knit down (or up) X amount, knit a row or two of waste yarn, then when you’re ready to pick up the heel, snip the waste yarn and basically knit a toe. I also put in lifelines on the rows just before and after the waste yarn so I wouldn’t have to hunt for the stitches.
This technique worked out beautifully. I didn’t even waste much yarn getting to the right spot in the skein for the color change, as it happened to fall in pretty much the right place. I’m really happy with how these worked out. I also opted to maintain the stitch pattern down the back of the heel, and up over the foot and top of the toe. The sole is stockinette.
And now for the down side. I don’t know why I thought this yarn was superwash. It says on the label that handwash is recommended. This is a picture of the socks after being worn and washed twice. As you can see, the sole is pretty fuzzy. I’m sure this is also a result of loose gauge, but it’s still more than I was expecting. These were handwashed in Eucalan per instructions on the bottle, albeit with a rinse in still, cool water afterward, then hung out to dry.
If I had it to do over again, I’d probably not continue the patterning onto the toe box, as it feels too stretchy around my toes. I might not do it onto the heel, either, but that’s not as firm. I still might use this yarn, as they make good slipper socks. They do smell a bit sheepy coming out of my shoes on a hot day, though. I still have a good 700 yards of this yarn that I need to figure out what to do with. Baby sweater? Felted something-or-other? I have no idea, although I’m open to suggestion.
This was an enjoyable project where I learned new things, so I’ll count it as a success.
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