WIP Wednesday - May/June Socks

I finally feel like I've made some progress on the socks! I've gotten the heels turned, and I just finished the gusset decreases. From this point, they should go relatively quickly to the toe decreases, and then I can be done!

I do a pretty basic heel flap - on the right side rows, I slip 1, knit 1 across. On the wrong side rows, I slip 1 and purl across.

When I first started knitting socks, I bought the Vogue Knitting Ultimate Sock Book, and have found it to be very helpful. Granted, I've bought other sock books since then, but this one remains my standby. They have gauge-based templates for both top-down and toe-up socks, and charts of numbers to use in the templates based on your gauge and desired sock size. I've only used it for top-down so far, but I find it to be very user-friendly.

Here's a closeup of my heel flap and gusset. For some reason, the past few pairs of socks that I've done two at a time, I've had a really hard time with the heels. I kept having to slip pieces from one needle to the other to get the yarn and the socks in the right places. I'm not really sure what I was doing wrong, but this time it went very smoothly. I did the actual heel flaps simultaneously, then switched to one at a time for the turn. Once I got done the first turn, I picked up one side of the gusset and then went to the other sock - which put my yarn right where I needed it for the back needle. I did the second heel the same way, so I was all set for the instep. I worked my instep row across both socks, and then on the front needle, I picked up the other side of the gusset to start the row. I don't feel like I did anything differently this time, but it was so much easier and intuitive that I must have changed something.

That's all for today - hopefully the next time you see these socks, they're on my husband's feet!

Self-Imposed "Knit Something a Month Club" (May Edition)

At the end of last year, I was inspired by the Yarn Harlot's self-imposed sock club, and decided to do one myself. The basic premise is you pick 12 sock yarns and 12 patterns, match them up, bag them up, and stash them away. Then every month you pick a bag at random and at the end of the year you have 12 pairs of socks to do with what you please! Apparently, I was not the only one inspired by her, judging by the multiple groups on Ravelry for this same purpose.

I did change my own rules a little though. Since I'm trying to squeeze my knitting in between raising toddlers, being pregnant, sewing, designing, and various other domestic duties, I gave myself two months for each project. I also put laceweight yarn and shawl patterns in my bag. Last year I tried to do the 10 shawls in 2010 challenge (11 in 2011 group here), but ended up getting burnt out by June. By mixing in socks, shawls, and whatever other small projects I had laying around, I thought I could prevent project burn-out. I started off strong in January, only running a little over into February. I made up for that by finishing my February Citron in 12 days, and getting a pair of socks and a top for Caitlyn done in March (sorry, no pictures up on Ravelry yet so no links). For April, I decided to design and knit my next pattern, which ran over into this month, but I still started my May project. I was going to do the Retro Rib socks from Interweave Knits "Favorite Socks," but for some reason I could not get the hang of the pattern! After frogging both socks three times (I'm doing them two at a time on two circulars, due to my limited knitting time), I decided to go back to my standard sock pattern. Except, here I am with four days left in the month and two half-finished socks. Barring a miracle, these will run into June. Oh, well. I'm still ahead of my two month plan. :) So here are my May socks-in-progress. I'm about one round away from starting the heel flap.

The yarn is Patons Kroy Sock 4ply in Flax. The pattern is just a 1x1 rib on the cuff and a 3x1 rib on the leg. Once I turn the heel, I'll continue the rib on the top of the foot and switch to stockinette for the sole. Oh, these are for my husband. I got extremely lucky and married a guy who appreciates and enjoys handknit socks, so I try to indulge him whenever I can.