Striped Socks

My first afterthought heel socks, using the striped hand dyed yarn I made recently.
I think this is the perfect method for knitting socks with striped or other programmed yarns, though for other yarns I think I prefer knitting the heel as I go.

Pattern: Striped Socks - vanilla socks with afterthought heel, no specific pattern, 56 sts
Yarn: Alize Superwash, 50 g, hand dyed
Needle: 2.5 mm
Time to knit: 10 days

So far this is one of my favourite hand dyed yarns and knitting these vanilla socks was a pleasure I'll miss. But I'm done with socks, hats, scarves, etc. accessories, it's time to cast on a garment again. I'm testing an idea already ...

Rainbow Socks

A new pair of socks for Alex, made from Kauni Artistic Rainbow, 8/2. I knitted them again toe up, using the recipe for toe up socks by Charisa Cairn and German short rows for the heel. I love their bright cheery colors and now I'm planning a cardigan with the rest of the yarn, but maybe for autumn, as it is already time for cotton knitting.

Pattern: Rainbow Socks
Yarn: Kauni Artistic Rainbow, 8/2, approx. 50 g, men's shoe size 43 EU
Needle: 3 mm
Time to knit: one week

And I had another go at the Leopard Cake, but this time I made all the corrections I had planned from last time - doubled the sugar (150 g), sprinkled it with crystal sugar before baking and reduced the cocoa in the lighter brown dough. It's so much better like this! Now I want to make the still too white dough yellow-orange and try adding egg yolks to the dough - next time :)

Waffle Socks

The pair of socks I knitted for my son Alex. I used the Lifestyle Toe Up Socks recipe by Charisa Martin Cairn and left-over yarn in my stash. To compensate the dull socks pictures and my son's man size hairy legs I've filled the post with photos of the trees in front of our building, covered in bloom. This year winter was record-breaking warm and spring came early - at least a month earlier than it is usual for these latitudes.

Pattern: Lifestyle Toe Up Socks
Yarn: Alize Lanagold and Nako Nakolen
Needle: 3.5 mm
Time to knit: one week

The pattern is actually a general recipe for toe up socks. I cast on 2 x 8 sts, using Judy's cast on method and knit the socks on circular needle and magic loop method. I increased to 40 sts and then for the foot I knit waffle pattern on the front and stockinette on the sole of the socks, and for the leg I knit the whole circle in waffle pattern and then 2 x 2 rib.

For the heel I experimented with four methods  - first the recommended short row heel designed by Priscilla Wild, but I didn't like the look of it. Then I tried the standard double wrap method, the Japanese short row method (I spent at least a day on the heel :) and finally the German short row method, which I liked best.

When I was halfway through the second sock I found out to my surprise that I was knitting it with a different gauge - much tighter and it fitted Alex's foot better than the more loose first sock. So I finished the second sock and of course - crazy me - I frogged the first sock and reknitted it, trying to make it tighter as the second one. Now I think they fit his feet perfectly. the cast off is a little bit unstretchy, I might experiment with other cast off methods for his second pair of socks, which I'm currently knitting.