Sometime at the beginning of last September (i.e. Spring when one should look forward with faith that socks will soon no longer be needed - ha!) I decided it would be a good idea to knit 'real' socks (i.e. sock weight yarn rather than the heavier yarns I'd been wont to use) for all the special men in my life.
Why I thought this would be a good idea, is beyond my comprehension. Looking back now, I realise my mind must have been still in its frozen state from the winter I had been forced to endure.
Regardless of my state of mind - or the promise of warmer weather - I embarked upon this project with enthusiasm, finishing a pair for Son#4 (September birthday), a pair for Son#3 (October birthday) and a pair for Son#1 (mid-January birthday) before putting the knitting needles away.
I didn't feel guilty that Son#5 (late January birthday) did not get his socks on time since I had knitted him several pairs (including one really ugly pair) last winter when I realised he had worn through all his hand-knitted-with-love socks.
I however did finish a pair for him at the start of this winter. I used a yarn I had tie-dyed and chose patterns that reflected the "White Water" theme that the dyed yarn suggested (namely a serpentine 8 stitch cable crossed every 12 rows, twisted rib, and sand stitch).
I also finished a pair for Son#2 (August birthday) who can decide for himself if he was hard done by when he didn't get his pair last year (even though the decision to knit socks was made after his birthday) or really blessed because he received them several months before his birthday this year.
These socks used a commercial yarn in grey and another yarn I had dyed myself. The pattern was one I adapted. I loved this pattern and had fun knitting it. I want to make it again for yours truly.
Since I love the pattern so much I'm going to share it (below). I also tried a new heel on these two pairs and I L-O-V-E it. More on that later.
Meanwhile here is the pattern I call "On the Grid":
Multiple of 12 stitches (I used 36 stitches on the insole ... 72 stitches all round).
Pattern A
Rounds 1 and 2: Main Colour (MC): Knit
Rounds 3 and 4: Contrast Colour (CC): [knit 3, (slip 1 purlwise, knit 1) x 3, slip 1 purlwise, knit 2] repeat
Repeat last two rounds for as many rounds as desired. (24 or 32 seems to be good number of total rounds.)
Pattern B
Rounds 1 and 2: MC: Knit
Rounds 3 and 4: CC:[(knit 1, slip 1 purlwise) x2, knit 5, slip 1 purlwise, knit 1, slip one purlwise] repeat
Repeat last two rounds for as many rounds as Pattern A or as desired. (Note that grey was my Main Colour and the hand dyed yarn the Contrast Colour.)
The discerning among you will realise that I didn't include a pair for DH. That's because he received his 'real' pair a few years back and has stated that he clearly prefers his socks in heavier yarns. That's fine by me since they knit up so much quicker.
(Strangely, I didn't capture shots of all the socks I knitted for my menfolk ... only half a sock for Son#1 and none at all for Son#3. But take my word for it: they were awesome!)
Why I thought this would be a good idea, is beyond my comprehension. Looking back now, I realise my mind must have been still in its frozen state from the winter I had been forced to endure.
Regardless of my state of mind - or the promise of warmer weather - I embarked upon this project with enthusiasm, finishing a pair for Son#4 (September birthday), a pair for Son#3 (October birthday) and a pair for Son#1 (mid-January birthday) before putting the knitting needles away.
I didn't feel guilty that Son#5 (late January birthday) did not get his socks on time since I had knitted him several pairs (including one really ugly pair) last winter when I realised he had worn through all his hand-knitted-with-love socks.
I however did finish a pair for him at the start of this winter. I used a yarn I had tie-dyed and chose patterns that reflected the "White Water" theme that the dyed yarn suggested (namely a serpentine 8 stitch cable crossed every 12 rows, twisted rib, and sand stitch).
I also finished a pair for Son#2 (August birthday) who can decide for himself if he was hard done by when he didn't get his pair last year (even though the decision to knit socks was made after his birthday) or really blessed because he received them several months before his birthday this year.
These socks used a commercial yarn in grey and another yarn I had dyed myself. The pattern was one I adapted. I loved this pattern and had fun knitting it. I want to make it again for yours truly.
Meanwhile here is the pattern I call "On the Grid":
Multiple of 12 stitches (I used 36 stitches on the insole ... 72 stitches all round).
Pattern A
Rounds 1 and 2: Main Colour (MC): Knit
Rounds 3 and 4: Contrast Colour (CC): [knit 3, (slip 1 purlwise, knit 1) x 3, slip 1 purlwise, knit 2] repeat
Repeat last two rounds for as many rounds as desired. (24 or 32 seems to be good number of total rounds.)
Pattern B
Rounds 1 and 2: MC: Knit
Rounds 3 and 4: CC:[(knit 1, slip 1 purlwise) x2, knit 5, slip 1 purlwise, knit 1, slip one purlwise] repeat
Repeat last two rounds for as many rounds as Pattern A or as desired. (Note that grey was my Main Colour and the hand dyed yarn the Contrast Colour.)
The discerning among you will realise that I didn't include a pair for DH. That's because he received his 'real' pair a few years back and has stated that he clearly prefers his socks in heavier yarns. That's fine by me since they knit up so much quicker.
(Strangely, I didn't capture shots of all the socks I knitted for my menfolk ... only half a sock for Son#1 and none at all for Son#3. But take my word for it: they were awesome!)
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