How many socks does one person need?

Honestly, I can’t tell you.

I very rarely wear socks.

In fact, I am in flip flops most of the time. My feet get hot easily and I find store bought socks very uncomfortable.

But lately I have been knitting a lot of Socks.

Since my available knitting time is very minimal, I have to have something with me at all times so I can take advantage of every spare moment I might get. Fortunately, socks are very small and easily portable projects, and I can finish a row fairly quickly. This means I won’t have to put down my project mid row and risk dropping a stitch.

I might gift my finished pairs to loved ones, or I might be converted to a sock wearer with my own hand made creations.

Right now, I have 2 pairs with me at all times. 1 toe up pair, and 1 top down pair.

My Toe Up pair, I just cast on this past Sunday. This sock is still in its awkward infancy stage, where it still feels like I am all thumbs and getting the yarn twisted. But the yarn is really making it worth it so far. I am using a lovely hand dyed merino that I purchase from a local spinner and dyer. I am not sure what brand her blank is from, but the label says Merino, and also contain metallic threads for sparkle. This yarn is super soft and so squishy!

I should be finished with the toes by Friday and ready for the next clue!

Pattern – ASK (Addicted to Sock Knitting) Knit Along – Mystery Pattern

Yarn – AngoraJane’s Fibers Hand Dyed Merino.

My Top Down Pair are a simple classic sock with minimal patterning.

I recently finished 1 pair of socks as a sample for my Two-at-a Time Workshop at Get Stitchin’. I really enjoyed them so much, I just started a second pair! I am well past the awkward infant sock stage, and am about ½ finished with the cuff.

This yarn is not the nicest yarn. But once it is washed and dried it softens up lovely. Plus, the colors really are rich and well saturated into the fiber. I love knitting this one in the simple pattern just to see how the colors will stripe up.

I did not try to get the colors starting at the same point in the sequence. In my humble opinion, life is too short to worry about matching stripes. As long as the colors match, then they are maternal twin socks an beautiful to me!

Pattern –“The Classic Sock” from “2-at-a-Time Socks” by Melissa Morgan-Oakes

Yarn – Lane Cervinia Forever – Colorway 46

I am also working on another class sample for the “Confident Beginners – Learn Something New!” series that will be starting in August and September.

The shawl does require some attention when it is first started, but quickly becomes a relaxing and meditative knit. Plus, it is perfect for hand dyed and tonal yarn, because the simple garter stitch really highlights the tonal variations within the yarn and fiber itself.

Speaking of yarn, I am absolutely in love with this yarn! This yarn is another Hand Dyed creation from AngoraJane’s Fibers. The base is a Yak, Silk, and Merino blend. This dye batch really did soak up the deep blue with great saturation. Jane told me she believed it was because of the dark nature of the Yak that contributed to how rich beautiful this color turned out to be.

Yarn – AngoraJane’s Fibers Hand Dyed Yak / Silk / Merino Blend

And last but not least, I am making new demonstration swatches for beginning knitting.

I am making several swatches of each technique because I want to illustrate how a simple stitch or technique can look different based on the fiber and the colorway of the yarn used. These have become my perfect TV knitting / audio book listening projects.

Yarn – Wool Yarn leftover from a project – name unknown and Cotton Plymouth Yarn Fantasy Naturale.

What is on your needle today for Workbasket Wednesday?

Until Next time – Have a StitchTastic Day!

Angela