Oct 21 2008
Laila - You Got Me On my *Toes* - Laila
You may recall a day back in April of this year… I had an idea to pair two sock yarns from the ol’ stash and to cast on for some stranded colorwork socks en route to the Big Apple. Like so many of my socks, the Laila’s were inspired by Terhi at Mustaa Villaa, who made a lovely blue/white version last year. (Sidenote: Terhi cast on for her for her first socks ever during Socktoberfest a few years ago and now she is well-known for her amazing collection of sock creations!) The socks have taken me many many months to complete - I set them down for most of the summer as I lost the “sock mojo” as it is often called - and returned to them during Socktoberfest this month. Now they are complete!
Laila’s Socks
Pattern: Folk Knitting in Estonia by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill (Loden), Louet Gems (Mustard)
Needles: Size US 1 / 2.25mm
The stranded colorwork was a lot of fun. The pattern was easy to remember, and the colorwork is ideal for a beginner. The heel was fun to make - combining short rows and a heel flap, with a little padded cushion of slipped stitches at the bottom of the foot. I chose to make a solid heel to match the toe - the pattern calls for single row stripes of the two colors. (You can see all the others that people have made on the Ravelry Project Pages.)
Once I got rolling on the second sock, I had it finished pretty quickly (for me). It wasn’t until after my sister’s wedding reception that I realized that the sock was the same color as my bridesmaid dress… of course, I would not have worn them for the ceremony (strappy brown heels with folk socks, anyone?) but it definitely would have made for some fun photos if I had finished it up a little earlier :) By the way, thanks to everyone for your kind comments about the wedding photographs - my sister and Andrew read my blog, so once they return from the honeymoon, they will be thrilled to see so many well wishes from all of you!
These are my seventh pair of socks for my long-term Nancy Bush Compendium Project (you can see all of the completed socks for this project in my Gallery), and the second pair from this book, Folk Knitting in Estonia. The book includes some beautiful mittens and gloves, as well as socks. With so many charted colorwork (and some lace) patterns, I could easily use the mitten charts to make socks too… The book has a great history section at the beginning too. If you have read my blog for awhile, you know that I love Nancy Bush’s work. I was even honored to interview her for the 2006 Socktoberfest (you can read the transcript and listen to that here!) Her new book on Estonian lace looks beautiful - and someday when I have the courage to do lace like that, I will definitely turn to this book :) …In the meantime, I have four other Nancy books to keep me busy! I am planning to focus on Folk Knitting in Estonia and Folk Socks for my next few sock projects - there are some great patterns in both that really jive with my newfound love of stranded colorwork!
The Ravelry Socktoberfest group remains a busy discussion area for all things SOCKS, and a great place to show off your finished socks and your works-in-progress. The Socktoberfest group on Flickr is also brimming with new activity. Add yours to the pool!
they’re beautiful, lolly! i’ve been on a major green kick lately, and these are a lovely shade.
“Allt er vænt sem vel er grænt” is an Icelandic saying, which roughly translates to something like ,,Everything green is good”. Lovely socks!
Love those socks!
Unfortunately, I don’t have any socks on the needles for Socktoberfest. I’m too busy knitting lots and lots of Christmas presents and NO ONE has asked for socks!
i lose the sock mojo a lot! i guess you can only find it if you give them a break and come back, eh? these are some beautiful socks! and i’m sure they’ll be quite warm especially thanks to all the colorwork.
Those are very, very pretty. Nice color combo !!!
What a great pair of socks! Love the green, too.
Awesome socks! I love those colours together!
So pretty! And definitely worth the wait — but just in time for fall!
They turned out so nicely, Lolly! I really love them. I’ve had colorwork on the brain lately, and I’m really anxious to try a small, manageable project. Thanks for the tip for beginners!
Oh fabulous socks - might just make these my first colourwork project
Awww! I *love* your dress! And the socks colors match so well (with the dress, too)!
I think this might be my favorite shade of green.
I love seeing the color combination knitters use for this pattern - yours is particularly beautiful.
I love those greens together, how perfect. You look so nice in your bridesmaids dress too.
beautiful socks, lolly! do you find that they’re snug at all?
Great socks! I have to say, these definitely cause me to give a second look to colorwork socks. Some of them look too “folksy” in the books, but I leave your modern version with two lovely colors. Great inspiration!
They look great! One of the things that makes colorwork go so slowly for me is that I have to be constantly looking at a chart. This would be a great pattern for me because I could memorize the pattern. Thanks for introducing it to me! I really love the green - the world needs more green!
Those are beautiful socks in a lovely colour combo!
Love the color choice for the socks - I have had this pattern in the queue way too long!
Beautiful socks Lolly! They do go with your dress perfectly!
They’re complete! Congratulations! Wish I could knit cool colorwork socks like that.
They are REALLY pretty.
VERY pretty socks. (Green is my favorite color.) Your colorwork projects have always inspired mine (i.e., Aftur, Bea Ellis hat…). I’m thinking of doing these sometime soon:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fresco-fair-isle-mitts
They come out really great, Lolly! good work!
I am completely in love with those socks! And don’t you look fab in your dress!
Great socks! Love the color work.
Looks like cozy green apples! Nice work.
They look so cozy! Great job!
beautiful!
Your sock are beautiful and I really need to make them. I just need to find my book as soon as I get moved. The wedding looks lovely!
I love those - especially the colors you chose - awesome job!
Oh Lolly! They are magnificent and with stash yarn at that - a double header!
I have blue and tan yarn ready to go…someday!
Yours are beautiful in Loden and Mustard!
I love these! Beautiful work!
Your socks look great! You could always take some pictures now that they are done with the bridesmaid dress. I won’t tell anyone it wasn’t on the same day.
I love them.
And what a great idea to do a Nancy Bush Compendium Project. Hmmm… I might add that to my never-endind list of things to do.
These are beautiful, Lolly!
wow. spectacular, lolly.
i was hoping you were at rhinebeck this year. but no such luck.
maybe next year?!
Very pretty socks!
Oh! Thank you so much for your kind words, Lolly! Your socks are lovely! I hope the sock mojo is coming back.
Love the socks. They look fantastic.
These are just beautiful, Lolly! And I think it is awesome that you are doing a Nancy Bush Compendium–her sock patterns are just fantastic, so classic and beautiful.
Lolly, so long….! I have been missing to watch your page!! What a beautiful wedding. Your sister looks so pretty and happy and so your parents and you all…! congratulations! I want so badly to learn how to do socks. Which is the easiest way to learn??!!!! I need someone to give me some kind of reference of where to go look for directions for REALLY new people to socks!!!!
Great socks!
And hi from Estonia
I can only say WOW!