Monday, July 16, 2007

Not-So-Fair-Isle socks

It's been a while since I made these, but I never actually posted them... They were my first socks ever... Let me recommend to anyone else out there who is beginning on socks, don't start out on these. ;)

Yarn: Knit Picks Essentials in brown, and Knit Picks Essential Stripes in "Sunny Day" colorway (I think, I don't remember the exact colorway name, and it's no longer on the website).
Needles: Size 4 dpn.
Pattern: Knit Picks Not-So-Fair-Isle socks (also no longer on website, since they no longer have the essential stripes)

Okay, for never having done socks before, I don't think I did too badly... This is a fair isle type pattern, done with two different yarns (I had also never done fair isle before, go fig). It's a top-down pattern with a short-row heel and six even decreases for the toe. It took me a little while to get my tension right for the fair isle (some parts are tighter than others), but it wasn't too bad, they at least fit! :) Also, there's a hole on both socks where the short-row heel starts... I'm starting to figure out how to get rid of that problem, I'm about three pairs of socks later nowadays.

Because it's self-striping sock yarn for the carry yarn, it made for some really nice pattern and color changes without having to change the yarn! I still haven't figured out the jogless join, so the backs of these socks are a little funky right at the change in pattern, but all in all, I can't say they turned out too badly!









Not too bad... Although wearing them over the summer is something I'd rather not try, they're kind of thick, being two strands of superwash wool.

Because of the pattern, and the way the fair isle was being stretched in the bottom half of the sock, this sock actually gives kick-ass arch support! :)

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