Warm socks!

January was cold. Really, really, really cold. Granted it’s usually the coldest month outta the year here in Western, Pennsylvania. For some reason this year my fingering weight wool socks where not cutting it. My feet where freezing! Thicker socks where in order. But not socks that are too thick.  I want socks not slippers and it sure would be nice if they could fit into my shoes. I started the first pair on the trip down to Pittsburgh with my parents during their last visit.  I told my mom about Natural Stitches and she wanted to go.
Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever finished a pair of socks in a weekend.

I started the first sock after we dropped the kids off at the sitters and headed down to Pittsburgh. Finished it by that night, it sure is wonderful when you don’t have to drive! Cast on for the second right after I was done with the first. And finished that one by the next night. What amazed me the most is that I didn’t ignore anything. You know what I mean! I did other things than just knit, not that there is anything wrong with that because well, I do that sometimes…. anyway, Nice socks right? here are the stats:
pattern: My own, vanilla sock recipe. CO 48 sts cause it sounded good. Knit 1.5″ of ribbing. Short row heel, standard toe.
needles: US 3 / 3.25 mm
yarn: 1.47 skeins Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Design Line Kaffe Fassett 6ply (purchased from Natural Stitches)
Started January 17 2009 and completed January 18 2009
notes: I wasn’t worrying about the stripes matching, the oddness of it makes me happy.
raveled. Talk about instant gratification. After that, I casted on for another pair of thick socks.

These took me a little bit longer. I’m not quite sure why, probably because it was during the week and things have a tendency of getting a little bit hectic around here during the week. Here are the stats:
pattern: My own, with a picot edge. Short row heel, purl row before the toe decreases. Standard toe.
needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm
yarn: 91 yards Autumn House Farm Herdwick Strideaway Sock Yarn
Started January 18 2008 and completed January 22 2008
notes: I don’t seem to have luck getting Harriet’s yarn to stripe on both socks. The same thing happened the last time I used it. One stock striped, the other pooled and flashed and did its own thing. Which I know, the whole striping thing has to do with your gauge and blah blah. But what I don’t get, is even though my gauge is the same on both socks one stripes and the other doesn’t!
Another thing about the yarn, is there was 4 freaking knots in it. F.O.U.R. I don’t ever see a reason why any yarn that is full priced and isn’t marked as a second should have even one knot in it. Its just wrong and frustrating. The yarn also grew when wet (which is ok, wool does that. Some more than others), to get the socks to shrink back I washed them again and threw them in the dryer.
raveled.
5 days, 2 pairs of nice warm socks is pretty awesome if I do say so myself! Makes me pretty darn proud, its a big accomplishment for me considering I think its a great day when I finish the laundry. (Like that’s ever going to happen.) Now any other mom can tell you how frustrating it is when its freezing out and your child won’t wear the appropriate clothing. Christ, I can tell you of millions of times I would walk around in the winter wearing a t-shirt, going outside with wet hair, never wearing a hat (sorry mom). Kailey, the newly turned 2 year old is asserting her independence and refuses to wear socks. This drives me crazy (I get it now mom, I’m so sorry).  I came across a pair that I made for Allysa a few years ago and decided to see if Kailey would wear them. Damn kid did. She would wear them all day. Even leave them on while she was napping. Fine, I might be able to play this game. She gets a pair of socks.

pattern: vanilla socks, I cast on 34 sts (just sounded good. Thought about how many I cased on for my sock and the difference in our feet sizes). Ribbing for 12 rows, short row heel, standard toe.
needles: needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm
time: 3 hours for the pair Started February 2 2009 and completed February 3 2009
raveled.
notes: She wears them! Well, ok kinda. She will put them on, wear them for awhile and then take them off. *sigh* She’s like her father. And she’s slightly spoiled. Wearing only hand-knit socks is a good kinda spoiled though right?

PS. Just so ya know, I’m not through with my selfish knitting, I started a sweater for me. More on that later. Gotta start dinner, and finish a sleeve.

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