First to answer a few questions
The Baby booties in my header
To everyone that has asked about the baby booties in my header, it is mostly a Debbie Bliss pattern from 'The baby Knits book'.
It's an easy pattern to make and the changes that I'd made, were done in hopes that they would stay on the baby's feet.
The Steak and Ale Pie Recipe
Here's a link to the American Version. Same pie but all the measurements are in imperial measue and some of the ingredients are explained.
Now, back to the Iris Garden Mossy Socks
First, a recap, I has lots of single skein Lorna's Laces. The mission, to make a medium size pair of woman's socks using 1 skein of Lorna's Laces and a bit of contrasting colour for the heels and toes. How far will one skein go?
So earlier in the week, I left you with this. Both socks got to here, and I was rapidly running out of the Iris Garden.
Here's another view of the same sock. It's too early to start the toes.
I did finish them, but I had to use more contrasting yarn on the foot.
Here's a close-up. 8 rows of the foot were done in the purple. So while not perfect, this confirmed that you can make a pair out of a skein of Lorna's Laces Shepard sock, if you use contrasting heels and toes. (I just need to do a lightly shorter leg).
It's not that obvious from a distance that I cheated the foot.
The total length of the leg from top of the cuff to the start of the heel flap is 5.75 inches (14.75 cm), the heel flap is 2.25 inches (6cm), the foot length from heel flap to start of toe decreases 6 inches (16 cm) where there is .8 inch (2cm) of purple, and standard wedge toe. The stitch gauge is 8.5 stitches per inch (2.5 cm) and 12.5 rows per inch (2.5 cm). The leg was done on 66 stitches and the foot on 64 stitches. Why all this detail? Not exactly, back to square one, but I'm going to try again and this time decrease the leg length to 5.25 inches.
Here's the artistic shot. Funny how washed out this yarn looks under a winter sky. It's actually more vibrant in real life.
Those socks are lovely. And I keep admiring your stash of Lorna's Laces!
Posted by: Say at December 21, 2005 09:13 PMThose socks are lovely. And I keep admiring your stash of Lorna's Laces!
Posted by: Say at December 21, 2005 09:13 PMHello,
the entire colors are so beautiful and the sample is fantastic. Very beautifully.
Kind regards, Maartje
Posted by: Maartje at December 21, 2005 08:12 PMBeautiful! I am making socks with a similar ribbing but yours seems to be an eyelet rib, or something prettier anyway than plain rib. Could you tell me the stitch repeat? Thank you!!!
Stacey
Posted by: Stacey at December 21, 2005 03:42 PMlovely socks Polly, and what lovely straight toes you have. XXX
Posted by: Tessa at December 21, 2005 08:35 AMThose are some very lovely socks!
Posted by: Jeanne at December 21, 2005 01:35 AMI like them with mor eof the toe the contrasting color, plus it's good use of yarn.
Love the colors as well.
Posted by: Rebekah at December 19, 2005 04:22 PMLovely colours. I just love looking at skeins of sock yarn!
Another way to save on yarn is to knit a short row heel, so there's no gusset (which would eat up a bit more of the main sock yarn).
Dawn:)
Posted by: dawn at December 19, 2005 02:50 PMLovely socks, I like the colors a lot. Maybe if you do the ribbing in the contrast color as well, you can finish the foot with the main color?
Posted by: Karin at December 18, 2005 07:12 PMVery nice. Good way to cut down on the spending, too, if it'spossible to make a pair out of one skein and not two. Besides, socks with contrasting toe and heel colours can look pretty good sometimes. It's a splash of that "little extra something".
Posted by: Winter at December 18, 2005 02:36 PMSome of those skeins would work well together. You could go the easy route and use two of them and a plain colour in the one sock. The leftovers make good stripey socks:
http://hipknitism.com/classes/stashbuster_spirals/
You can make a pair of Lucy Neatby's Fiesta Feet out of one skien and have a big chunk left over.
Posted by: Caroline Morris at December 18, 2005 08:40 AMLovely Polly, more inspiration to start on the sock knitting (I have just finished another Kiri! that pattern is so popular with my family). Where did you get the pattern for these socks?
Happy Christmas! Keep up the inspirational blog in 2006.
Posted by: Linda Dossett at December 18, 2005 08:25 AMI'll get on the bandwagon; doing the cuffs in the contrasting color might free up just enough of the LL to get all the way to the toe. They are beautiful. I can't wait to see more.
P.S. I made the Steak and Ale pie for dinner last night and it was excellent. Thanks again for the recipe. I never try new recipes when company is coming but this one was fabulous!
Posted by: Kristy at December 18, 2005 07:41 AMBeautiful socks Polly. Next time, instead of all the changes you describe why not do the ribbing in the same contrasting color? Seems to me if you did that you would have the perfect amount for the foot without having to change all your dimensions!
Posted by: Debi at December 18, 2005 04:11 AMBeautiful socks! A nice way to use up those extra skeins :)
Posted by: Dani at December 18, 2005 01:02 AMThey're gorgeous!
Posted by: Louise at December 18, 2005 12:03 AMLookin' great! You know, contrast for the ribbing at the cuff would free up just a tad more yarn for the foot.
Just sayin'
Posted by: Ann at December 17, 2005 10:17 PMThey look like a very pretty pair of socks to me! Gotta love Lorna's Laces.
Posted by: Jenn at December 17, 2005 07:03 PM