Pattern: Whitby from Knitting on the Road by Nancy BushYarn: Reynolds Soft Sea Wool (100% wool), color 915, two skeins
Needles: one 32" US 2 (2.75 mm) Knit Picks circular
Started/Completed: June 25/July 2
Mods: adjusted the toe a bit so I could kitchener
If you want your socks to knit up quickly, knit them in a DK-weight yarn! I'd used this yarn before for Aidan's sweater and found it to be delightfully soft and bouncy, so I knew I had to knit a pair of socks out of it. These fit the bill, with just enough patterning to be interesting but little enough that I was able to memorize it easily.
There's a 3x3 cable running down both sides of the instep, which I thought would pull in the sock a lot, but it's surprisingly stretchy. It will be interesting to see how these feel in shoes come fall.
I will say that although the yardage on this yarn appears to be small for socks, I had a fair amount left. The legs are about 7", and you'll remember, of course, that I have rather long feet. (An example? Nancy Bush says to begin the toe after completing 17 cable crosses; I completed 19 and still had to knit several plain rounds before starting the toe.) I suppose it helped that I knit on larger needles and at a larger gauge than usual, too.
The one mod I made was to the toe. The pattern called for the finish to the toe that some have so eloquently described as the cat butt toe -- in other words, decreasing down to a small number of stitches, pulling the remaining yarn through them, and pulling tight. I'm just not a fan of that toe, in look or in fit, so I did a regular toe and grafted. I do love to graft!
Very nice -- they may be soft, but they also have wonderful stitch definition!
ReplyDeleteI'd always heard that toe referred to as a rose bud, but I don't like it either, so your description is much better. :-)
They do look super squishy! Very nice :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. I adore the color of your February Lady Sweater - it looks like it goes well with your mystery shawl!
They look terrific! And, I agree.....a heavier weight yarn does make it go faster. I think I knit my Whitbys with Lorna Laces Sportweight and I remember them flying off the needles.
ReplyDeleteoooh, i've made those too, but yours are so much prettier!
ReplyDeleteVery nice! That book has some handsome patterns in it. :)
ReplyDeleteCat but toe--that's hysterical! Your socks came out perfectly, they might be next on my list if I can master the Canal du Midi socks:)
ReplyDeleteI love 'em!! They most definitely look squishy (aka comfy) and I love that you used a solid color to show off those beautiful stitches.
ReplyDeleteI don't like that toe either. Now whenever I see it in a pattern though, I'll be thinking "cat butt".
Lovely socks.
ReplyDeleteI have always thought of that toe as the pucker toe. Long range, it doesn't seem to hold up as well as various grafted versions.
Besides, we can all learn how to graft if we knit enough socks (grin).
What gorgeous Whitbys! I've heard Reynolds SSW is a squooshy must-try.
ReplyDeleteCat butt, LOL!!! Well, *that's* a lovely visual with my morning coffee. ;)