It’s completely bizarre to be donning a pair of socks on a stifling hot day of 35C, which indeedy yes it is today, but I absolutely must! since I promised myself I’d knit a pair of socks for each month of this year, it’s the last day of January and I don’t want to be late!
And so. I ordered a mystery ball of wool from A Homespun House; from the monthly lucky dip club for November. I very much liked the idea of this; because the mystery ball of hand-dyed wool also came with a handmade, and most probably, extremely cute, mystery progress-keeper from sucre sucre miniatures, aaaand… well I just felt like treating myself to a mysterious little package. So I did! I placed my order, and impatiently and excitedly awaited the arrival of my wool.
The skein was marked “Edeberry”. Was it was meant to read Elderberry? *shrug* I mean, not that a name makes any difference to the rose really; because the colours are delicious; a subtle and sophisticated moody range of smoky purples, pinks and coffee colours, with a bit of ocean blue and grass green thrown in for good measure. And that little troll-progress-keeper? Soooo cute, oui?… He’s my new knitting buddy, and he’s called Ramon.
I used my fave, same little old pattern, from a 60’s Patons pamphlet; a nice simple, plain and eminently serviceable pattern. I like that all the interest is all in the lovely dusky coffee-pink colours.. and this same dusky coffee-pink loveliness will be surely appreciated come the sharply cold grey days of winter…
My box of socks for the year so far!
Lovely! Meanwhile, I’m only 60 percent of the way through a pair of socks I began knitting 11 months ago …
A lovely pair, can’t wait to see your bock filling up over the months. Nothing beats a pair of hand-knitted socks.
your box of socks became a bock…
Pretty socks and a nice bit of Marie Kondo folding
Hi Carolyn, I liked your idea of one pair of socks per month so much, that I have my own January pair ready and will start my February socks soon. I paired this idea with my newyear resolution of ‘not-buying-new-wool-in-2019’. Stash-decrease and sock-increase!!
If you like you can see my results under my name ‘truusjoosten’ on Ravelry.
Greetings from the other side of the world: a freezing Amsterdam!
Carolyn, I always read your post but have never yet commented.
I too have set a goal of a pair a month. It is freezing cold in Nova Scotia Canada so I have finished two pair in January. I know that my garden will claim me come spring so my needles may sit idle then. I am knitting my way through Favourite Socks 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave. My socks and other knitting projects go into my Pick A Knit Basket. Family and friends get to choose something from the basket on birthdays and special occasions.
I love your blog for your wonderful makes and for the beach scenes with your pooch. One of our children and his wife lived in Perth for several years. They are home in NS now. Sadly we never got to visit your lovely city when they were there.
Such a very long post for a first post:-)) Happy knitting and sewing.
Hello Carolyn, can you give me the full details of the pattern for these sox, I am a beginner and you have inspired me
Hi Jude, my pattern is a really reeeeally old one and no longer available, but there are some really great easy and free socks patterns out there; this one has several really excellent patterns…
https://wondoflex.com.au/Content/Patterns/SocksfortheFamily.pdf
also this:
https://www.interweave.com/article/knitting/learn-how-to-knit-socks/
socks are actually a pretty fun and quite addictive thing to make, good luck and I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Jeez, it takes me months to knit a pair of socks so well done. Your sock box will be totally swoon worthy by December. Jo x
Why you would want to knit socks is beyond me (haha, I don’t knit and obviously have no idea how wonderful they are – or is it that I am so old I remember having them as a kid and they were not pretty?). But what a fabulous idea to have a year long project. You are so good at that. Me not so much. No commitment.
I love them, the colours are fabulous but I have to say I have never attempted a pair of socks.
Love the colour of these socks and Ramon is a very cute helper. I’ve never knitted socks and fear doing so as I feel I would be full time knitting them for my husband, and I am a rather selfish crafter.
I long to knit a pair of socks. I’ve got the dexterity and patience, but lack the knitting knowledge to make a pair of socks WORK. Toe-up, knit in the round, etc, are foreign concepts to me, I’m trying to learn, but when left to trying in my “free” time, it never happens! In the meantime, you are an inspiration!
I love your socks. I have that old sock booklet so I’m going to give it a go. I am wondering what gauge you used. Most modern sock patterns for Patonyle yarn are for 28 stitches per 10cm. However, the gauge used in the C11 leaflet using Patonyle is 36 stitches per 10 cm. Do you find that Patonyle knits up okay at the tighter gauge or does the tighter gauge make the socks a bit stiff to wear?
thank you Rosy! and I have to confess your comment prompted me to go and physically measure the gauge since I’ve knitted this pattern so many times but it’s a long LONG time since I actually checked! 😀
I tend to just cast on 60 stitches of fingering weight yarn onto 2mm double-pointed needles and go for it, and the resulting socks are just right for me. I also like to do a K2,P2 rib at the top, seems nicer to my eye than the K1,P1.
The gauge of these socks is 32 stitches/10cm, and the yarn is so lovely and soft, it doesn’t feel stiff at all 🙂