My my, it feels nice to get these socks off of the needles and onto my feet! I cast on for these socks during last year’s Socktoberfest – and I just finished them! Of course, they hibernated for most of the winter (when I could have worn them!), and I considered ripping them out. However, I knew they would be cozy and pretty useful, so I picked them up again a few weeks ago as I tried to clear out my knitting basket.

Canyon Hiking Socks
Pattern Source: Hiking Socks from Greetings from Knit Café
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease, for the main color;
recycled wool from thrift store cardigan for contrast
Needles: Size US 6 DPNs

These socks were fun, simple, and a great stashbusting project. I used about 2.5 balls of Wool Ease and about 40 yards of recycled wool for these socks. Once I devoted some time to them, I finished them pretty quickly. However, I did make a mistake on sock two and didn’t watch my gauge, and I got more of a legwarmer than a sock – I ripped that out and re-knit the gusset, and foot and the fit was much better the second time around. I have some other worsted weight yarns in the stash that could use a fun and functional pattern like this!

The pattern was easy to follow, and would be a good project for a beginning sock knitter. The knitting goes so much faster when you use bigger needles – size 6s almost feel like turbo rockets compared to my usual size 1 fare!

…and they are quite comfortable too! a little warm for this summer heat, but they will be perfect for hikes in the woods or to snuggle in next winter. The wool content will help “wick” away moisture, and they may even come in handy for my Peru trip this summer!

PS–who knew that knitters were such lushes!?! (takes one to know one!)  I have a very long shopping list for the next trip(s) to the wine shop! Thanks for all of your feedback and recommendations

I am shaking my head here; where in the world did this month go? I had such high hopes of finishing the lingering Project Spectrum knits on my needles before the month’s end. Alas, my needles are still full of pink, green, and yes, even two blue projects from the last color triad! Some catch up time is desperately needed…

I was right on track with the Shades socks, but then I hit that bump, and never recovered. Second sock is cast on, but I didn’t get back to it because of Wren, and the swap scarf. Seeing Katy’s finished ones makes me realize how much I need to finish my own! One sock to go – I think I can do that fairly quickly.

The Verdant Shrug – my token acrylic project . I worked steadily on this project, although it did not get much blog time. I am almost finished with it – only have to pick up stitches for the ribbed facing, seen here on the pattern. I do like this deep green with the subtle striping.

The Canyon Hiking Socks are coming along too – I am working on the calf stripes right now for sock two.

I won’t be too hard on myself, however: I did manage to finish a pair of socks AND a cardigan in these two months!

…I think it would be wise to clear these knits out before starting some of the bigger projects I have planned for June and July…

Did you reach your pink, green, and yellow goals?

What are you planning for the black, red, and metallics months of June and July?

My Canyon Hiking Socks are practically knitting themselves – the joy of worsted weight socks! The pattern, from Greetings from Knit Café, actually calls for a light worsted yarn (Rowan Wool Cotton in the book) on size 4 needles. I opted for a slightly heavier yarn, and went up to a size 6 needle. I wanted to accomodate my “shapely” calves, while also working in enough negative ease for the socks to stay up at my knees.

The yarn is the ubiquitous Wool Ease, in Dark Heather Rose. It really is a lovely colorway. I am using a recycled thrift store yarn for the contrasting stripe/heel/toe, visible in some of the pictures above, but best seen here. I like the burgundy on pink look.  The yarn has been in my stash for a very long time – nearly four years – since I first started knitting.  It will be good to have it cleared out.  The socks are so quick and so cute, that I am thinking they would be a good remedy for the other worsted weight remainders in my stash too!

By the time these are finished and off the needles, however, it will be too humid and hot to actually wear them hiking.  They may have to wait until fall for a true debut.

Summer is a good time to knit socks – fairly quick and transportable knits for the beach, road trips, the like – but I rarely wear socks during the season.  Maybe I am just stocking up for the coming fall and winter!  I am participating in Jessica’s 2nd Summer of Socks this year (it is a lovely way to revv up for Socktoberfest too!)  Will you be joining the fun? 

I have some lovely socks planned for next month’s Project Spectrum color triad:  black, red, and metallics.  Here are the glorious stockings I am excited to cast on for…

The Over-the-Knee Stockings from Vogue Knitting, Fall 2006 issue. I’ve got the Cascade Fixation, I just need to decide on the embroidery colors… I love what Robin did with her version of the stockings!

Canyon Hiking Socks and the Shades in Trekking socks

Uncovered after many many months at the bottom of my knitting bag… For all practical purposes, I had forgotten about the Canyon Hiking Socks that I started during last year’s Socktoberfest. I was excited when I started them – it was a fun and simple pattern in a bigger gauge, so naturally I thought I would finish them in a heartbeat. Here we are, six months later, and sock one is not even complete. I considered ripping them because they were a tad to tight, but I know they will stretch with some wear. The pattern is from the book, Greetings from Knit Café, which has several great patterns including this one. I substituted some stash yarns – Lion Brand Wool Ease and a recycled burgundy wool from the thrift shop – instead of the Rowan Wool Cotton that the pattern calls for. Seems to be a good fit too!

The Shades in Trekking sock is the exact opposite. I started this sock last week, and I already turned the heel and finished the gusset decreases. I simply can’t put this one down. I think Trekking yarn has that effect on me. I simply can’t wait to see how long one color will repeat, or what new color is going to be incorporated on the next row.

I had a battle with the flu this week, and that time out gave me the chance to work on both of these socks – in between naps and frequent trips to the loo…

I can’t explain why some socks get attention and others don’t – I love all socks equally! I do plan on spending some quality time with the knee highs though – although they probably won’t be worn until autumn with the wool and all. The dark heathery pink is a natural fit for Project Spectrum’s color theme this month (and it feels good to get a lingering project out of the basket and finished!)  There’s no denying that the Trekking is perfect – greens, yellows, and pinks (with some reds and blues thrown in for good measure) makes this one the ideal PS yarn!

Have a happy Easter, and a great weekend

The Hiking Sock actually fits to the knee!  Of course, this brings me a great sense of accomplishment because I had to do some knitty math for my "shapely" calves.  And it worked!

I am using Wool Ease worsted weight yarn, and a contrasting stripe of "Burgundy Heather" superwash wool yarn (circa 1970) that I picked up at a thrift shop in Alabama last winter.  The texture and gauge seem to be working very well on the US size 5 needles too.  I folded the cuff down, as it was modeled in the book, Greetings from Knit Café, but it looks pretty cool stretched up over the knee as well.  These are going to be so warm and comfy!

I have made about 4 more inches of progress from this point, and am closing in on the ankle! 

At first, I was unsure of making socks in WoolEase.  This yarn was purchased about 2.5 years ago in my early knitting days – when I was craft store shopper rather than yarn store shopper.  I have learned more about the quality of yarns, however, I feel that WoolEase is a good yarn overall, it just depends on what you use it for.  I am planning to reinforce the heel and the toe with a nylon thread reinforcement, sold at my local yarn shop.  I will most likely knit the heel and the toe in the contrasting burgundy colorway, which is 100% wool, and hopefully more durable for those "heavy wear" areas. Plus, it will be another chance to work with the yarn, and do some stashbusting at the same time!

 …Speaking of stashbusting… 

Wanna know the dirty details? 
Click on picture (to my Flickr page), then mouse over the yarn to see more details about each skein.

As you can see, I have some lovely yarns in the stash just waiting for the cast-on day.  I often feel more adventurous with my socks than I do any other knitting, and it is easier to talk me into a bright neon sock yarn than a similarly-colored sweater yarn.  That is the real beauty of socks though – they are about adventure!  You can wear a modest, conservative outfit, yet still be a rebel with your socks! 

To you, it may not look like my sock yarn stash is lacking… (and I know, it really is not) but I would like to add some more solid or lightly variegated skeins to the mix.  They are so pretty in lace and cable patterns, that it seems that these kind of designs are catching my eye more and more since I started the lace panel on my Lace (Not So) Knee High.  For a long time, I thought I was lace-inept, but with a little patience and diligence, I was able to get through the chart of sock one without any problem.  I think I can take on another one now! (Of couse, after I finish the ones currently on my needles!)

Some Socktoberists have flashed their sock yarn stash on the Socktoberfest Flickr group, and I am curious what other stashes are out there.  Even more so, I am interested in hearing more about the stories of your sock yarn stash:

• Do you have certain patterns planned for some of the yarns?  Do you buy yarn and then choose a pattern? 

• Does a certain sock yarn you have in your stash take you back to a certain event? (where you were when you bought/received it? what was going on in your life at the time!) 

Every stash tells a story!