Socks are a good projects. Very straightforward and useful results. I have enough sock yarn stash for more than half a dozen pairs of socks. Even though I’ve stopped making my Barn Raising Quilt, I need to keep using sock yarns. I wear them a lot when running in the cold months. I actually need to darn some handknit socks at some point.

The pattern is interesting with the Guernsey pattern. I did not memorize it until the foot though. It’s a well written pattern except for a couple of minor bits. I would recommend it.

Having knit almost 30 pairs of socks in the last ten years, I had never actually knit a pair of socks for a man. My father didn’t really want a pair and his wearing of the knit hat has been sporadic at best. Other than him, there was no man in my life to knit socks for until recently. This was the Christmas present I gave my partner. He selected the yarn in a wonderful wool shop in Toronto on a trip. I bought two balls of the yarn knowing that there was a good chance his socks would need it. The leftovers I will make another pair for myself and a sock yarn square too. He received these socks gratefully and wore them on Christmas day.

First Man Socks, started October 19, 2017, finished December 12, 2017.
Pattern: Toe-up Socks by Leah Mitchell from More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts / Geschenke aus dem Wollkorb
Made for: P
Size: US11/UK10 – Foot circumference: approximately 9.25”, Foot Length: 10.5”
Yarn: 1.05 balls of Jawoll Aktion Color by Lang Yarns – 75% Wool, 25% Nylon –
420 meters / 100 grams – each ball includes matching nylon thread
Needles: US1/2.25mm 40″/100cm circular

Modifications & Notes: Lots of mods as I really only used the pattern for the stitch count and the ribbing.

• Judy’s magic cast on 24 sts
• Fleegle heel – Inc for gusset after 7”/18cm until 74 sts on it (37 on both sides)
• Leg about 4”/10cm
• Jeny’s Stretchy BO

Cost of Project: Two balls of the Jawoll cost $24
Would I knit it again? This is a basic toe-up sock with ribbing so not this exact pattern, but another similar one definitely.

These were birthday socks for a best friend. One of the only people I knit for. She received a pair of Thuja about seven years ago and requested socks again last year for Christmas.

Originally, I started this project January 2, 2017 and worked on it slowly until June using Marks & Kattens Fame Trend sock yarn. That sock yarn was terrible. It kept knotting itself and I had to keep untangling it as I went. When I finally reached half of the foot, the yarn broke and the knots became untenable. I binned it.

I restarted with one of the loveliest yarns I’ve used in a long time. I forgot I had used the Hazel Knits Artisan Sock on another project until I finished this. This particular skein was wonderful particularly after the terrible M&K yarn. The colourway is vibrant. It is soft yet tightly wound and durable. I can’t wait to make more of my own socks with it.

Pattern is easy and simple. It goes very well with self striping or variegated yarns. Very good knit overall.

Vanilla Latte Socks, started June 26, 2017, finished July 23, 2017 (probably not the actual day I finished them but I forgot to note the real one).
Pattern: Vanilla Latte Socks by Virginia Rose-Jeanes
Made for: S
Size: US 8/UK 5/EUR 38.5 – Foot length is around 23cm/9 ¼”
Yarn: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock – 90% Merino 10% Nylon – 365.8m/400 yds – Braeburn – 1 skein
Needles: US1/2.25mm – 40”/100cm – 2AAT on Magic Loop
Modifications & Notes:

• German Twisted CO 64
• K3P1 fpr 1”
• Leg for 3”
• Slip stitch rib heel

Cost of Project: $28CAD
Would I knit it again? Yes.

Sport Spice Man Socks, started June 12, 2016, finished July 20, 2016.
Pattern: Spice Man – Basic toe-up, all sizes
Size: US 6.5/UK 4/EUR 36
Yarn: This is some clearance yarn I bought years ago. It had a simple label indicating that it was Needful Yarns Perform Sock Yarn – 50% wool and 50% CoolMax – a wicking fibre. No other info on gauge, washing, or yardage.
Needles: US1/2.25mm 40″/100cm circulars. My standard sock needles.

Modifications & Notes: Since this is a basic sock pattern, modifications are necessary and encouraged. I wanted to learn this heel for the first time.

• Using my standard 2.25mm for sock knitting; with this yarn, it results in a tighter gauge about 40sts over 10cm rather than the 32sts/10cm in the pattern – prefer tighter gauge sock yarn especially for my sport socks
• 2AAT on long circular, but this did not work out as I had to do heels and heel flap separately
• Really like the heel flap and the gusset; would definitely use the techniques again except I’d have to do it separately when I got to the heels
• Knit leg for about 3” and cuff for about 1”

Lessons Learned: Another heel flap and gusset technique for toe-up
Cost of Project: $2 for the yarn!
Would I knit it again? Sure.

These socks took me eight months to finish and then I delayed photographing them for another three months. All in all, it took me about a year to get this post up. I am not knitting as much as I use to be. When I started these socks, I hoped it would get me back into it. In the past, I could finish a pair of socks in two weeks even while working full-time. I blame myself for picking this pattern. The twisted stitches made these socks very slow. It’s too bad as these were my first pair of socks from this book.

Katsura, started September 2, 2014, finished June 2, 2014.
Pattern: Katsuara by Judy Sumner from Knitted Socks East and West
Yarn: Froehlich Wolle Special Blauband – 50g/225 yards – 2 skeins – #74
Needles: US#1/2.25mm – 100cm circular

Modifications & Notes:

• Judy’s Magic CO 2AAT on ML using La-Rink and La-Link for toe increases.
• Fleegle Heel
• Yarn came with reinforcing thread so I used it for toes but forgot the heels
• K2P1 ribbing
• Jenny’s Surprisingly Stretchy BO

Cost of Project: Yarn was Random Act of Kindness gifted from Ravelry. Thank you. Cost of book was around $10-15CAD probably.
Would I knit it again? No.

Nothing like an easy peasy pair of lace socks to get me through summer. I worked on most of this in August. This is at least better than the Girasole blanket of last year. I’m starting to become one of those knitters who does not really knit in the summers. I spent much of this summer outdoors which is great.

In any case, my third pair of socks of this year. I always like knitting socks. In some ways, they are the ultimate kind of projects for me: not too easy, not too difficult, comforting, not too big, not too small, and most of all, useful.

I went back to my favourite sock pattern designer for these. I love this Nancy Bush book. I’ve made more things from Knitting Vintage Socks than any other knitting resource. With the cashmere and wool in these socks, I think they will be one of my favourite winter house socks.

As much as I like toe-up sock patterns, this pattern bored me quite early on. The pattern is well written and charted though especially since it is designed for people for small and wide feet making it versatile. Sadly, I think it was the chart that made me indifferent. The foot is fine since half the sock is stockinette, but the leg takes forever as you do the chart on the front and back. Maybe it was all those purls and m1s; it did not make for mindless knitting. I just grew really bored with it, and rushed to finish the socks so I could move on to something else. Both the socks have a shorter leg than the pattern or I would like. For my size 7 feet, I did four chart reps on the leg, and four more on the leg.

I did a lot of my usual mods. I love the Judy Magic CO, learned a new method to do increases for the toe, and I used a different BO than the recommended k2p2 grafting (see below). Once again, I used misocrafty’s short row heel tutorial which claims hole less heels, but for some really strange reason, I always got holes on one side of the heel and not the other. Namely the side where you pick up wraps from the RS side. The other side of the heel is perfect. I experimented with picking the wraps in front, in purl, in the back, etc., but it still looked sloppy and holey. Next time, I am going to pick up the wraps on that side of the heel the “normal” way for a short row heel or learn another heel altogether.

Vinland, started August 17th 2008, finished September 3rd, 2008
Pattern: Vinland by Becca Compton in The AntiCraft
Size: 8.5″ foot circumference
Yarn: Regia Loop Color (75% New Wool/25% Nylon – 100g – 460 yards ) #5763 – 1 ball
Needles: #1/2.25mm 100cm/40″ circulars magic looping
Modifications: Judy Magic Cast On, misocrafty short row toe, and the following BO from Grumperina: “Work 2 sts in pattern (either knit or purl). Move yarn to back (if the last worked st was a knit, this is already the case). * Transfer the 2 worked sts to the LH needle, and k2togTBL. Work 1 st in pattern (move yarn to back if it was a purl), * repeat between *.”
Cost of Project: Yarn was on sale for less than $10/ball, but can’t remember exact price
Would I knit it again? If I did, I wouldn’t do the chart on the back of the leg. Otherwise, it’s unlikely.

My first toe-up socks. Originally I started toe-up Jaywalkers but I ran into problems so I decided to just do those another day top-down. I like toe-up socks because you can try them on. This is a very easy pattern to knit as well. A good candidate for a first sock pattern. It’s also one of those patterns that goes well with all sock yarn. As for toe-up vs. top-down, I wouldn’t say I love one technique over the other yet, but I do love sock knitting in general. Same goes with the heels, I like the short row heel I used.

Anastasia Socks, started June 16th 2008, finished July 1st, 2008
Pattern: Anastasia Socks by MintyFresh
Yarn: DGB Confetti 100 Cotton (100g/418 yards – 35% cotton 49% wool 16% nylon – #15.04) 1 skein
Needles: US#1/2.25mm 100cm metal Hiya-Hiya circs – Magic Looping

Magic Cast Oned 28 sts so I could avoid using a short row toe. I hate provisional cast ons where I must pick up from scrap yarn. As a result, I love the Magic CO and will use it for all my toe-up socks unless another good non-provisional CO comes along. A tip for increasing from 28 to the 60 is using a YO and then knitting it through the back loop in the second knit row. I find this achieves a better increase than M1A or KFB.

Modifications: Magic Cast On and miscocrafty’s short-row heel (which involves picking up two wraps and passing them over k st)
Lessons Learned: Magic Cast On, short row heel, and EZ’ sewn BO (which I think I learned before, but don’t know for what)
Cost of Project: $12 approx.
Would I knit it again? Maybe, but not for awhile. The pattern says to knit foot until 1.5″, I think one can start it at 2″ before heel. There is some room in the foot. I could have probably knit another 0.5-1″ of leg too, but I’m always scared of running out of yarn.
Helpful Links:

• Magic Cast On on Knitty
• Cart Bordhi’s youtube video of Magic CO
• misocrafty’s short row heel