I feel a strong need to celebrate, afterall, the anniversary socks are finally done. (Shockingly, It took over 4 months to finish and they weren't even all that difficult)
It took a bit of will power to and a lot of focus to finish them. The combination of dark colours and grey skies ... and the utter scarcity of daylight. It just feels wrong to have to use a flash for outdoor photography at 3:30pm.
So, the reward for the slog, is .. that I get to cast on something new. I've got my brand spanking new copy of Ultimate Socks from Vogue Knitting...and a few balls of yarn, ready to go.
I really like this design, bavarian socks by Candace Eisner-Strick
and this one, the Leaf Lace socks by Susan Lawrence
and these Latvian Socks by Lizbeth Upitis. I wonder how they would look with purple as the main colour?
When I see such lovely designs, I really bemoan the lack of plain, simple sock yarn (75% superwash wool/25% polyamide) available in a wide mix of plain colours and heathers. You can see walls and walls of it in Germany, but very little in the UK. I would love to make all these socks using a harder wearing wool than the Jaeger Merino 4ply but I just can't find the mix here. While, I love the handpainted ones, it's like burger vs. filet mignon.. sometimes, a girl just wants the burger.
I've got one of a pair of leaf socks finished but won't reveal how long ago! Love your list....mine is about that long but might be longer if I included the quilt and cross stitch UFOs. ;>)
Posted by: Judy Shaw at January 4, 2008 03:40 PMI've enjoyed your blog for a long while now - and I have 43 kilos of sock yarn (75% wool 25% nylon) behind me (literally). Would you like me to dye you some up as a token of appreciation?
Posted by: Ingrid at December 29, 2007 11:38 PMHear hear! As a dedicated foot tester of sock yarns, I am convinced that the less-fancy yarns are superior for socks that actually will be worn to walk around in shoes. That pair of Regia (I think it's regia--a purple mix, with plain purple toes and heels) sox has outlasted all of its contemporaries and the soles are not even getting thin! And I wash and dry them with the regular laundry and they don't even mind.
The anniversary sox are lovely!!! x o Kay
Posted by: Kay at December 29, 2007 11:04 PMCygnet is fine to knit with (from Modern Knitting) or try St Ives from the same seller, or Sunbeam for heathered colours, available from Texere yarns (both are online sellers based in the UK).
As well as Opal Uni, or course.
Samantha
Make the most of the Jaeger Matchmaker Merino. I'm still lamenting it's demise.
I'm sure purple will look just fine.
Posted by: Mandella at December 29, 2007 10:26 PMHow can you choose just one pattern?! All are lovely.
Posted by: Mary at December 29, 2007 10:13 PMI agree. The handpaints often compete with the stitch patterns.
Posted by: Sarah at December 29, 2007 10:06 PMPolly I've never used it but what about Cygnet sock yarn? Not a huge range of colours, but cheap and cheerful ...
Posted by: Helen at December 29, 2007 09:37 PMHave you seen the Fortissima Socka plain sock yarns. Anna at Web of Wool has loads of different colours in her shop.
Happy New Year.
If you want some solid colored sock yarn, email your snail mail addy and I'll be happy to send some of the solid-colored sock yarn i have that I don't think I will ever use. I would be happy to destash it and gift to you.
Posted by: Wanda at December 29, 2007 08:32 PMFor plain sock yarn it's Opal Uni for me every time. I'd be fibbing if I said there isn't a colour that I don't like, they make several that I've bought on line and had nasty surprises with.
How does the Matchmaker merino wear?
Posted by: Caroline M at December 29, 2007 08:20 PMI've just ordered that book today and seeing some of the lovely patterns you've just shown, I'm glad I did. That purple yarn is gorgeous!
Posted by: mrspao at December 29, 2007 07:07 PMbeautiful:)Love the colour
Posted by: ambermoggie at December 29, 2007 06:14 PM