Knit Colorwork Socks

Earlier this month I finished knitting the colorwork project I started last year.  I know it seems like a really long time to spend on a pair of socks... But I finished the first sock and started the second one right before summer hit.  The whole project got set aside in my "works in progress" basket by the couch, and it just took me a while to get back to it.

The pattern is called Christmas Sock in Fabel by Drops Design.  I started the project on a whim to have something to work on during a Valentine's craft show, and also because I had new yarn I really, really wanted to use.  I combined a teal "main color" with a blue/orange/red "contrasting color" instead of the traditional red and white or other solid color combination.  I wanted to experiment using a self-striping yarn and a solid for colorwork, and I'm definitely pleased with the results.

The finished socks are warm and squishy, but still thin enough to fit inside a pair of boots or shoes.  But somehow, I managed to make the second sock slightly larger than the first...?  Oh well, that's what I get for waiting a year between socks.  On to my next project!

Paradise Fibers Yarn Club: August

This month's yarn club package had a skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot sock yarn in Lilac.  It is a lovely blend of superwash wool, mohair, and nylon in a blend of navy blue, purple, and blue-green.  The pattern that came with the package was for a pair of fingerless gloves.  I discovered that the pattern is just a "suggested pattern" and as long as I use about the same amount of yardage, I can make whatever I want and still get the $10 store credit!

Since I just finished a nice pair of fingerless gloves earlier in the year (and the pattern provided had eratta and a few sizing issues) I opted to make a pair of socks instead.  I wear warm socks all winter long at work, so it would be nice to have a third pair of basic handmade socks.  I used my favorite sock pattern from the book "How to Knit Socks: Three Methods Made Easy."

This month I was slowed down by a trip out of town, two craft shows, and a massive ear infection.  I was also working on a few baby items for a friend of mine that is due very soon.  (More on those projects later.)  I found myself five days out from this month's deadline with only a half inch started on the second sock!  So I knit furiously on my day off and after work every day that week... And somehow managed to get it done!  I think that is the fastest I have ever knit a pair of socks.  (Huge thanks to my boyfriend for not minding that our "date night" was watching episodes of Community on Hulu while I finished knitting the second sock...)

So far having a deadline has really helped me finish the projects I'm starting.  Next month's box has already arrived and I started knitting a lace shawl over the weekend.  I've also got a plan for my store credit: get another skein or two of Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky and make the sweater I wanted to make last year.

Current Knitting Projects

I have never been good at sticking to one project at a time.  So, here is an update an all FOUR knitting projects I'm currently working on.

First up is a pair of fingerless gloves.  The first one is nearly completed (still needs a thumb) and the second one is more than halfway done.  I started these right after Thanksgiving with the intention of giving them as a gift.  They ended up too small for the recipient, so I put the pair on hold and went full-speed on a bigger pair (blogged about here.)  I am hoping to finish these by mid-March so I can still wear them this season.

Next, I have the beginnings of a pair of colorwork socks.  This is one of those projects that I started because I had new yarn that I really, really wanted to use right away.  The blue yarn was a Christmas gift, and the self-striping yarn was a purchase from Black Friday shopping.  I thought the colors worked well together and had been thinking about doing a colorwork project using the two yarns together.  I started these before a day-long craft show to give me something to do.  I was worried the gloves wouldn't last for a 12 hour day of knitting.  I have no specific timeline for finishing these, it is just a relaxing (yet not boring) project to work on in the evenings.

My third work-in-progress is a wallet sized version on my Norwegian Knapsack.  My sister-in-law loved my Norwegian bag and wanted one too.  We decided that a clutch/wallet size would be more manageable than the one I made for myself.  It required a little bit of math to get the size right, but is moving along quickly.  In less than a week I have half the knitting completed.  The next big challenge will be adding a zipper to the top.  This project should be wrapped up in the next two weeks.  Out of the four, this is my top priority.

The fourth project I'm working on is just in the beginning stages.  I saw this pattern online a week ago and I keep coming back to it.  It is a thick shawl made with big chunky yarn.  I never got around to knitting myself a sweater this winter (and at this rate it is not happening), so I figured the shawl would be a good alternative.  I am going to use up my stash of leftover yarn from making hats and cowls.  Reds, blues, greens, purples... This shawl will be all the colors.

So that's what's up in the world of knitting right now.  I also have a lot going on in the worlds of sewing and bookbinding... But that can wait for a different post.