#6 Opal Socks

When I first started knitting socks a few years back, I would see this lovely Opal yarn in magazines and on web sites and drool at the colourways, but alas my LYS didn't carry Opal and I couldn't find it anywhere locally without ordering online. 

Well, Camilla Valley Farm is now carrying several colourways of Opal. Insert Happy Dance here :D 

Last time I was by the farm located on the Blind Line just north of Orangeville, Ontario, I picked up several balls. This pair of socks are the first ones I've knit. I really like the yarn but it's not as heavy as Kroy. 

It's quite a long repeat in the striping with only a little over 3 repeats per sock in a ladies medium size. 

Yarn: Zwerger Garn Opal Hundertwasser

Colourway: 3202

Needle: 2.25 mm

Pattern: No pattern. Plain top cuff down sock. 

Completed: April 19, 2016

#5 Beige Leafy Socks

This is one of my favourite lace sock patterns. It's very easy to follow and works well with a solid or a variegated yarn. My preference leans toward a solid yarn for it though. I have made this pattern two other times.

Like with the Eye of the Helix socks, I used the muslin colourway of Patons Kroy Sock yarn and a 2.75mm needle.

The only variation that I have from the original pattern is I do a (K1TBL, P1) ribbing instead of a plain (K1, P1).

I would definitely endorse this pattern for anyone wanting to knit a nice lace sock.

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks

Colourway: 55008 Muslin

Needle: 2.75 mm

Pattern: Waiting to Fall, By Jenna Beegle

Completed: April 5, 2016

#4 Plain Old Socks

I love a nice strong sock yarn. I love it even more when it has a lovely self-striping pattern.

Kroy Socks Stripes from Patons Yarn is one of my favourite go-to yarns. It's a 4-ply fingering weight but it's almost a sport weight it's so heavy. It's incredibly durable and colourfast.

But the biggest plus for me is that I live about an hour away from the factory in Listowel, Ontario where it is wound into balls. I go to the tent sale one or two times a year and scoop up tons of sock yarn.

This is my second pair of mindless socks this year. It's time to find another colourway and start another pair.

 

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks Stripes

Colourway: 55617 Sporty Stripes

Needle: 2.25 mm

Pattern: No pattern, just a regular boring sock

Completed: March 7, 2016

#3 Eye of the Helix Cable Socks

I really loved this pattern. I love a beautiful cable sock knitted in a nice solid colour and I happened to have a couple of bags of this colourway from Patons Kroy Socks. The colourway is Muslin.

There's a lot of different things going on with this sock. The edge cable is on either side of the helix pattern. I love the centre cable that splits off to create the eye. The pattern is fully charted and is very easy to follow. I love the transition to the heel at the back, the cables stop above the top of your shoe so it wouldn't be bulky at that point.

I believe this is the first pattern I've knitted from Cynthia Levy of RedTigerDesigns (on Ravelry). It's well written and I don't think I found even one little typo. Pretty good for a free pattern, I must say. I've bought patterns that had many mistakes in them!

Top view, so you can see the 'eye'

I would make this patten again! 

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks

Colourway: 55008 Muslin

Needle: 2.75 mm

Pattern: Eye of the Helix Socks, by Cynthia Levy

Completed: February 29, 2016

Click here for Cynthia's Download Page

#2 Mindless Socks

I usually have two pairs of socks on the go at any given point in time...that is at LEAST two. I like a mindless sock using a funky patterned yarn and a complicated one, something that requires thought like cables or lace or a bit of both. The mindless one is great for TV knitting or when knitting with friends. The complicated one is great to keep your mind busy when your brain is in overload.

The second socks that were completed in 2016 were a pair that I started a whole year prior. I started these socks on January 28th of 2015 and finished them on January 29 of 2016.

A little side note of how I deal with my depression, I tend to start a lot of new projects. I'm so thankful for Ravelry for keeping track of my projects. I found an entire knitted lace shawl that I DO NOT remember starting, knitting, or completing. Looking back at the project page, I see that it was started just before my beautiful doggy died suddenly in February of last year so yup, I get it. That's why I don't remember. My life was a black cloud at that point. Even just typing that last sentence made me stop and find a tissue.

Back to the Mindless Socks. I absolutely love this colourway! I love blues and greens together, it reminds me of spring and summer. I've used Berroco Sox a couple of times and just love it! It's a durable yarn that keeps its colour even after repeated washings. I have another ball of this yarn; I'm thinking gloves or mittens.



Yarn: Berroco Sox
Colourway: 1477
Needle: 2.25 mm
Pattern: Just a basic sock, no pattern used
Completed: January 29, 2016

#1 Husband Socks

What a great pair of socks to launch my new blog. I have been making socks for a few years now but my hubby always said that he "didn't like hand knit socks" so I never made him any. Truthfully, I was a little relieved that he didn't want me to make him socks because he has a size 12-13 feet! (Euro 45, UK 11.5)

A couple of years ago, as I was making socks for our very large footed sons, I asked my husband to try them on for fit and shape. He immediately said, "Oh, they feel nice!"

Fast forward to last summer. I had just received a package of yarn from an online order and there were a few balls of Opal sitting on the table; one brown and two blue striped yarns. He (jokingly) said "Are these for me??" so what could I do? I had to make him socks with this yarn. I was making them for this last Christmas but didn't get them done in time so I gave him one sock and an IOU for the other one.

I finished them before the end of January and they were the first socks finished in 2016.



Yarn: Opal
Colourway: 8865 Beisammensein
Needle: 2.75 mm
Pattern: Basic Ribbed Socks
Completed: January 20, 2016