holiday knitting is ON
I finally made some concrete decisions regarding my Christmas Knit List and I'm putting the plan into action! Assemblage is taking a seat in the "way back" for now. Jewelry making has been taking up the vast majority of my free time, and suddenly I realized that I probably started my holiday knitting too late. My late start pretty much eliminated the idea of knitting a sweater for anyone...not that I was really jazzed to attempt another sweater for a family member anyway. So I had to choose some smaller projects.
What do you knit for Dad after you've already knit for him two ill-fitting hats, a really gigantic sweater, coffee cozies that he actually likes, and thrummed mittens that he refuses to wear because he thinks they're "too nice"? The answer is, clearly, socks. The problem is that I don't knit socks. Or, rather, I haven't knit socks. Ever. I've had half a Jaywalker sitting at the bottom of my knitting basket for what I think must be years by now. I've just never been able to get into it. But socks were so obviously the solution to my Dad Gift Dilemma, that I decided I had to try again. I've always liked the Log Cabin Socks from Handknit Holidays, but the size only goes up to a men's 8.5! I needed a 9.5-10. So I decided to knit the pattern as is, using larger needles and yarn and hope for the best. (Stop laughing.) I had trouble finding the perfect combination of color (something heathered and natural looking), care instructions (machine washable, since he'd never wear them if they weren't!), and gauge (chunky). So I settled on Plymouth Encore Chunky, which contains...acrylic. Yipe. Being so unsure of my sock knitting skills, I was hesitant to spend more for even a superwash yarn if I was just going to wind up tossing the whole project anyway. Yes, of COURSE I'm regretting it now! (Stop laughing). You told me so. I know, I know. But they're actually looking nice and I think they might even be the right size and I'm fairly certain my dad will love them and positive that I'm knitting another pair for my brother-in-law.(Know what? Sock knitting is kind of fun. No, I'm not crossing over to the dark side yet. But I am on my tippy toes peeking over the wall wondering what else you guys are knitting over there.)
posted by jenna at 9:44 AM
14 Comments:
It looks so squishy and comfy, he'll totally love them!
I agree, sock knitting is fun, but it takes so much energy to knit the second....I think I have ADD.
Hi Jenna,
What size needles are you using? My nieces have larger feet than I do, so I might do something similar...take a pattern and use larger needles and chunky yarn.
Yay! I'm not the only one that has a Dad where knitted gifts almost never work out. The vest he won't wear becuse it's too warm, the hat that doesn't fit how he likes...though it does fit him... *sigh* The men in my life are impossible.
The socks look lovely so far! :) I too am not a sock knitter... Brave you!
Most sock yarns contain acrylic or rayon. No worries there! & Superwash is chemically treated so I rarely see is as natural as people think it is.
I think these are going to be BEAUTIFUL! Another pattern you should check out for awesome looking socks (easy to knit) and on bigger needles is Kerttu (I have a pair on my ravelry projects page).
AND you could always stitch on suede bottoms & make them slippers in minutes! :D
I love the suede bottoms idea! I think Encore is actually pretty nice considering the acrylic content--plus it holds up really well, definitely needed for socks! I've knit this pattern and I really love it. I'm not sure how this would work with the cable charts but with most socks you can just keep knitting the foot longer until it's the size you need (there are charts somewhere on the Internet that tell you approximate foot length for different shoe sizes). Please ignore this if you already knew that, just throwing it out there because you mentioned you're not a sock knitter! Also, my dad loves my handknit socks so much he shows them to everyone.
Hi, I found your blog through a search (been trying to learn aran stitches and got one of your archive posts) and would love to add your blog to my blogroll if that is okay?
Hi from the other side of the tippy-toes...Sock land IS a big and diverse place to be. And sometimes it's ok to knit acrylic blend, because that just means the feet will wear hardier ;)
okay, since you've had the guts to admit it, I will too - I just knit the drops jacket in encore chunky. I turned red as I entered it into my projects page on rav. Still...I ended up loving it. It's such a nice soft acrylic r-e-a-l-ly. And since I'm wearing the fire out that jacket, I think it might have been a good idea. Anyways, good choice for the socks. You've inspired me to try out socks for the first time too. Your dad will love these I am sure!
these are fantastic -- chunky yarn is the way to go, super fast and they'll squish like heaven. I really like the pale heathery color you chose, it shows off the cables beautifully.
lookin' good!
Hi Jenna!
I have been following your blog and Ravelry stuff and I love it! I just started my own blog and hope its ok I added you to my blogroll.
check it out if you want http://sjhouser.wordpress.com
Ha ha - I totally understand. I don't knit socks either. Hope you enjoy it!
love the cables... good choice!
I love the socks! I think sock knitting is fun, but not as fun as other wearables like sweaters. :)
Post a Comment
<< Home