These are the first socks I made for Beeb (aka my fiancé). He loves them and wears them often. They’re his favorite lounging socks (because I made them and he’s lovingly biased).
This is an example of a recording fail on my part. I take this back. I assumed I didn’t keep the label BUT I THINK I FOUND IT. More details below in the yarn section.
Note: Sorry for the mess in the background from our old apartment. This photo is from scrolling back through my phone photos. I probably just texted the photo to his mother or mine. Therefore the placement and quality of the photo wasn’t the priority.
Let’s Be Organized
I want to use each post to record one project. Scroll to whichever part of this project will be most helpful to you or read through for all my thoughts and comments. This list will likely evolve but right now I want to record the following features:
- Situational Context
- Yarn Brand, Weight, Gauge (essentially a picture of the wrapper)
- Tools (Knitting Needle/Crochet Hook Size, etc)
- Project Vs. Washing Machine (how did it hold up?)
- Pattern links/Inspiration
- Pictures of project
- Review of yarn and pattern
Situational Context
Now that we’re almost to a full year of life sheltering in place, we can look back to see what we’ve created during that time. If you’re like me, you’ve made a lot of socks. I love socks. I love the knitting. I love the choosing yarn. I love the finding patterns. I love seeing them on my feet. I love giving them away and seeing them on other feet.
I want a place to record my creations for myself but why limit myself? Possibly other people would love to benefit from my experimentations. I know I would have loved to stumble across a blog (or possibly vlog) so I could be inspired but also warned of potential mishaps. I also want to organize my work so if I want to go back and recreate anything, I can just search it.
Right after I finish a project, it seems so obvious and how could I possibly forget all these details! But inevitably on the next sock project, I’m trying to remember what other patterns I liked. What worked really well for the men and women in my life? What was that yarn I used? Did the color of the yarn truly match the online photo?
Essentially I want a How To Tutorial for myself but also a Review/Critique of my own work…. No one else will do it, so I guess I have to do it myself.
All About the Yarn
The most important details to me are this yarn is now discontinued, a German brand (so I can read nothing), and machine washable. My aunt sent me this yarn so I don’t have any previous knowledge of this brand except I know my aunt and her friends like it for socks. It feels great as a fingering yarn and came in a 100-gram skein. I rolled it into 2 equal balls by approximate weight so I could knit the socks simultaneously.
Search Storytime: I searched high and low and managed to find this label SOMEHOW. I’m still surprised! But how could I be sure it was the right yarn? Maybe it was from another pair of socks? I did some googling and will show my results too so I don’t lose all my hard work. I first found the brand on Ravelry with all the same major details as the label but I couldn’t find the color. But then I searched the number on the end of the label and… many minutes later… I’m confident it’s the “laub meliert” on the far left of the screenshot below. All this information is now basically useless since I don’t need more yarn. But for the completist in me, I DID find it.
Tools (In this case, knitting tools)
I used 2 sets of size 0 knitting needles each measuring 16 inches tip to tip. I keep half my stitches on each set of needles and work on both socks at the same time. I probably need to record this method (learned from my aunt and her knitting club). That might be its own post with finding links to remind me in case I forget the method…
I used a yarn needle at the end of the sock to sew closed the toe. I always have to look up a video to remind me of that technique. For all I know, I do it a little differently each time because I’m not very good at it. I also use the yarn needle or a small crochet hook to weave in the ends at the beginning and toe.
Pattern (Links/Inspiration)
The (free!) pattern I used is the Petty Harbor pattern by Rayna Curtis. I originally discovered it through endless online searches for simple but masculine socks and found it again just now on Ravelry. Ravelry has everything! I loved the simple look (Beeb didn’t want frills or fuss). There’s a nice texture to this pattern without distracting from the simplicity. He loves them!
It’s an easy 4 row repeat so super easy to memorize for a knit-in-front-of-the-tv project. This pattern requires a cast-on in a multiple of 4.
For this pair, I used a 64 stitch cast on, the Fish Lips Kiss heel, and the cuff down knitting method. They also happen to be 11 inches long and kept to be ankle socks (as requested). Because of this, I had enough yarn leftover to make another pair of socks for myself! Yay for matching socks!
Project Vs Washing Machine
5 Stars for this yarn! The picture at the top show the socks right when I finished them and stuck them on his feet. They essentially look the same now months and many washes later. No shrinkage or pilling or weirdness. I’ve washed them in a normal load and dried them in the clothes dryer. They’re fine. I probably should take better care but they’re lasting quite well. Ok, there’s the usual small shrinkage each wash but they loosen and relax as they’re worn.
Final Review
I love socks. I enjoyed the pattern. It’s too simple for my personal taste, but I like keeping track of some simple patterns (especially non lacy patterns) for those in my life who keep in simple. Besides, it’s always nice to have patterns that are easy to memorize to do while paying attention to audiobooks, tv, or podcasts.
This yarn was excellent and has lasted well. They’re warm and stay up even though they’re knit to be ankle socks. Isn’t it the worst when your socks slip over your heel? They’re thin enough to wear inside shoes (although they do feel a little tight depending on how tight your shoe is).
